Union Wages Versus West Hartford Services

Many people have pointed out to West Hartford Town Leaders and Management that the upward trending cost of salaries and benefit payouts makes this budget and future budgets unsustainable, especially as we head into very difficult economic times. According to various reports, the Taxpayers Association is seeking a zero tax increase in this very difficult economy and have sat down to meetings with the Mayor and Town Manager to discuss the issue.

Honestly, it is clear that no one wants to see a referendum this year, but that is still possible if tax bills increase with this budget given this very difficult economy.

The town is already running at a deficit. Revenues are drying up, and spending, especially on the Board of Education side, is increasing. The culprit is primarily wages and benefits. The Town whines that they can do little regarding existing contracts and that they have already frozen wages and instituted a hiring freeze on non-union positions. Non-union jobs have not had any cut in present wages though.

It is said that bargaining units (aka Unions) are being asked to come back to the table to discuss givebacks, as is happening in other towns across CT, but so far, no one has made any announcements or produced any results regarding that in West Hartford.

Remember this quote not too long ago?

"That wasn't going to happen," Louis Glanz, head of the firefighters union, said Friday. "We wouldn't reopen unless there was a dire financial situation — a bankruptcy or a takeover like Waterbury was facing. When we negotiate, we give up things and the town gives up things, and we hold each other to those terms."

It appears that they would rather wait for the town to go bankrupt than to help out.

But the head honchos of the bargaining units obviously don't care, because any pink slips that go out will not touch them; instead the first ones to go will be part-timers and clerical staff and last hired employees. They have a Last In First Out mentality and a contract to go with that. Makes you wonder why the new guys even bother joining the union in the first place. And so it goes that the guys at the top raking in the most, continue to soak up funding at the expense of the rest of the rank and file. That is perhaps why they continue to hand out promotions to top positions. We have more chiefs and assistants to chiefs (and their equivalent levels in other unions) then one could shake a taxpayers stick at. So for example, of course no self-respecting politician in this town would even suggest cutting back on fire or police, and even if they did, the real significant wage and benefit earners would not be touched. And so the result is reduction and elimination of Town services like leaf collection or library hours in deference to higher union wages and benefits, not to mention all the other provisions in their contracts.

Meanwhile, a movement to save all day kindergarten from the budget axe is in full swing and they have even resorted to Internet activism. We should expect to see hordes of parents at the budget hearings pleading for the Town Council and Board of Education to save full day kindergarten. Some argue that it is a necessary program, others claim it is nothing more than babysitting services for those moms and dads who work and need daycare. Personally, Talk of West Hartford has no opinion one way or another - it's just a shame that yet again a program could be axed to pay for rising salary and benefits. The Teachers union got their salary increases and that's all they cared about. You think they gave a whit about whether parents continued to get all day kindergarten or not? They figured we'd all pay for both; never mind the reality of what is happening in the American economy and the difficulty higher taxes will mean on all West Hartford families.

One Full Day Kindergarten Internet activist says this about the teachers contract:

"The problem with asking the unions for concessions as that anything like that automatically opens up the contract for 30 days. Then anyone in town can challenge the contract and force it to be re-negotiated, regardless of what the union and the BOE have agreed to. I am a teacher who wants to move to West Hartford so my 4 year old can attend kindergarten next year. I know plenty of teachers in any number of towns that would be willing to do some kind of giveback but not any that would support opening up their contract. " - Mindy Shilansky

and Mary Fleischli of West Hartford First is already looking for a referendum fight with this pronouncement on the Internet:

I'm glad to see so many people who care about education! I hope you all continue this enthusiasm and involvement throughout this and future budgets. Even if they keep all day kindergarten, other cuts will have to be made and it is important that we understand these cuts and their possible impact on education. There may be another budget referendum this year in June, even after many cuts in programs or increased class sizes to keep spending flat. If there is a referedum and you don't want any more cuts, I hope you vote for the budget.

Apparently Mary Fleischli of WHFIRST can support any increases in the budget. That's nice. There are many parents in town who can't.

Now at the same time parents are saying they don't want all day kindergarten cut, they are not saying what they do want cut. That creates a big dilemma for our elected officials, most of whom it seems want to keep all day kindergarten, especially in an election year.

So now the issue of saving all day kindergarten seems to lay squarely with the glum faces of those sitting at the Board of Education as they work through their budget.
Will they choose to cut staff salaries to save full day kindergarten?
Or will they choose to save their own administrative salaries and benefits over all day kindergarten?
Or will something else get the axe to pay for it?
That will remain to be seen.
What will get the axe? Maybe nothing.
Their track record so far has been to favor salaries and benefits over "the needs of the children"
Case in point: Dr. Sklarz gets a 3.5% raise in 2007 and programs were cut.

Parents, who are also dealing with layoffs, reductions in household spending, and frozen salaries in their own lives should be outraged at higher wages and benefits continually being given to staff at the expense of their children's education. And while some say the teachers are worth it and deserve more compensation, the question remains - how will we pay for it all? Especially with less money coming from the state - and especially with the state demanding that we do more to take in kids from other school districts at a financial loss to us!

On the town side it is likely that items like vacuum leaf collection (not bag collection) will disappear, pools may close, library hours will be cut, and other Town services and staff cuts will be made insuring less services to town residents. On the other hand, union wages and salaries will be saved.

One thing is for certain, there will be less money floating around and huge competition for scarce resources.Something has got to give and the overall sustainability of these budgets must be considered.

We heard the fire department head loud and clear in 2008 - no give backs unless the town is bankrupt. We may be a ways away from that reality - but at some point the town suffers greatly. We could be at that point of suffering real soon.

But hey - apparently that's what the bargaining units in town want - more money for them and less stuff for the folks that foot the bill.


Public Hearings on the FY 2010 Town Budget will be held on
Thursday, March 26th at 2 PM and
Thursday, April 2nd at 7 PM