Members of the North Brunswick Local 108 white- and blue-collar unions have accepted a zero percent salary increase for the year 2009, describing this as their effort to help the people of the township during these difficult economic times.
According to John Sheridan, the president of the blue-collar union, about 50 employees of the roads, sanitation, parks and public works departments agreed to forfeit a raise for 2009. The employees are currently working off an extended three-year contract that expired in December and will begin negotiations for their next contract in September.
“The township, we want to take them at their word that they are under financial constraints. One percent could do more for them than for us,” Sheridan said of being offered a 1-percent raise for the year.
The chief steward of the union said that the reason for this is to hopefully avoid layoffs and furloughs and to keep employees working. He said that the union was “not at all” forced or coerced into the decision.
“One percent wasn’t going to send me to the boat store to buy a yacht,” Sheridan said,
“But one percent for 50 guys helps out the town,” fellow union representative Dan Jolly added, noting how most of the employees are also township residents. “We are the community. … We get hit twofold [with taxes].”
Sheridan said the employees have also assisted the town by doing landscaping at the municipal building in-house, by taking over garbage collection at the Deerbrook complex, by entering into a shared services agreement with Spotswood to do their vehicle repairs and by eliminating non-emergency overtime hours.
“We’re just trying to do our part to help the town. We know Trenton is not helping us,” Sheridan said. “If our guys stay working, the more the township benefits … and we don’t lose any services.”
As for the new negotiations, Sheridan said he hopes to leave 2009 in the past and go forward into 2010 and beyond.
“What we did this year, they can take as a little gift from us and [we hope to] move forward,” he said. “Hopefully, they don’t throw it back at us. We are really trying to help out. We have no other motive than trying to help out.”
According to township Business Administrator Robert Lombard, he said next year will be difficult because of decreases in state aid and revenue and increases in pension and health care costs, but that the intention is to preserve services and conserve employment while being aware of the plight of taxpayers.
Lombard said the forfeiture by the union will not set a precedent, and they will not be obligated to take the same measures every year.
On that note, he said, “All the credit goes to the union leadership for what I consider a pretty extraordinary action … for what I consider to be a common goal.”
Lombard said he has “never had a union accept less than [the township has] offered in my 30 plus years of experience.” He said, “Nothing was forced on them. It was something they elected to do to help the township.
“It is very gratifying to see employees respond, without any kind of inducement, to recognize how difficult these times are,” he said. “I think they are acknowledging by their actions the difficult times … and we are trying to maintain services as much as we can and employment as much as we can.”
Lombard said the intention is to avoid layoffs and furloughs as long as possible, but the future is unpredictable.
In regards to the other unions in town, Lombard said the white-collar division of Local 108 was offered the same 1-percent raise and also deferred it for similar reasons. The Police Benevolent Association and Superiors Officers Association have contracts through December 2011, and the crossing guards are protected through the end of 2009. The contract for the Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association has expired, and a newly established supervisors union comprised of 10 members of the Department of Public Works and Parks & Recreation supervisors has sought the intervention of the state to mediate a settlement.
Department directors are considered management so they are not union members, and are evaluated through a performance review by the mayor. Lombard said the directors have received a 1-percent pay raise.
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