County and union at odds over salary increase as contract negotiations continue

MOUNT HOLLY ? The contract dispute between the county and its largest employees union heated up Wednesday as the local president accused the Burlington County Board of Freeholders of giving significant salary increases to some of its top-paid workers despite claims of years-long wage freezes.

On Friday, County Administrator Paul Drayton fired back, claiming the statements made by Adam Liebtag, president of the Communications Workers of America Local 1036, at the freeholders' public meeting last week were unfair, misleading and inaccurate.

Liebtag said the freeholders over the last two years authorized raises for 25 ?of the highest-paid employees,? giving an average increase of 11.7 percent. He said six of those employees, who make nearly or more than $100,000, received in excess of 20 percent raises.

?That?s the same period our folks had zero and the same period you folks claimed poverty and that the county tax rate cannot sustain raises,? Liebtag said. ?You talk about sacrifice and economic difficulty. Well, I guess it depends where you sit. Where we sit, we are in economic difficulty.?

The CWA Local 1036 has been working without a contract since its last four-year agreement expired Dec. 31, 2010. Since then, there have been 14 negotiation sessions, but the sides remain significantly apart on economic issues.

The freeholders did not respond to Liebtag?s criticism at the meeting, but in response to his statements the county administration reviewed its personnel and payroll figures in response. Four years ago, the board instituted a hiring freeze for all nonessential positions and wage freezes for all nonrepresented personnel.

Drayton said the analysis showed that 100 county employees received salary increases over the last two years, including 75 union members. He said some of those raises were comparable to those Liebtag discussed.

But about 95 percent of all the increases employees saw since 2010 were attributable to promotions, he said. The others were because employees were given significantly more job responsibility or were being brought to full salary after a probationary period, he said.

Through shared services and consolidations, the freeholders, in some cases, did not have to replace an employee who left, instead splitting the position?s duties between existing workers and compensating them for their new roles, Drayton said.

For example, when a $90,000-a-year capital-projects manager left, instead of hiring new, the job was split between two department heads. Each received $10,000 salary increases, but the move saved the county $70,000 overall.

Drayton also said when a new hire needed to be made, that person was brought in making less than his or her predecessor.

Overall, the size of the county staff is down 30 percent and payroll is down more than $10 million, he said. Once the county completes the sale of its nursing home and psychiatric hospital this month, it will have about 1,100 employees, down from 1,800 five years ago.

?And at the same time, we haven?t reduced the amount of work these people are doing,? Drayton said. ?Promotions are going to happen for both represented and nonrepresented employees. (Liebtag's) list of 20 or 25, I haven?t seen it, is unfair and misleading. These people have worked hard and earned those raises.?

Liebtag said the average salary of a CWA member is $40,000. The union represents about 700 county employees.

The county employs about 140 full-time nonunion workers and 160 part-timers, Drayton said.

County officials have said the union?s proposal calls for a total 9 percent increase over four years. The county?s proposal is about a third of that, 3.25 percent over four years, officials said. Liebtag characterized the county's offer as ?extremely unreasonable.?

Both figures are significantly less than the previous CWA contract, which gave employees 4 percent raises annually over four years, for a total of 16 percent. Officials said every 1 percent of a wage increase is equal to about $400,000 in the county budget.

The union has given the county a proposal that it says could save $620,000 on its pharmacy benefits management plan, and is working on a proposal that would generate additional savings in health care coverage without diminishing member benefits.

Liebtag said the savings could be used to fund the union?s proposed increase and settle the contract.

?We?ve put dollars on the table,? he said. ?If you don?t fully participate in our proposal, you?re screwing the taxpayers, and you?re going to continue to not settle a contract.?

Earlier this month, Freeholder Joseph Donnelly said? even with savings found by the union or the county in their efforts to reduce health care costs, the board is not ready or able to fund a contract that calls for a total 9 percent salary increase. This year, the county is again dealing with a budget with falling ratables and revenue and rising fixed costs.

Officials plan to introduce the budget July 11.

Drayton said the union?s public fighting with the freeholders won?t change the county?s position at the bargaining table.

?It?s really counterproductive,? he said. ?The freeholder board and the administration are not going to be bullied or put in a position to negotiate in public. It?s not our goal.?

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48021094/ns/local_news-delaware_valley_pa_nj/

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