Unknown how many Nassau workers
will actually take early retirement
August 9, 2014 by JOYE BROWN / [email protected]
Nassau County proposed an early retirement incentive program for county civil service union
members last week as a way to cut expenses because of a drop in sales-tax revenue.
But, really, how many Nassau Civil Service Employee Association employees -- even with the
county offering a lump-sum payment of $1,000 per year of service -- would be willing to retire to
pensions based in part on years of frozen wages?
"I thought about that, too," union president Jerry Laricchiuta said in an interview Friday.
But now he's surprised.
Very surprised.
"Our office is being inundated with hundreds of calls from members looking for information
about the incentive," he said. "People are looking to get out because, I think, at this point, that
they are disgusted."
Edward Mangano, Nassau's county executive, said Friday that his office, too, had received a
few queries about the proposed incentive, which would have to clear both the county legislature
and a state control board.
The incentive, if approved, would be the latest in a yearslong series of moves -- which began
with former county executives Thomas Gulotta, a Republican, and Thomas Suozzi, a Democrat
-- to cut costs by slimming Nassau's workforce.
In addition to the incentive, Mangano is seeking savings by moving some employees off the
county payroll and over to a private firm that will manage Nassau's sewer and storm-water
system.
And he's hired more police officers to reduce overtime in the department, once they are
assigned to duty after graduating from the police academy in the fall.
The latest retirement incentive is supposed to help Nassau cut expenses because sales tax
revenues are coming in significantly lower than expected. Nassau Comptroller George Maragos
recently projected a potential $90 million shortfall as a result, although administration officials
put it at $50 million.
What makes this incentive different from earlier ones is the wage freeze, which was lifted earlier
this year.
The amount public employees, whether eligible union members or political appointees, receive
in state pensions is calculated in part on salaries earned in the last three years of service -which, incidentally, is why some public workers move to higher-paying jobs as a way to boost
retirement pensions before they retire.
CSEA employees make up the largest contingent in Nassau's workforce, almost half of the
county's 7,265 employees. But they are also the lowest paid, compared with police and other
unions. For them, taking the incentive also would mean taking pensions based in part on two
years of frozen wages in their last three years of service.
Mangano said the proposed incentive would be aimed primarily at CSEA workers in the state's
top two pension tiers -- the 110 CSEA workers of retirement age who are in Tier 1 and Tier 2
pension plans -- which means those with the most seniority and the highest salary and pension
costs.
He said there was no floor or ceiling on the number of workers who could take the proposed
incentive. However, Mangano noted that Nassau, if necessary, could cap incentive retirements
from individual departments or backfill essential jobs by transferring employees or hiring new
ones. The new hires would earn less and, for the first time, pay into health care and pension
costs under new union contracts.
"Even one employee accepting the incentive would be a savings," Mangano said. And, he said,
"We would work so residents would not see an impact on county services."
Laricchiuta is not so sure.
"It's rough in some departments," he said. "What used to take a day, takes a week. What used
to take a week, takes a month."
He said he knows that Nassau must cut costs, but "the county is going to have to replenish lost
workers or we're going to end up like some of those counties in the South where you pay
$1,000 a year in taxes and you get what you pay for."
Inquiring about the proposed incentive is not the same as taking one. Will there, as during past
incentives, be another exodus from county government? And what impact would that have on
residents' services?
Stand by.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/columnists/joye-brown/unknown-how-many-nassau-workers-will-actually-takeearly-retirement-1.9012587
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-offers-retirement-incentive-in-wake-of-tax-shortfall-1.8983143
Nassau offers retirement incentive in
wake of tax shortfall
August 6, 2014 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau County is moving to offer early retirement incentives to members of its largest labor
union as it seeks to cut costs in the face of a projected $90 million shortfall in sales tax
revenues.
County Comptroller George Maragos reported last month that sales taxes were down 9 percent
for the first six months of 2014, and that revenue would have to increase by 11.7 percent for the
rest of this year to reach the adopted budget of $1.16 billion.
The retirement incentive for the Civil Service Employees Association would offer departing
employees a lump-sum payment of $1,000 for every year of service with the county. Employees
also could collect pay for any unused vacation and personal days.
"This is another cost-saving initiative aimed at protecting taxpayers' wallets," said County
Executive Edward Mangano, who submitted the plan to the GOP-controlled county Legislature
yesterday.
Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin declined to comment on how many employees the county
needs to take the incentive, or how much money it would save. He noted there are 110 CSEA
employees who are of retirement age and are in Tier 1 and Tier 2 pension plans, which cover
the longest-tenured employees in the state retirement system.
The county would see a net reduction in the number of employees, and no layoffs are expected,
Nevin said.
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta expressed concern that the retirements would affect vital
county services.
"Nassau needs to maintain services to county residents," he said. "We can't do any more with
less. When the smoke clears, the county needs to rebuild its workforce to acceptable levels."
Since June 2011, 400 CSEA members have been laid off and another 360 retired with
incentives.
Nassau has 7,265 full-time workers, including 3,496 CSEA members, Nevin said.
The retirement incentive comes three months after Mangano reached a deal with county labor
unions to lift a three-year wage freeze that NIFA had imposed on county employees. In
exchange for salary and step increases, new county employees must pay a percentage of their
health insurance premium and pension costs.
The retirement incentive will be available to full-time CSEA members beginning Friday, and they
must submit resignation letters by Sept. 12.
The incentive must be approved by the county legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance
Authority, a state monitoring board that controls the county's finances. The retirements would be
rescinded if lawmakers or NIFA did not approve the incentive.
Representatives for the Republican majority and the Democratic minority declined to comment
Wednesday because lawmakers had not reviewed the deal.
NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman did not respond to a request for comment.
The legislature is scheduled to meet next on Sept. 8.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-paid-part-time-seasonal-workers-more-than-26-5m-amid-wagefreeze-1.8859820
Nassau paid part-time, seasonal
workers more than $26.5M amid
wage freeze
July 21, 2014 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Nassau County paid $26.6 million last year to more than 2,000 part-time and seasonal workers,
some of whom have political or community ties or hold other government jobs.
Some of the part-timers earned more than full-time employees in the same job, at a time when
full-time employees' wages were frozen and jobs were cut as the county attempted to meet
budget goals imposed by a financial control board.
About half of the part-time and seasonal employees were paid by the parks department, and
some do work that appears unrelated to their job titles, records show.
For example, Justin Logerfo, the parks department's highest-paid part-timer, earned nearly
$80,000 as a $36-an-hour part-time golf course attendant 1, a beginning level. Logerfo, whose
uncle John Logerfo is a special assistant to County Executive Edward Mangano, earned nearly
$26,000 more than the highest full-time golf course attendant 1. Justin Logerfo could not be
reached.
Logerfo and two other part-time golf course attendant 1s -- Angela Neal, who earned $73,600,
and Zahid Syed, who was paid $66,500 -- earned more than three full-time golf course
managers, records show.
Neal declined to comment.
In addition to his $50-an-hour part-time job for the county, Syed works full time for the
Republican-controlled Town of Hempstead as a $125,736-a-year economic development zone
coordinator.
Mangano, a Republican, appointed Syed as head of the county's Human Rights Commission in
2010. Syed also founded the local chapter of the South Asian-American Political Action
Committee, and he and his wife have contributed more than $26,000 to Mangano and other
county Republican campaign committees since 2009. Syed could not be reached.
"It's very hard for me to understand how a part-timer could gross more than a full-time worker,"
said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees Union, whose members hold the
full-time golf course titles. "We'll just have to look into these cases."
"This is a political-insider feeding frenzy," said Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick), a frequent
critic of the Mangano administration.
The issue of part-timers arose in March when Newsday reported that former Republican
Assemb. Robert Barra, the full-time $129,000 Valley Stream village clerk, earned $33,586 as a
part-time county golf course attendant 1 -- $10,000 more than a full-time attendant 1 whose pay
had been frozen for three years.
Defending part-timers
Deputy County Executive Ed Ward defended the use of part-timers.
"In the last four years, the number of full-time county employees has dropped to the lowest level
in the last 20 years. Part-timers and seasonal employees, because they receive no benefits,
cost the taxpayers far less than full-time employees," Ward said.
Ward said most seasonal and part-time employees last year worked additional hours, "because
everyone was called in to work after Hurricane Sandy."
Asked about some workers' political connections, Ward said: "What these workers do on their
own time is strictly their own business, and the county does not question them on who their
relatives are."
Ward said he was speaking on behalf of the employees who either could not be reached by
Newsday or declined to comment.
Mangano has pared the county's full-time workforce as a budget-cutting measure since he took
office in January 2010. The full-time head count dropped from 8,533 at the end of 2009 to 7,252
by the end of last year, according to budget documents.
In the same period, the number and cost of part-time and seasonal employees inched up,
county comptroller records show. The county paid more than $26,559,000 to 2,093 part-timers
and seasonal workers in 2013; in 2009, 1,950 part-time and seasonal workers were paid $23.6
million. About 1,000 of last year's part-time and seasonal employees worked in the parks
department, earning a combined total of $9.5 million. The amount is higher than for any other
department except police, which pays a large contingent of part-time school crossing guards.
After Newsday inquired about part-timers' pay, Chief Deputy County Executive Rob Walker
emailed all department heads, warning them to hold all part-timers' hours to less than 39.75
hours in a two-week period. The CSEA contract says part-timers who work more than 20 hours
a week are entitled to full-time benefits, including health insurance.
The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which controls Nassau's finances, froze more than 8,000
full-time workers' wages in 2011 to help Mangano balance the budget. NIFA lifted the freeze in
early May for police and CSEA members after their unions agreed to concessions in new
contracts. County correction officers and appointees' salaries remain frozen, though the
correction union has approved a new contract that is awaiting NIFA approval.
Retired officials worked
A review of the parks department shows several retired town and village officials worked for the
county on a part-time basis.
Robert Dwyer, who collects an $83,515 state pension from his work in the Oyster Bay parks
department, serves as a deputy parks commissioner, working part time. He earned $32,960
from the county last year.
Retired Hempstead Town deputy general services commissioner Charles Milone, the Seaford
Republican executive leader, earned $30,000 as a part-time seasonal park worker last year,
while collecting a $77,774 state pension.
Richard Leary, a retired former Oyster Bay Town parks maintenance supervisor and former
president of the Hicksville Republican Committee, earned $27,587 last year as a county parttime golf course attendant 1. He also collected an $87,273 state pension.
Oceanside school board member Michael S. D'Ambrosio earned $48,480 as a $40-an-hour
part-time park worker last year, though his voice-mail message identifies him as a special
assistant to Mangano.
Relatives on payroll
Relatives of current and former county officials also appear on the part-time payroll.
Desiree Pennica, the daughter of longtime Mangano aide Doreen Pennica, earned $12,418 last
year as a $15-an-hour part-time golf course attendant 1. Lindsey McKeever, the sister of Chief
Deputy Rob Walker's former special assistant, Kristen DiCerbo, earned $37,400 as a seasonal
park worker last year.
Amanda Laikin, the daughter of Mangano aide and former Newsday reporter Eden Laikin,
earned $32,000 as a seasonal skating rink guard last year, although the county directory lists
her as working for constituent affairs in the county executive building.
"No one should want any part of this, especially our overburdened taxpayers and neighbors,"
said Denenberg, who is running for State Senate in the 8th District. "It's intolerable and
inexcusable."
Parks advocate Bruce Piel said the parks department now and in the past "has always been a
dumping ground for politically connected people. It doesn't make it right. It really shouldn't be
happening."
Several seasonal parks employees appear to have worked more than full-time hours last year.
One seasonal park worker who earns the county's "living wage" of $13.35 an hour was paid
$45,352 last year, including $24,034 in overtime -- which means he put in an average 53.80
hours each week for 52 weeks last year. Another seasonal park worker collected $48,771, with
$25,337 in overtime, which indicates he worked an average 58 hours each week for 52 weeks.
"Something doesn't make sense," Laricchiuta said. "Clearly they're working full-time hours. If
they're seasonal, they're just supposed to work for a season. Anything more than that, we have
to ask, are they really seasonal?"
Contacted by Newsday, a spokesman for Comptroller George Maragos said the office
questioned the workers' hours and was satisfied they were accurate.
When asked about Barra in March, Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare, a Republican, said he saw no
conflict with Barra's parks job. Fare's daughter, Samantha, began working as a seasonal county
park worker last October for $13.35 an hour, earning $2,352 last year.
She said she had started at Old Bethpage Village Restoration and the county moved her to
Grant Park. "It was a coincidence that he [Barra] works there," she said. Her father said it wasn't
unusual or a conflict for "a locally grown, Valley Stream woman" to get a part-time job with the
county.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/911-operators-sue-nassau-over-training-1.8643261
911 operators sue Nassau over
training
July 2, 2014 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
A union representing about 150 Nassau County 911 operators and supervisors has filed suit
against the county, alleging it failed to comply with a 2013 agreement to provide "substantive"
classroom training on emergency dispatching procedures, including for hostage situations.
The suit, filed last month by the Civil Service Employees Association, claimed its members were
not trained on how to handle hostage situations, such as the 2013 shooting death of a Hofstra
University student, because "no such protocol exists."
Nassau officials told union members that "if they continue pressing the issue they would be
written up for insubordination," the suit, filed in Nassau Supreme Court in Mineola, said.
County Attorney Carnell Foskey called it "a baseless accusation as the department clearly has
specialized training for hostage situations that exceeds New York State law. In fact, employees
were trained for hostage situations consistent with departmental policies."
County officials declined to provide a copy of Nassau's hostage protocol.
The suit comes more than a year after Hofstra student Andrea Rebello was accidentally shot
and killed by a Nassau police officer during a Uniondale home invasion in which she was held
hostage by parolee Dalton Smith, who also was killed.
Police Benevolent Association president James Carver has said the 911 call was never
transmitted as a hostage situation and the officer believed he was responding to a robbery in
progress. In a lawsuit filed against the county in May, Rebello's family cited CSEA's allegations
that 911 operators were not trained for hostage situations.
The CSEA suit said Nassau police officials declined to conduct any training this year, telling 911
supervisors to lead the sessions. Supervisors were then told to distribute handouts outlining
new department technologies, such as a GPS tracking system for pharmacy robberies in
progress, the suit said. Police officials were not in the room to answer questions, the union said.
"Our members need to have the full training that is required of them," CSEA president Jerry
Laricchiuta said.
The union first filed suit last July, alleging that the county failed to provide the state-mandated
21 hours of classroom training, despite receiving state grants earmarked for it.
CSEA dropped the suit in August after the county signed an agreement with the union
stipulating that all the training would be provided.
The suit also alleges that Nassau breached its agreement with the union to provide employees
with compensation for the days they were in training.
"Nassau has not followed through on the terms of the settlement agreement," said Lou Stober, a
Garden City attorney representing the union.
Foskey said "all training was provided," and that the entire dispute "appears to be nothing more
than a money grab." County officials cited the overtime Nassau would have to pay to backfill the
911 posts while operators are in training.
Union officials said their suit calls for the county to provide the proper training and does not ask
for any money.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-sewer-system-to-be-managed-by-n-firm-under-multimilliondollar-deal-1.8603238
Nassau sewer system to be managed
by NJ firm under multimillion-dollar
deal
June 29, 2014 by PAUL LAROCCO AND ROBERT BRODSKY /
[email protected],[email protected]
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has reached a deal for a private company to
manage the county's massive sewer system, saying the plan will save at least $233 million over
20 years and improve environmental protection.
The contract between Mangano and United Water of Harrington Park, New Jersey, calls for
Nassau to pay the firm $57.4 million a year -- adjusted annually for inflation -- to operate its
three major wastewater treatment plants, 53 pumping stations and 3,000 miles of sewers.
The deal needs approval by the GOP-controlled county legislature and the Nassau Interim
Finance Authority, a state monitoring board in control of the county's finances.
Most of the savings would come from transferring county workers to United's payroll. Workers
that the firm can't absorb will be offered vacant positions elsewhere in county government,
Mangano said.
A Wall Street financial consultant hired by Nassau to review the agreement said United Water
can save the county $233 million over 20 years through personnel reductions alone.
Counting projected savings due to reduced county overtime, and other reduced expenditures,
the agreement could save a total of $379 million, the consultant said.
The county's 2014 sewer district budget is $89.4 million.
"This allows us to tap into industry knowledge, be assured that our managers are staying on top
of the learning curve, [and] will implement tested efficiencies which create environmental
benefits and savings to all of our taxpayers," said Mangano, who compared the deal to the
county's privatization of its NICE bus system in 2011.
Will run three plants
Under the deal, United Water will operate the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant in East
Rockaway, the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh, and the Glen Cove
Water Pollution Control Plant, which serve a total of 1.16 million residents.
The contract comes as the county is rebuilding Bay Park, which was flooded during superstorm
Sandy in 2012 and knocked offline for 57 hours, resulting in spills of untreated and partially
treated sewage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pick up 90 percent of the
$830 million in needed repairs at Bay Park, with the state and the county picking the rest of the
bill.
United Water, a subsidiary of Paris-based Suez Environment, is the nation's second-largest
private water systems operator. It manages about 100 water or wastewater systems nationwide,
including those in Indianapolis and throughout Bergen County, New Jersey.
Gary Albertson, United Water's chief operating officer for the Long Island team, said the
company expects to hire at least half of the county's sewer workforce of about 300 people, who
currently are paid a total of $39.3 million. All are members of the Civil Service Employees
Association, and Mangano said those who aren't hired will take vacant county spots.
Savings required
United Water must provide at least $10 million a year in savings to the county by taking on the
salaries and benefits of sewage treatment workers, according to the agreement.
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said he was "not thrilled" the county was privatizing operation
of the plants. But he said the union agreed to the deal because Mangano had signed a no-layoff
agreement.
"My main concern is making sure that my people stay employed," he said. "So, as long as they
follow the agreement, we will not fight this."
Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) said legislative Republicans "will be
supportive of any agreement that has proper environmental controls and is in the taxpayers'
financial and economic best interests."
Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said he favored the "concept" of privatizing the
sewer system but said Democrats would need time to review the deal.
"This is a multi-million dollar deal," said Abrahams, who plans to ask the independent Office of
Legislative Budget Review for a financial analysis. "It deserves at least a couple weeks of
scrutiny."
last week the board will conduct a financial analysis of the contract to determine if it's "part of
the solution or part of the problem in the county's financial picture."
County officials first discussed the sewer privatization earlier this year as one of the cost-saving
methods Nassau would use to pay for $130 million in wage hikes for county employees, Kaiman
said. But Mangano said the sewer deal is not related to the labor contracts and is not needed to
pay for wage hikes.
Rob Weltner, president of Operation SPLASH, a Freeport-based environmental group that
works to improve local water quality, said he initially opposed privatization but changed his mind
after touring Bay Park and seeing how it had "fallen into disrepair."
He said the plant needs a private operator with the experience, capital and technology capable
of turning it around.
"I am not blaming anyone but I don't believe the county has the capability" to manage the plant,
Weltner said.
United Water said it can produce cost savings without rate hikes. Mangano said Nassau will
continue to set sewer rates and that the contract would not cause rates to rise.
Skeptical of claims
But Emily Wurth, director of the water program at Food and Water Watch, a Washington, D.C.,
nonprofit that seeks to ensure food and water safety, said sewer privatizations typically result in
rate increases, service problems and workforce cuts.
She said private operators can lack the transparency and accountability of governments.
"The number one goal of a private company is to generate money for their shareholders," Wurth
said.
Michael Deane, executive director of the National Association of Water Companies, a
Washington, D.C., trade group with United Water as a member, said sewer privatizations are
commonplace.
Roughly 73 million Americans -- or nearly a quarter of the population -- are served by private
operators, he said.
"Private companies can provide more cost efficiencies and better technology that can save in
operating costs," Deane said.
County officials said United Water will have to provide monthly reports on maintenance and
operations. Nassau would conduct annual inspections of plants.
United Water would take over management of Cedar Creek and Bay Park upon the contract's
approval. The Glen Cove plant is now managed by Severn Trent Services of Fort Washington,
Pa. United Water will take over Glen Cove's operation when Severn Trent's contract expires in
2020.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nifa-wants-mangano-s-plan-for-funding-wage-hikes-in-60-days1.7911583
NIFA wants Mangano's plan for
funding wage hikes in 60 days
May 3, 2014 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano has 60 days to amend his four-year budget plan to
show how he will pay for at least $130 million in wage hikes for county employees -- or the
Nassau Interim Finance Authority says it will impose budget cuts itself.
The budget-balancing mandate was part of a deal reached early Saturday morning to lift a
three-year wage freeze that the state control board had imposed on county employees.
Nassau's plan to cover the cost is expected to include the privatization of the county's sewer
system, according NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman. Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin called it a
contingency.
A private operator, United Water of Hackensack, N.J., would manage and maintain Nassau's
three major wastewater treatment plants, 53 sewage pumping stations and roughly 3,000 miles
of sewers. Nassau would pay the firm an annual fee, but Nevin declined to say how much that
would be.
The firm would hire an undetermined number of Nassau's 300 sewer system employees. The
rest of the workers would be offered other vacant jobs with the county.
Nevin said the proposal "would save millions" annually while allowing the county to continue to
set sewage rates.
But, he acknowledged the savings would depend on how many employees leave the county
payroll and other operational efficiencies -- minus what the county must pay United Water.
Kaiman agreed the privatization could save millions in payroll costs, but added "we are not
putting all of our eggs in one basket." He cited additional revenue from speed cameras and
mortgage recording fees and higher projected revenue from sales taxes.
NIFA voted 6-1 in favor of the labor contracts shortly before 2 a.m. after board members met for
eight hours behind closed doors with Mangano and union officials.
Chris Wright, the lone NIFA member to vote against the labor contracts, said he has "virtually no
confidence" in the county's ability to pay for the deals, which he projects will cost nearly $300
million.
The contracts would provide members of the Civil Service Employees Association, Police
Benevolent Association, Detectives Association and Superior Officers Association their first pay
increase in three years. A deal with the correction officers union is still pending.
The salary increases, which are retroactive to April 1, would appear in paychecks in four to six
weeks and would be followed by a series of pay hikes totaling more than 13 percent by the end
of 2017.
"This brings closure for our members going forward," said PBA president James Carver.
"It's been a long process and I am happy for our members that it's finally resolved."The county
will hire 162 new cops under the terms of the new labor deal tomorrow. The recruits will undergo
six months of training, Nevin said.
Under the agreements, employees would give up annual pay raises that had been due in 2013
and were lost under the wage freeze. The unions, which are still challenging the legality of the
freeze, are also giving up any step increases due in 2011 as well as their 2012 salary increase
unless a court rules the freeze was illegal. The unions are appealing a State Supreme Court
decision that found the freeze legal.
Mangano said the agreement "saves taxpayers hundreds of millions over present contract
costs" because of concessions that require new employees to pay a percentage of their health
insurance premium and pension costs. But, NIFA said the county must still show it can pay the
full cost of the deals.
The board passed a resolution requiring Mangano to modify his 2014-2017 multiyear budget
plan to account for a minimum of $130 million in new labor costs. Independent county budget
experts estimate the deals could cost between $120 million and $292 million.
NIFA issued a similar directive to the county in January to revise its multi-year plan but the
county ignored the request.
The modified budget plan must also include a combined $30 million in further annual funding
reductions for county departments -- a contingency to be triggered if other savings and revenue
forecasts do not materialize.
If NIFA is not satisfied with Mangano's changes, the resolution provides the board with the
authority to modify the budget on its own and impose cuts on county departments.
Legis. Kevan Abrahams, the legislature's Democratic minority leader, said, "We're glad NIFA is
making the county go back to the drawing board on the budget to prove it can afford lifting the
wage freeze."
The sewer privatization is a key component of the plan. CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta,
whose members include sewage district employees, said his deal with Mangano "guarantees
his members a public job with the county" if they are not hired by United Water.
"My members will be protected," Laricchiuta said. "My main focus was their job security."
The plan is different from Mangano's past plan to sell the sewers to a private operator for an
upfront payment, Kaiman said. NIFA rejected that proposal as a form of borrowing.
Wright, who opposed the earlier sewer proposal, said he could not judge the soundness of the
new plan because he has received virtually no information about it.
"Thus far," Wright said, "this has been a relatively fact-free exercise with the county."
With Joye Brown and Celeste Hadrick
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-lawmakers-pass-union-wage-deals-1.7637814
Nassau lawmakers pass union wage
deals
April 7, 2014 by PAUL LAROCCO. AND LAURA FIGUEROA / [email protected],
[email protected]
The Nassau County Legislature Monday night passed new agreements with major county
unions in what officials called a significant step toward ending a three-year wage freeze for
much of the workforce.
With cheers from employees in attendance, the legislature voted 19-0 to authorize a
memorandum of agreement between County Executive Edward Mangano and the Civil Service
Employees Association.
Lawmakers voted 13-0, with six of eight Democrats abstaining, for deals with the Police
Benevolent Association, Detectives Association and the Superior Officers Association.
"This is an investment in each and every single one of us," PBA president James Carver said in
a fiery speech to lawmakers before the vote.
He alluded to Democrats who had hinted they were not going to support the agreements, due to
concerns about how the costs will be covered.
"Anyone who doesn't vote 'yes' is saying we're not worth that investment," Carver said. "And
that's disgraceful."
The pacts -- which do not include the correction officers union -- must be ratified by the county's
fiscal control board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.
If finalized, cost-of-living raises for current workers and "step" increases for length of service
that have been frozen since early 2011 would be reinstated.
In addition, a lower salary scale will be set for future hires, who also would begin contributing to
their health care plans.
"This burden has been on their backs for so long and has caused quite a bit of harm to many
families here," CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said of the freeze, which NIFA imposed in
2011.
Democrats expressed doubt about revenue the Mangano administration has said will cover the
deals' costs. Most estimates put the cost at between $120 million and $170 million over four
years, counting savings from workforce attrition.
A key revenue component would come from new speed cameras in 56 school zones. But the
state has yet to approve them. Under a Democratic Assembly bill in Albany, Nassau would have
to split the revenues with local villages.
Legislative budget analysts have said the county was being overly optimistic on its camera
revenue projections, which it had estimated at $25 million to $30 million a year. Deputy County
Executive Tim Sullivan acknowledged Monday, "there's really no history out there for speed
cameras."
A "home rule" message requesting state approval of the speed cameras failed Monday night
after Democrats did not provide a supermajority for it to be passed on an emergency basis. The
measure will be reconsidered at a meeting later this month.
"This administration has a clear history of overestimating revenues," said Minority Leader Kevan
Abrahams (D-Freeport). He said "it wasn't easy" for the members of his caucus who abstained
on the police deals.
Abrahams also noted questions about whether Nassau can afford the CSEA deal. But he said of
the workers: "It's widely known that they are the lowest-paid workers in the county."
Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) said the agreements were "long overdue .
. . It would've been a total injustice to keep the [wage freeze] going."
NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman has said he is awaiting state approval on the speed cameras, as
well as legal advice on particular language in the deals. Monday night he said: "NIFA will
continue to monitor the situation while we look for resolution on outstanding concerns."
NIFA has said the wage freeze saved $230 million.
Mangano said in a statement after the vote that "these concession agreements save taxpayers
hundreds of millions of dollars over the present contracts, require employee contributions to
health care and pensions and settle approximately $400 million in litigation."
Also Monday, County Comptroller George Maragos reported that Nassau's 2013 expenses
exceeded its revenues by $96.6 million. But because the county borrowed $115.5 million to pay
for employee severance, court judgments and tax refunds, it ended 2013 with a surplus of $54.7
million, he said.Maragos noted in his year-end report, which still must be confirmed by outside
auditors, that Nassau's liability for property tax refunds increased to an estimated $325
million.With Celeste Hadrick
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-newsday-blogs-long-island-new-yorknational-politics-1.812042/nassau-csea-approves-new-contract-1.7534943
Spin Cycle
Nassau CSEA approves new contract
Friday March 28, 2014 12:50 PM By Celeste Hadrick
Members of Nassau’s Civil Service Employees Association on Thursday voted to approve a
proposed new contract that would lift a three-year wage freeze but also calls for workers to give
up compounded raises if the union should win a court challenge to the freeze.
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said, “It was a resounding yes. Members are willing to lose
tens of thousands of dollars each and lose money going forward. However they want to start
moving again so they can have a goal in life and pay their bills and put oil in their tank and put
food on the table.”
He said the county “is going to save money forever on this agreement” because of concessions
included in the modified contract, which runs through 2017.
The deal is one of five union pacts intended to lift a freeze imposed by Nassau’s financial
control board, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, in March 2011. The county legislature and
NIFA must still approve the CSEA Memorandum of Agreement. A vote was originally planned
for Monday but now has been pushed back until at least next week to allow financial analyses of
the deals to be completed.
Laricchiuta said the lowest paid full-time member of his union, a messenger, has been frozen at
$21,800 for three years. “They should now be well into their $30,000’s by now,” he said. “We’re
willing to forego all that” to start getting raises this year.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/3-unions-nassau-reach-pact-to-lift-wage-freeze-1.7404341
3 unions, Nassau reach pact to lift
wage freeze
March 15, 2014 by SCOTT EIDLER / [email protected]
Leaders of Nassau County, three unions and the county financial control board agreed Saturday
on a deal that would lift a 3-year-old wage freeze for almost 7,000 government workers.
Jon Kaiman, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority chair, said the negotiating parties -- including
County Executive Edward Mangano and leaders of the Police Benevolent Association, the Civil
Service Employees Association and the Detectives Association -- agreed "after several days of
intense discussions" to a four-year pact.
The tentative agreement includes yearly raises ranging from 2 percent to 3.75 percent and a
resumption of step increases that are based on the number of years on the job until top scale is
reached.
The county would see cost savings by requiring new employees to contribute 15 percent to their
health benefits and a sum not yet disclosed to their pension plans, Kaiman said.
"This is a win for all stakeholders as it saves millions for taxpayers while returning wage
incentives to our workforce," said Brian Nevin, a spokesman for Mangano, in an email.
He said the agreement "achieves hundreds of millions in savings for taxpayers." Its potential
$120 million in short-term costs will be offset by savings, including replacing high-wage retirees
with new employees, Nevin said.
NIFA has required Nassau to set aside $129 million in new revenue from speed cameras, sales
tax and mortgage recording fees to cover the contract costs if the union concessions do not
generate the anticipated savings.
The unions' rank-and-file members, the NIFA board, and Nassau County legislators must sign
off on the deal. Two other unions -- the Superior Officers Association and the correction officers
unit -- must still negotiate an agreement, Kaiman said.
"I'm not going to say it's a great deal, considering the reality of today," said CSEA president
Jerry Laricchiuta. "It's what we needed to do to get our members moving again. They just
cannot survive under this wage freeze much longer."
NIFA, a state oversight board, imposed a wage freeze in March 2011 at Mangano's request to
help the deficit-ridden county save money. Financial experts say that through 2013 the county
saved $230 million.
A state court Wednesday rejected claims by the union that the freeze was illegal.
The unions can still sue for the lost wages, but under yesterday's agreement, they waive their
right to accrue those lost wages in calculating their salaries going forward, Kaiman said.
"We're starting from today. They don't get the benefit of lost money," Kaiman said.
James Carver, the PBA president, said he would recommend his members approve the deal by
month's end.
"There's give and take on both sides here," he said.
Glenn Ciccone, president of the Nassau County Police Department Detectives Association,
said, "There are members that are really struggling financially."
Newer members have had their pay stuck at the lower ranges. "They're getting older, they're
having kids, they're trying to buy houses and they can't do anything because they're frozen at a
very low salary scale," Ciccone said.
The deal expires Dec. 31, 2017, and sets a 3.5 percent raise for the employees effective April 1
if the deal is approved by then, Kaiman said. In September 2015, a 3.75 percent raise is
scheduled; the following September, there would be a 3.5 percent raise, and a 2 percent raise is
scheduled for January 2017.
Nassau County Legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said of the
agreement: "I look forward to looking at it over the next coming days." A decision, he said, will
depend on further analysis of its terms.
Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow), the presiding officer, did not immediately respond to
requests for comment. With Ted Phillips
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/judge-rules-nifa-wage-freeze-is-legal-1.7369942
Judge rules NIFA wage freeze is legal
March 12, 2014 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
A state court judge declared Wednesday that Nassau's financial control board has the authority
to suspend all pay increases for county employees, rejecting union arguments that a 3-year-old
wage freeze is illegal.
Supreme Court Justice Arthur M. Diamond ruled in three lawsuits filed by county unions that the
Nassau Interim Finance Authority "did not exceed its authority to impose wage freezes in 2011,
2012 and 2013."
Three years ago, Diamond found that NIFA had the right to impose financial controls on the
county.
Diamond's ruling Wednesday came as the first of five expected union deals to lift the freeze was
filed with the county legislature.
County Executive Edward Mangano submitted a Memorandum of Agreement with the Nassau
County Police Benevolent Association calling for new police recruits to pay 15 percent toward
their health insurance premiums and contribute to their pensions. Salary increases and annual
pay steps that had been frozen since March 2011 would resume next month.
NIFA on Monday outlined conditions that unions and the county would have to fulfill to lift the
wage freeze. NIFA members did not have copies of the union agreements and it was not clear
Wednesday if the PBA deal would satisfy NIFA's conditions.
PBA president James Carver said Wednesday, "We feel our agreement fits the guidelines that
NIFA approved Monday through a resolution." A Mangano representative did not respond to a
request for comment.
NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman said staff will review the proposed PBA deal to make sure it
complies with NIFA's instructions. Otherwise, he said, the NIFA board will not approve the
proposed contract, which would run through 2017.
Kaiman said the union deals must not cost more than about $122 million over four years. NIFA
is requiring Nassau to set aside $129 million in new revenue from speed cameras, sales taxes
and mortgage recording fees to cover the contract costs if concessions do not generate
expected savings.
County officials hope to hire a new police class of 160 to 170 members by the end of the month.
However, Frank Moroney, spokesman for legislative Presiding Officer Norma L. Gonsalves (REast Meadow), said lawmakers first must make certain that the PBA deal doesn't conflict with
Diamond's ruling.
He noted the PBA memorandum does not list costs. "The fiscal impact is the only thing that
matters," Moroney said. "We're going to try to figure out the financial impact. It's going to be
slow, it's going to be deliberate and it's going to be accurate."
The Civil Service Employees Association and the Detectives Association were expected to file
proposed contracts Wednesday night.
"We were able to come to an agreement," said CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta. "Despite the
court ruling, we still get some movement with steps and raises for our members who are really
suffering." He declined to provide details before a membership meeting today.
The county's unions had argued in federal court that the freeze was unconstitutional and also
that NIFA's authority to freeze pay had expired. A federal judge agreed NIFA's authority had
expired but an appeals panel in September overturned the decision and said a state court
should interpret state law.
Diamond ruled that nowhere "in the Public Authorities Law . . . is there any reference to any time
limitation to the authorization to impose a wage freeze during a Control Period; instead, this
Court finds that the language of the statute, when read as a whole, supports the finding that
NIFA was authorized to freeze wages at any time during a Control Period."
John Jaronczyk, president of the Nassau County Sheriff's Correction Officers Benevolent
Association, Laricchiuta and Carver said they expected to appeal Diamond's decision.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nifa-extends-nassau-wage-freeze-but-offers-way-out-1.7348787
NIFA extends Nassau wage freeze but
offers way out
March 10, 2014 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Nassau's financial control board Monday night extended a three-year wage freeze for county
employees but outlined conditions the county and unions could meet to lift the freeze, possibly
before the end of this month.
The conditions include County Executive Edward Mangano dedicating $129 million in new
revenue from speed cameras, mortgage recording fees and sales taxes to pay for increased
salaries if union contract concessions do not generate the expected savings.
County unions could continue their state lawsuits challenging the legality of the freeze but would
agree to give up the compounding effect of lost salary increases in 2011, 2012 and 2013 -- even
if they win. They also would agree not to sue over the deal in 2014-2017.
If unions win their lawsuits, members would be entitled to retroactive pay lost in 2011, 2012 and
2013. But renewed salary increases and pay steps would begin from a 2010 base.
The 7 to 8 percent in lost raises, if the unions win the lawsuit, would be added to salaries as
soon as the litigation is settled.As more than a thousand union members gathered outside the
site of the meeting at the Marriott Uniondale, four members of the Nassau Interim Finance
Authority voted for the pact, and two voted against.
"Nobody gets everything they want but it does get the money flowing again and it does protect
the county from hundreds of millions of dollars in risk," said NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman.
NIFA member Chris Wright said he voted no because he believes the deal will cost double the
$129 million estimated. Dermond Thomas said he opposed the deal because he disagreed with
extending the freeze for another year, saying that was too long.
Jerry Laricchiuta, head of the Civil Service Employees Association, said he was disappointed
"we are frozen again, but I am somewhat relieved that this board has opened the door to give
the unions a fair chance at lifting the wage freeze, which has caused so much pain and
suffering."
John Jaronczyk, head of the Nassau County Sheriff's Correction Officers Benevolent
Association, said, "it's not good because we're still frozen. We'll do everything we can to get a
deal for our membership."
James Carver, head of the Police Benevolent Association, said the deal "should present a very
optimistic outlook for all county employees. Although we never felt we should have had our
wages frozen, this allows us to lift the wage freeze prospectively."
NIFA, a state oversight board, imposed a wage freeze in March 2011 at Mangano's request to
help the deficit-ridden county save money. Financial experts say that through 2013 the county
saved $230 million. If the freeze continues through 2014, the legislature's office of budget
review projects Nassau would save about $420 million.
Kaiman, Mangano and leaders of the county's five major unions have been negotiating for
weeks after Kaiman put out a memo giving the parameters of a deal that the control board
would consider. Those negotiations continued through the weekend and details were still being
finalized Monday.
Leaders of the CSEA, the Police Benevolent Association, and the Nassau Detectives
Association have agreed tentatively to the terms. The Superior Officers Association and the
correction officers union are still negotiating.
County officials hoped the deal would allow Nassau to hire a new police class before the
existing civil service list expires at the end of the month. Under the deal, new county employees
would have to pay toward their health insurance and pension costs. Kaiman said other
concessions, including new salary schedules, also would save millions of dollars.
Union members would have to ratify the agreement, the county legislature would have to
approve it and Mangano would have to sign it. NIFA would have to approve each union's deal
before lifting the freeze. A Mangano spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.
Outside the Marriott Monday, union members chanted "No more freeze" and "Enough is
enough," as a Nassau police helicopter hovered overhead. Many carried signs. One read: "I am
frozen at $25,000. Could you afford to feed your family on that?"
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nifa-wage-freeze-up-in-air-as-county-unions-balk-1.7297088
NIFA wage freeze up in air as county
unions balk
March 5, 2014 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Nassau's financial control board meets Monday and there still is no agreement on whether it will
lift or extend a three-year wage freeze, which expires March 14.
After coming close to a deal, labor leaders have balked at what they say is a demand by the
Nassau Interim Finance Authority that county unions give up their state court challenge to the
legality of the freeze.
If county unions win the lawsuit, they expect to be awarded retroactive pay. Nassau fiscal
experts say the freeze has saved the county $230 million through 2013. The county legislature's
budget review office last week calculated the freeze would save a total $419.7 million if
continued through 2014 -- which would have to be repaid if the unions win.
The Police Benevolent Association and the Civil Service Employees Association emailed
members this week complaining about the impasse.
"Let me be clear: Barring a full settlement of the lawsuit, we will not enter into any agreement
that damages our chances to recover the lost salaries that were taken away from us!" wrote
PBA president James Carver. "Although the lines of communication remain open, as of now,
any potential settlement has taken a step back. We will not enter into any settlement that
doesn't protect our members' rights and exposes us to potential future wage freezes."
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta wrote, "The main driving force of our settlement discussions
has always been the pain and financial burden this wage freeze has placed on so many of our
members. That being said, we will not enter into an agreement that damages our chances to
recover lost raises due to our membership, while making contract modifications that save
Nassau County money. That was NOT the framework we used for weeks to get to this point and
we are not about to allow NIFA to change the rules after we in good faith made our
modifications."
NIFA chairman Jon Kaiman said Wednesday he still hopes for a settlement. "At the end of the
day, the unions are trying to negotiate for virtually all the dollars that are in negotiation," he said
in an interview. "That's not possible. Those dollars don't exist."
He added, "NIFA is open to the idea of lifting the freeze if we can do it in a way that doesn't
bankrupt the county. We're moving ahead to see if we can achieve that goal."
Brian Hoesel, president of county police Superior Officers Association, said, "It was our
understanding that as part of the settlement they would allow us to retain the right to sue in
court for lost wages. Now they're changing their mind."
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-police-face-saturday-deadline-for-911-training-1.6512766
Nassau police face Saturday deadline
for 911 training
November 28, 2013 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
The Nassau County Police Department faces a deadline Saturday to provide its 911 operators
and supervisors with 21 hours of classroom training or face a potential lawsuit, leaders of the
Civil Service Employees Association said.
But Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said Nassau has met the terms of a memorandum of
understanding, signed by the union in August, which Walker said requires the county to provide
operators with only 11 hours of training this year.
CSEA, Nassau's largest public sector labor union, filed a lawsuit against the county in July,
alleging that the department had failed to train 911 operators on advanced emergency
dispatching procedures, even though Nassau had received state grants earmarked for the
purpose.
On Aug. 29, the union signed the agreement with Walker and First Deputy Police Commissioner
Thomas Krumpter, prompting CSEA to drop its suit. But terms of that agreement are now in
dispute.
The memorandum says state regulations "require 21 hours of in-service training for 911 call
takers and dispatchers."
But, the agreement later stipulates that employees must attend one 11-hour training day to
comply with the requirement. Employees received that training in September and October,
county officials said.
The agreement also says training must be completed by Nov. 30 and that two full days of
training will be provided beginning next year.
"We've met all of the criteria of the contract," said Walker, who argues there was not enough
time remaining in the year to offer two full days of training.
But CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said "the Police Department is not in compliance with the
agreement." Laricchiuta said he plans to confer with union attorneys next week before
considering a breach of contract lawsuit against the county.
Union officials also claim the training operators received this year was inadequate and covered
topics including social networking, rather than more pressing issues such as protocols for
dealing with hostage situations.
"The training was not at all what we discussed," said Gary Volpe, the CSEA unit president for
the 911 operators.
Walker said he is "comfortable" with the quality of the training sessions. Walker added that
training sessions on topics such as hostage protocol will come next year.
The labor dispute comes as the Nassau district attorney's office continues to investigate the
shooting death of Hofstra student Andrea Rebello during a May home invasion in Uniondale.
Rebello, 21, was being held hostage in her off-campus apartment by Dalton Smith, an armed
intruder who was demanding money. Police Officer Nikolas Budimlic arrived at the scene and
would later report that Smith pointed a gun at him. Budimlic fired eight shots, killing both Smith
and Rebello.
A police source familiar with the investigation into the case said the shooting of both individuals
had been ruled justified.
Questions have been raised about the communication between the 911 operator and police
officers sent to the scene.
Exclusive: Nassau County 911 Operators Claim
Stunning Lack Of Training
More Than 100 Employees File Lawsuit Alleging Massive Cover-Up By County
July 17, 2013 6:40 PM
NEW YORK (CBS 2) — Startling accusations have been lodged against the Nassau
County 911 system.
One of its own operators says employees are not getting the training they need to save
lives, and that may have contributed to the death of a Hofstra University student during
a hostage standoff, CBS 2’s Amy Dardashtian reported exclusively on Wednesday.
On May 17, the training of the county’s 911 operators came under a microscope. On
that night, a gunman took four Hofstra students hostage during a botched robbery.
Dalton Smith was holding 21-year-old Andrea Rebello in a headlock when police
entered the house.
“He kept saying ‘I’m gonna kill her,’ and then he pointed the gun at the police officer,” an
official said during the investigation.
The officer fired, killing the robber and Rebello. Nassau Police Benevolent Association
President James Carver said 911 did not communicate to officers that there were
hostages.
“My police officer responded to a robbery in progress and he acted in accordance with
what the call was given out to him,” Carver said.
Sources from 911 confirmed that the call was labeled a robbery in progress with a
weapon but said the operator also communicated there were hostages.
“He’s got a gun pointed at them and there are hostages,” the dispatcher is heard saying
on an audio recording.
Jean Ebbert retired last year after 20 years as a Nassau County 911 operator. She said
in the Hofstra incident, more than one call type applied.
“We have a call type ‘hostage.’ It’s there, but have I ever been trained on when to use
hostage and not use ‘robbery with a weapon?’ No, I’ve never been trained on that,”
Ebbert said.
She said for the past decade, Nassau has not provided its operators with the annual
training required by the state.
“You’re supposed to have 21 hours of training. There is no 21 hours of training. There’s
five minutes of ‘can you sign this?’” Ebbert said.
She’s joined by more than 100 Nassau operators making the same claim in a lawsuit
against the county. The lawsuit alleges a massive cover-up, saying the county and the
Nassau County Police Department pressured its operators to sign attendance sheets,
stating they had received hands-on training.
“You would have to sign it. You have no choice. Otherwise, you’d be disciplined,” Ebbert
said.
Lt. Neil O’Mara said there is no reason to be concerned for the safety of the people in
Nassau County. O’Mara retired from the 911 bureau last year. For the last decade, he
acted as the deputy commanding officer.
“I think the training was definitely sufficient. It worked. They got the job done,” O’Mara
said.
He said his operators handled a million calls a year and never received more than 10
complaints.
CSEA union president Jerry Laricchiuta disagreed and said operators want the training
that’s paid for by taxpayers.
“That’s what the surcharge on your cellphone is for,” Laricchiuta said.
A monthly surcharge of about $1.20 appears on your phone bill, which funds the state’s
911 services, Dardashtian reported.
CBS 2 reached out to the Nassau County Police Department to inquire about the
training but it refused to comment, citing “pending litigation.” The county refused
Dardashtian’s requests for an on-camera interview and issued a statement saying: “The
county’s position is quite defensible” and “our review reveals that appropriate training is
provided to all 911 operators.”
Ebbert said that’s not true.
“You go to work; you want anyone who calls you for help to get the help they need,”
Ebbert said.
She said proper training is the difference between life and death.
State law requires the county keep records of its 911 training courses, including the
curriculum. CBS 2 requested copies of those records but the county never provided
them.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/07/17/exclusive-nassau-county-911-operators-claim-stunninglack-of-training/
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/csea-sues-nassau-pd-over-911-operator-training-1.5637703
CSEA sues Nassau PD over 911
operator training
July 6, 2013 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau's largest public-sector labor union has filed a lawsuit against the county contending the
police department failed to train 911 operators on advanced emergency dispatching procedures,
despite obtaining state grants earmarked for it.
The suit, filed in State Supreme Court by the Civil Service Employees Association last month,
also alleges that senior Nassau officials instructed the county's roughly 150 police
communications operators to sign roster sheets attesting to receiving the training and to "not
ask questions."
"By not providing this essential training, the public is at risk of substandard call responses," said
Lou Stober, a Garden City labor attorney representing the union. "If they are not training these
operators . . . the public at large is put at risk."
County Attorney John Ciampoli said his office and the police department are conducting an
internal review of the training requirements outlined in the lawsuit. "But, at first blush it would
appear the Police Department is providing adequate training for its 911 operators," he said.
The suit comes as the police department's Internal Affairs division investigates the shooting
death of Hofstra student Andrea Rebello during a May home invasion in Uniondale during which
she was held as a hostage. Questions have been raised about the communication between the
911 operator and police officers sent to the scene.
In 2008, Nassau was designated by the state Department of Homeland Security and
Emergency Services as a Public Safety Answering Point -- an advanced 911 center that can
receive emergency calls from wireless phones.
To earn that designation, and the millions in funding that goes along with it, 911 operators must
get a minimum of 21 hours of in-service classroom training, including how to handle hostage
situations or terrorist attacks as well as the use of new communications equipment, Stober said.
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said instead of providing classroom training, police
supervisors distributed short instructional pamphlets detailing new procedures.
"The county needs to follow the law and train these 911 operators," Laricchiuta said. "There is a
wide scope of issues that require training that are vital to protecting public safety."
The suit asks the department to provide the training but does not ask for monetary
compensation.
Ciampoli noted that operators receive at least a year of training before taking their first 911 call
and get "ongoing systematic training" afterward.
Unclear how money spent
The state allocated a total of $3.4 million to Nassau between 2008-2012 through the "Local
Enhanced Wireless 9-1-1 program," which reimburses county governments for communications
costs related to dispatching wireless 911 calls, according to documents provided by Homeland
Security and Emergency Services spokesman Peter Cutler. A percentage of those funds were
to be used for training, though Cutler could not itemize those dollars.
It is unclear how the police department spent the state training dollars.
Insp. Kenneth Lack, a police spokesman, declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Gary Volpe, the CSEA unit president for the 911 operators, said the absence of training could
be the difference between life and death.
For example, operators would be instructed on how to classify and prioritize certain 911 calls,
such as a "large fight," Volpe said. In that instance, the call-taker must ask the right questions to
determine whether it's a fistfight among three men or a large melee involving rival gangs, which
would require a faster police response.
"If the 911 operator puts in the wrong call type or misinterprets what's going on, there could be a
delay in waiting for assistance and the bad guy could get away," said Volpe, who worked as a
911 operator for 16 years. He now works exclusively in the union office, representing 911
operators.
Hostage situation citedIn the Hofstra shooting, Nassau Police Officer Nikolas Budimlic
accidentally killed Rebello as parolee Dalton Smith held her in a chokehold and pointed a gun at
the cop. Budimlic did not know he was walking into a hostage situation when he responded to
the call, according to James Carver, head of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association.
The 911 call was "never transmitted as a hostage situation," and Budimlic believed he was
responding to a robbery in progress, Carver said.
Stober said the robbery could have turned out differently if the 911 operator had received the
enhanced training and streamlined protocols envisioned by the state.
Laricchiuta disagreed, noting that the Rebello shooting took place so quickly that "I don't know if
a million hours of training would have changed what happened."
Volpe said he first mentioned the need for training to his supervisors three years ago and the
union later filed a grievance with the department.
In August 2011, the police department scheduled three rounds of training for the operators.
"Such training is necessary to assist this command in complying with New York State
regulations," department officials wrote in an Aug. 15, 2011, memo which was included in the
lawsuit.
The department canceled the training a month later, according to a follow-up department memo
also included in the suit. The training has yet to be rescheduled, Volpe said.
Nonetheless, 911 operators have been asked to sign roster sheets stating that they received the
training, the suit said. The operators complied for fear of going against department brass but
some jotted statements such as "not trained" next to their names, Volpe said.
"They were told to sign the roster and not ask questions as the [Police Communications
Operators Supervisors] did not have any answers for them," the suit states.
It is unclear why the police brass has been resistant to providing the classroom training, but
Laricchiuta contends the department does not want to bring in more staff on overtime to cover
for operators out on training days.
Stober said "the cost of backfilling 150 people on overtime is minuscule" compared with the
prospect of getting hit with a lawsuit by members of the public for mistakes made by operators.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/csea-should-nassau-living-wage-law-cover-part-timers-too-1.5561428
CSEA: Should Nassau Living Wage
Law cover part-timers too?
June 24, 2013 by SID CASSESE / [email protected]
The Civil Service Employees Association is asking Nassau Comptroller George Maragos to
examine whether part-time and seasonal workers should be covered by Nassau's Living Wage
Law.
CSEA Local 830, the county's largest public employee union, pointed to the law's requirement
that county vendors pay their employees a minimum hourly rate plus a benefits supplement if no
health insurance is provided.
The Living Wage is $14.91 an hour without benefits or $13.11 with health benefits. Payroll
records show that 591 part-time and seasonal county employees are being paid $13.11 an hour,
and do not receive health benefits. The CSEA said it wants Maragos to take another look at a
legal opinion from 2007, during the administration of former County Executive Thomas Suozzi,
that interpreted the law as exempting part-time and seasonal employees.
"Under this law, part-time workers should get the minimum wage and health benefits or else get
an additional $1.80 an hour," said CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta. "But the county says these
workers are excluded from the law because they come under the union contract."
Maragos blamed the Suozzi administration for determining that part-time and seasonal
employees "were exempt from the Living Wage Law and thus could be denied the same
minimum wage rates as private employees working under county contracts."
Suozzi is running in the Democratic primary for county executive against businessman Adam
Haber. Suozzi's campaign manager, Danny Kazin, said Maragos was trying to "deflect attention"
from the county's fiscal problems.
Maragos said he has requested an updated opinion from county attorney John Ciampoli about
whether part-time and seasonal employees should continue to be exempt.
Ciampoli said he had not yet received Maragos' request, "but we'll certainly look into it when we
get it."
NuHealth Board approves new labor
deal for union workers
Friday April 5, 2013 3:47 PM
By Robert Brodsky/[email protected]
The board of directors of the Nassau Health Care Corporation officially approved a new six-year labor
contract with the Civil Service Employees Association that provides job protection for workers and gives
the hospital the ability to better control health insurance costs.
The deal, agreed to last month by the union and management at Nassau University Medical Center, was
unanimously approved by the NuHealth Board at a meeting on Thursday night. NuHealth is a public
benefit corporation that includes NUMC in East Meadow, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility
in Uniondale and five community health care centers.
“Almost 95 percent of our members voted in favor of a contract that was lean in dollars, but gave them
on-the-job protection, because we all have the common goal of making sure it remains open and
eventually becomes the number one hospital in the region,” said CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta.
Arthur Gianelli, chief executive of NUHealth, said: “I am gratified that management and labor were able
to reach a fair, progressive, and in some respects pathbreaking agreement. The agreement trades job
security for very modest wage appreciation, creates financial incentives for employee performance, and
fundamentally changes health benefits, particularly for future employees.”
Under the deal, CSEA employees receive no retroactive pay increase for 2010 through 2012. In 2013 and
2014, full-time employees will get a $750 cash payment; part-time workers will receive $325. In 2015,
the contract's final year, employees will get a 4 percent increase.
Management also promised no more layoffs unless the state eliminates beds or programs. Between the
end of 2011 and spring of 2012, 350 employees were laid off or offered early retirement.
NuHealth received concessions on health insurance it deemed important for future financial stability:
New employees must be vested for 20 years, not five years as they are now, before receiving free health
care upon retiring. And new employees must pay a larger percentage toward their health care if they
decide not to opt for NuHealth’s own health insurance plan.
Current employees would not see a change to their health insurance. The existing plan requires employees
to contribute 15 percent to their health insurance for the first five years and nothing afterward.
Judge rejects Nassau wage freeze
February 14, 2013 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
A federal judge on Thursday threw out a wage freeze imposed on Nassau County workers by a
financial control board in 2011, in a decision that could force the county to repay tens of millions of
dollars in back wages to union employees.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard D. Wexler inCentral Islip found that the Nassau Interim Finance
Authority's power to suspend pay hikes and annual step increases expired four years ago.
Wexler delayed execution of his decision pending appeal. NIFA chairman Ronald Stack said the
control board will take the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals, "confident that the continuing validity of
its wage freeze power will be upheld." County Attorney John Ciampoli said he was reviewing the
ruling.
NIFA is still expected to extend the wage freeze, which will expire March 23. Nassau Comptroller
George Maragos' office calculates the freeze has saved the county $80 million through 2012 -money that would have to be repaid if the board loses its appeal. Nassau continues to struggle to
balance its books.
Nassau Police Benevolent Association president James Carver noted that he had proposed a
renegotiated PBA contract that would have dropped the lawsuit while saving future police costs, but
neither county officials nor NIFA acted on it. Some Nassau officials who had heard the terms said
they had been unsure of the deal's savings.
"The way I'm looking at this, they had no right to freeze wages and we should be owed everything
back," Carver said of Wexler's decision.
The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the PBA, the Nassau Detectives' Association and Superior
Officers Association after NIFA froze wages when it took control of the county's finances in 2011.
Similar lawsuits by the Civil Service Employees Association and correction officers union are waiting
to be decided by Wexler.
"We have made the same argument on the timing issues; we expect the same result," CSEA
president Jerry Laricchiuta said.
The unions argued that freezing contractual salary increases was unconstitutional and violated state
labor law. They also contended that NIFA's authority to suspend wage increases ended in 2008
when the "interim finance period" described in the state statute expired.
The state legislature created NIFA in 2000 to monitor Nassau's finances following the county's nearbankruptcy in 1999. Under the law, NIFA was to continue monitoring the county's finances after the
interim period expired, but with fewer active powers such as borrowing on Nassau's behalf.
Wexler did not rule on any of the arguments against the freeze except its timing. He agreed with the
unions that NIFA's authority to freeze wages ended when the interim finance period ended.
Wexler noted that the law states that the wage freeze must end by the conclusion of the interim
finance period. To interpret the law, Wexler said, "the court begins with the plain language of the
statute." That language, he said, "unambiguously limits NIFA's power to impose a . . . wage freeze to
the end of the interim finance period -- which period ended in 2008."
The decision immediately sparked partisan wrangling in a county election year. "The pay freeze was
the only savings in Mangano's budgets. With that gone, boy, what a deficit," said Legis. David
Denenberg (D-Merrick), ranking member of the county legislature's Finance Committee.
"County Executive Mangano has saved tens of millions of dollars by cutting wasteful spending,
including the elimination of patronage jobs added to government by [former Democratic county
executive] Tom Suozzi and the Democrats," responded aide Brian Nevin.
Privatizing Nassau sewage put on hold
Originally published by Newsday: January 31, 2013 9:10 PM
Updated: January 31, 2013 9:30 PM
By ROBERT BRODSKY [email protected]
A proposal to privatize Nassau's sewage treatment system is on hold until plans are finalized for repairing and hardening the Bay Parkand Long
Beach treatment plants, both of which suffered extensive damage during superstorm Sandy, County Executive Edward Mangano said.
Mangano has selected New Jersey-based United Water to manage the Bay Park and Cedar Creek plants, the county's 53 sewage pumping stations
and 3,000 miles of sewers. The transaction would be financed by a private investment group that would provide the county with at least $750 million
that would be used to pay down its $3 billion in debt.
"Right now, we are focused on working with the state on a regional plan to harden the Bay Park and Long Beach plants" against future storms,
Mangano said this week.
Mangano's comments came as Civil Service Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta fielded questions from his members this week about
whether the privatization plan will be changed.
Among the issues discussed at meetings this week at the Bay Park plant in East Rockaway and the Cedar Creek plant in Seaford were "rumors" that
Nassau might not sell the treatment system, but instead may hire United Water to operate the manage the plant for the county, Laricchiuta
said.
Laricchiuta said he told members that the union has not received a new sewer plan.
He said in an interview that "based on conversations" with county officials, "we have been led to believe that the county is still entertaining a publicprivate partnership for the sewer system."
Mangano declined to talk specifically about whether the plan could be revamped.
"All options are on the table," he said.
The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state oversight board that controls the county's finances, last year blocked the administration's sewer plan,
saying the financing element constituted "backdoor borrowing."
A team from Nassau, Long Beach, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency is analyzing
how to protect the Bay Park and Long Beach plants from future storms. Mangano said the effort will include elevating equipment above the flood plain
to guard against saltwater intrusion.
Federal funding included in a $60 billion Sandy aid package passed by Congress is expected to pay for much of the repair and hardening, Mangano
said. The county estimates it will receive $6.6 billion in federal aid, but officials have not disclosed how much will go to the treatment plants.
NIFA board member Chris Wright said last week that the board has not discussed a revised sewer plan with Mangano but that it remains opposed to
the original privatization deal.United Water spokesman Rich Henning said there have been no "formal discussions" with Nassau about altering the
original privatization deal. But he said the company remains interested in managing Bay Park and Cedar Creek, and that Sandy "re-emphasized"
Nassau's need for an outside contractor to run the system.
Long Beach Public Works Commissioner Jim LaCarrubba said no discussions about privatizing the city's sewage treatment plant have occurred.
Report: $65M in Nassau's 2013
budget at risk
October 22, 2012 by SID CASSESE / [email protected]
Nearly $65 million in Nassau County's proposed $2.79 billion budget for 2013 is at risk, according to a new report by the independent Office of
Legislative Budget Review.
The report notes that County Executive Edward Mangano's budget would reduce the county workforce by 48 positions, bringing it to 7,395. That would
save $2.8 million next year.
Brian Nevin, chief spokesman for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, said that "the employee head count reduction to 7,395 positions will be
met. If employees have not left voluntarily by the end of next year, layoffs will be used."
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of Civil ServiceEmployees Association 830, said: "We're hopeful that through attrition and incentives we can get
it down to zero by the end of the year." The CSEA has borne the bulk of county layoffs.
The Budget Review report, released Friday, said risks to Mangano's 2013 spending plan include $18.8 million in police termination pay.
The money would need to be borrowed, but legislative Democrats are refusing to go along.
The report noted progress in reducing expenditures.
It said property tax refunds in the proposed budget total $18 million, compared with nearly $100 million in recent years.
A court this year ended Nassau's responsibility to pay all property tax refunds for schools and other taxing districts.
Local school districts are appealing the decision. "We're still confident in our position," saidRockville Centre School District Superintendent William
Johnson, a leader in the court challenge.
Nassau limits direct monitoring of probationers
Originally published: September 30, 2012 7:21 PM
Updated: September 30, 2012 9:45 PM
By ROBERT BRODSKY [email protected]
Faced with steep budget cuts and declining staff, Nassau County's Department of Probation is limiting its direct monitoring of thousands of criminal
offenders, most of them nonviolent.
Nearly 2,000 nonviolent probationers, who once had to check in monthly by telephone, now mail in form letters confirming they have not been
rearrested, county officials said.
More than 1,100 probationers with open warrants for their arrest now are encouraged in letters to turn themselves in rather than have probation officers
and U.S. Marshals chase them down.
The changes come as the department, which monitors more than 7,200 probationers, has reduced its workforce by more than 18 percent in the past
year as Nassau looks to close a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
County Executive Edward Mangano's 2013 budget proposal cuts the department's budget further. If approved by the county legislature, the budget
would be $18.3 million, a 1.9 percent decrease from what the department expects to spend this year through Dec. 31.
Probation Director John Fowle said the cuts haven't hampered monitoring, and that the agency is operating more efficiently without jeopardizing public
safety.
But Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees Association, which represents probation staff, said Fowle's policies "put the public at
risk. You don't loosen the rope on people in probation. You tighten it."
Fowle, who has run the department since January 2010, said the concerns are unfounded.
"There are a small number of officers who are admittedly unhappy and have seen the most change in their day-to-day activities," he said. "Some of
these workers have seen their overtime reduced. And some want the department to fail to prove their point."
The cuts began shortly after Fowle took over and accelerated in December when the department laid off 24 employees and nine others took a
voluntary retirement incentive.
A staff of 193 full-time employees now manages 7,240 cases of people on probation as part of their sentencing for criminal convictions or as a
condition of pretrial release. The 2013 budget also funds the salaries of 21 detention workers who don't perform probation duties.
In an effort to save on overtime, Mangano, a Republican, has continued a policy started in 2009 under Thomas Suozzi, his Democratic predecessor, of
leaving sex offenders with GPSbracelets unmonitored by probation staff at nights and on weekends. There are eight such offenders.
Some probation employees criticize Fowle for relying on state computer programs that determine how much direct contact with the probationer is
necessary. In a November 2011 email, Fowle told staffers to de-emphasize "gut" and "instinct" and focus on risk assessment programs, which he said
will better determine if someone will re-offend -- one of the variables that determines how closely probationers are monitored.
Fowle justified the changes as necessary to ensure that all probationers face an impartial system that doesn't rely exclusively on staff judgments.
"Some of my employees still need to accept that the world has changed, and along with it how we do our jobs," he said.
John Carway of Southold, who ran the department from 1999 to 2007, sympathized with the budget cuts but said Fowle relies too heavily on
computerized risk assessment. "I would not be comfortable implementing these changes," he said.
Phone check-in dropped
The budget crunch led Fowle this year to abandon an $80,000-a-year system that allowed 2,000 nonviolent offenders, most on probation for driving
while intoxicated, to check in by phone. Those individuals, considered the least likely to commit another crime, now must mail in a letter each month
disclosing where they are living, if they are attending counseling and if they have been rearrested. Individuals are eligible for the program after 3
months on probation.
But union officials say the mail system is flawed because it relies on new convictions and arrests, rather than past criminal history to determine
supervision level. For example, a man with nine previous DWI convictions was deemed eligible for the mail program, but probation staff intervened and
forced him into a higher level of supervision, according to union and department officials.
Fowle confirms that account but said supervisory decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
State policies followed
Martin Horn, New York City's former commissioner of correction and probation, said not all offenders require in-person monitoring. "You need to figure
out who needs face-to-face contact with a probation officer, and who doesn't," said Horn, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "It's not a
simple answer."
In Suffolk, such nonviolent offenders report in person quarterly and by phone monthly, county spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter said.
Fowle said Nassau's system complies with state mandates. "We need to do everything we can to make the budget manageable," he said.
Janine Kava, spokeswoman for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, said Nassau's policies follow "the rules and regulations as set
forth by state probation."
Recidivism among probationers in the mail system, Fowle said, is 2 percent, identical to the phone program.
Probation staff contend those numbers are skewed because they don't include failed drug tests and those who abscond -- incidents that do not
necessarily result in re-arrests or new convictions. The recidivism rate for all probationers has remained at 6 percent for years, Fowle said.
Not on nights, weekends
Sex-offender monitoring also has undergone significant changes in recent years.
The offenders under court order to wear GPS tracking devices are subject to a variety of restrictions depending on the case, including times they must
be at home and prohibitions from going near schools. If the offender is not where he or she is required to be, a monitoring company will call the
individual and send an alert to the department office, which is staffed only on weekdays.
From 2001 to 2006, Nassau monitored those offenders during weekday business hours, but not at night or on weekends. After a 2006 report by thenComptroller Howard Weitzman criticized the monitoring as inadequate to protect the public, Nassau secured a $500,000 state grant to provide 24-hour
coverage by an officer on call at nights and on the weekends. Suffolk also uses such a system, Baird-Streeter said.
But the Nassau grant expired in 2009 under Suozzi and the nighttime and weekend monitoring was scrapped. Mangano, who took office the next year,
also hasn't funded the program.
Lior Gideon of Great Neck, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the concerns are overblown and that the GPS system,
in and of itself, doesn't prevent crime. "I don't think we will see any change in our public safety because of these changes," Gideon said.Fowle said 24hour monitoring would cost $150,000 per year in overtime. "From the standpoint of public safety, there are significantly better ways to spend those
valuable resources," said Fowle, who initiated the GPS system when he ran the unit in 2001 said.
But he said he recognizes his sex offender strategy has risks. "I live in a world of what-ifs," Fowle said. "And I am haunted by those scenarios."
Laricchiuta said the cost of 24-hour monitoring is a small price to pay for public safety.
"These are the services you should get when you pay among the highest taxes in the country," said Laricchiuta, who is calling for public hearings into
the probation cutbacks.
Nassau CSEA Leader Says Services a Casualty of Cuts
By MARK TOOR | Posted: Monday, September 10, 2012 5:00 pm
Nassau County residents may be among the highest-taxed property-owners in the country, but they no longer get what they’re paying for,
said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the county’s largest public-employees union.
“The residents aren’t really being told the whole story,” Mr. Laricchiuta, head of the 6,000-member Nassau Civil Service Employees
Association, said in an interview with THE CHIEF-LEADER Sept. 4. “We’re not providing the level of services people have come to
expect. Twenty years ago, we were in the top 10 desirable counties to live in the country. I’m sure we’re not on that list anymore.”
800 Fewer County Employees
County Executive Edward P. Mangano has laid off more than 400 Nassau CSEA members, and another 400 have left with earlyseparation incentives since his election in 2009. Mr. Mangano brags that he has reduced the county workforce to its lowest level since the
1950s, but Mr. Laricchiuta said this has meant the loss of important services, including these in the public-safety area:
• Sex offenders are given electronic-monitoring ankle bracelets to ensure they stay away from areas populated by children, but their
locations are no longer tracked on weekends. To save money, the county canceled a contract with a private firm that provided that
service. So after 4:45 p.m. Friday, an offender can go to a forbidden zone and no one will know about it until Monday morning.
• While the county has not laid off any police officers—precincts have been reconfigured to allow the department to shrink by attrition—
support jobs represented by CSEA have been hit. More than once, the 911 system has had only one operator for the entire county. Callers
are put on hold until the operator can get to them.
• Police Service Aides are assigned to respond to crime scenes to process evidence, but because of understaffing, officers need to wait at
a scene for two to three hours—unable to patrol and sometimes going into overtime—until the aides can show up.
• Crossing Guards are also understaffed, meaning that if a school doesn’t have one, a police officer needs to come off patrol for 1½ hours
to do that job. Mr. Laricchiuta said he expects that Nassau Police Commissioner Thomas Dale will soon follow New York City’s lead in
prioritizing school crosswalks as A, B or C depending on potential danger, and C crossings might not be staffed at all. “I don’t know if
that’s going to fare well with parents in a C area,” he said.
• Felons on probation, including some convicted of violent crimes, no longer have to come in to the county Probation Department to
meet face-to-face with a staff member. Instead, they are allowed to check in by sending a letter to their Probation Officer.
Big Toll on Social Services
The Social Services Department is one of the hardest-hit by layoffs, Mr. Laricchiuta said. He found that especially curious because most
of the workers’ salaries (though not benefits) are funded between 75 percent and 100 percent by the Federal and state governments. If it
were up to him, he said, “I would flood the place with Social Welfare Examiners.”
After the layoffs, the office couldn’t come close to seeing all the clients—up to 2,000 a day—who showed up, and about 100 laid-off
workers were brought back, he said. But people seeking baby formula, food stamps, protection from abuse, assistance with energy costs
and other services still wait for up to six or seven hours and can’t see a worker before the office closes. “They don’t even get credit [for
waiting] because another 2,000 people are coming in the next day,” he said.
Mr. Mangano, a Republican, was elected three years ago on a pledge to hold down property taxes, and he has kept that promise. Instead
of increasing taxes, he has focused on squeezing savings out of the county workforce, conducting successive waves of layoffs, offering
employees $1,000 for every year of service if they leave, slowing hiring and demanding concessions in labor contracts that were
negotiated by his predecessor, Thomas R. Suozzi.
Wants Worker Health Payments
Since 2008, the Nassau CSEA has agreed to $132 million in givebacks, Mr. Laricchiuta said, adding, “That’s a lot to ask one union.” The
other unions have provided givebacks as well, but Mr. Mangano wants still more. He has called on workers to contribute to the cost of
their health care, which under their contracts is 100 percent covered by the county.
“Unions have given everything they can,” Mr. Laricchiuta said. “You can’t keep going back to the same well. How much more do they
expect?”
While refusing to raise taxes, Mr. Mangano has sought new revenues, but his major initiatives have been unsuccessful. They included a
proposal to borrow $400 million to build a new Nassau Coliseum, which was defeated by voters in a referendum that cost $2 million to
hold. Another proposal, to privatize the county sewer system, is opposed by a state financial-control board that has the last word on the
county’s budget.
Mr. Laricchiuta said Mr. Mangano could raise funds by getting rid of unused county office space. “There’s empty buildings all over
Mineola that the county should be selling,” he said. U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt, in a recent ruling that stopped Mr. Mangano from
unilaterally altering contracts with the unions, suggested selling naming rights to county buildings and installing a Muni-Meter system
like New York City’s.
What, and Forsake Patronage?
Judge Spatt also recommended that the county reduce purchases of supplies and replace high-priced private contractors with public
employees who could do the work more cheaply. Those are almost-heretical ideas in a county where patronage in the form of contracts
given to law firms and other companies run by political allies is a cherished tradition for both Democrats and Republicans.
Mr. Laricchiuta said Mr. Mangano was being hampered by two factors: the financial-control board and the national political climate that
opposes taxation and demonizes public workers. He said the way to pull the county out of its slump is to create more jobs, encourage
construction projects and help small businesses to prosper, and “attacking the public worker will not do any of that.”
Mr. Laricchiuta said the average salary of his members was $57,000, although more than half make less than $50,000. That average, he
said, is skewed upward because the union represents some engineers, information-technology specialists, physicians and other
professionals who make more than $100,000. The average Nassau CSEA pension is $22,000 a year, only $4,000 higher than the
statewide average. “You have to work 30 years and be over 55 years old to get that pension,” he said.
‘Firing Us Won’t Save Much’
Mr. Laricchiuta noted that only 3 percent of a typical residential tax bill—about $300 out of a $10,000 annual levy—goes to salaries,
benefits and other expenses incurred by CSEA workers. “Fire us all and you’re only saving $300, you have no services, and you’ll still
be the highest-taxed county in America,” he said.
Paying for all five county unions, which include the CSEA and four unions representing better-paid police and correctional officers,
takes 7 percent of the tax bill. “Seven hundred dollars pays for everybody,” he said. Three-quarters of the tax bill funds school districts,
which levy taxes independent of the county, he said.
School taxes, which go up every year, are higher than they have to be, he said, because the 453-square-mile county has 57 separate
districts, each with its own Superintendent. The highest-paid Superintendent, Carole Hankin of Syosset, clears over $500,000 in salary
and benefits. In contrast, Fairfax County, Va., which is similar demographically but only slightly smaller in land area and population, has
one countywide district. The Superintendent there was paid $418,000 in salary and benefits in 2010-11.
Taxpayers should consider consolidating the districts, he said. “We should leave that up to the voters. If taxes are really the Number One
issue, do you need 57 school districts? Maybe you only need five. If you want to continue to have 57 school districts, you have to pay for
it.”
Mr. Laricchiuta also warned that lack of services will cut property values, a bedrock of life in the suburbs. “It’s important that our
message gets out to residents so they clearly understand the implications of all these cuts,” he said.
Judge: Mangano can't slash employee
benefits
August 20, 2012 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
A federal court judge suspended a Nassau law Monday that would allow County Executive Edward Mangano to slash negotiated employee benefits,
saying it "places a knife to the throat of the unions."
U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt issued a preliminary injunction preventing the law from taking effect in regard to the county's five labor unions. Spatt
also indicated that, if the county continues its court fight, he would be likely to rule that the law violates the U.S. Constitution's contract clause and to
make the injunction permanent. In his decision, Spatt referred to the clause, which says no state shall pass any law "impairing the obligation of
contracts."
Spatt wrote, "The mere passage of this [Nassau] law renders the collective bargaining agreements essentially meaningless and makes the contracts
less binding, or not binding at all, on the county. The likelihood of success on this constitutional deprivation is so great that irreparable harm is
inevitably shown."
Union leaders cheered Spatt's ruling.
"I am humbly grateful to the federal court," said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of Nassau'sCivil Service Employees Association. "State and local
governments do not have the right to trample on the U.S. Constitution. This case has implications from Maine to California."
Strapped governments across the country have tried to cut union pay and benefits without negotiation. For instance, Scranton, Pa., attempted to cut
police and firefighter salaries to the minimum wage, while the North Las Vegas City Council voted unanimously in June to give the city manager the
power to change union contracts in order to balance the city's budget.
The Republican-controlled Nassau County Legislature gave Mangano unilateral authority in May to cut $41 million in spending after
legislative Democrats refused to authorize borrowing to pay property tax refunds from last year. The labor unions subsequently filed suit and the county
agreed not to enforce the law while the legal fight played out.
County Attorney John Ciampoli said the administration is evaluating whether to continue the court fight. He noted that Spatt's decision "only focused on
collective bargaining agreements. Everything else still stands." Besides allowing Mangano to modify union contracts, the law also gives him the
authority to sell county property, close county facilities and make other reductions in operations.
"It's really coming time for everyone to step up to the plate and make the tough choices to save the county money that it needs to save; one to balance
the books and the other to stay true to Ed Mangano's promise to the people that he will not raise their property taxes," Ciampoli said.
Spatt, in his decision, wrote, "Bargaining units such as the CSEA can no longer represent their members in any meaningful way, now that any
negotiated provision they have endeavored to secure in the past can instantly be reduced to a nullity."
He also wrote, "The law gives the power to the county executive to unilaterally modify the terms of negotiated, written contractual bargaining
agreements. This far-reaching power -- a power which appears to the court to be unprecedented -- can arguably be itself a substantial impairment to a
contractual relationship."
James Carver, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said, "I think this decision shows there's some serious problems with this law and we
are on the right side of the argument here."
John Jaronczyk, president of the Nassau Sheriff's Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said, "Obviously we're very excited, very happy.. . . It
proves that Ed Mangano and [Presiding Officer] Peter Schmitt cannot rewrite the U.S. Constition."
< back to article
Nassau OKs voluntary furloughs for
5,000
July 26, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
More than 5,000 Nassau County workers will be able to take unpaid, voluntary furloughs as the county scrambles to close a projected multimilliondollar budget deficit and unions seek to avoid future layoffs.
County Executive Edward Mangano and the Civil ServiceEmployees Association announced an agreement Thursday that will make nearly 5,000 fulltime union employees eligible to take as many as 60 days off a year, with a maximum of 20 consecutive days. The program also will be open to
roughly 500 appointed employees, but not to law enforcement.
"I am encouraged [that] CSEA leaders and I [are] moving toward constructive solutions that will protect taxpayers and county positions that deliver
important services," Mangano said.
Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said it was too soon to tell how much money the program, which will begin immediately and remain open through
Aug. 1, 2013, will save the county or if proposed layoffs, announced last month, can be avoided.
"This program was designed to further mitigate any future layoffs, and hopefully remove the threat of layoffs altogether," said CSEA president Jerry
Laricchiuta. "This is a completely voluntary program, but we feel it is something that some members might take advantage of, especially now during the
summer months."
Furlough days won't count against employees' personal or vacation days and won't affect their health benefits, according to the agreement. Nassau
department heads will have the discretion to approve furloughs, which cannot result in overtime or the hiring of new staff, Walker said.
The furloughs represent another step by Mangano to close the county's 2012 budget gap, which Comptroller George Maragos estimates at $45 million.
Voluntary furloughs also were offered by former county executives Thomas Gulotta and Thomas Suozzi in 2001 and 2009, respectively.
Last month, Mangano directed department heads to draw up layoff lists to reduce their personnel spending by 3.5 percent.
The county also offered a retirement incentive to CSEA members this month that will pay departing employees $1,000 for every year of service with the
county. A total of 61 employees took the deal. About 40 law enforcement positions also have been lost in recent months through attrition, county
officials said.
Earlier this week, Mangano announced a deficit-reduction plan that calls for 100 new layoffs and major cuts to public works projects and departmental
spending.
Mandatory furloughs also are possible under a bill the GOP-led county legislature approved in May. The legislation, under court challenge by all five
county labor unions, would allow Nassau to reopen labor contracts and reduce its contributions to health benefits.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Spatt is expected to decide the case later this month or in early August.
< back to article
Mangano cuts 200 jobs, cancels
projects
July 23, 2012 by LAURA FIGUEROA / [email protected]
Nassau County will cut 200 employees and cancel $19 million in public works projects under a $45 million deficit-reduction plan that County Executive
Edward Mangano announced Monda.
"We made some very painful choices to put us in balance," Mangano said.
But Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees Association, the largest county union, warned that county services would suffer.
"There is no way this county can deliver the services anywhere near the level it once did," Laricchiuta said.
Mangano said about half the 200 terminated positions will come from layoffs. Another 62 are county employees who recently accepted an earlyretirement incentive and about 40 come from law enforcement retirements.
The personnel reductions are expected to generate $10 million in savings this year and roughly $25 million annually, Mangano said. Those savings will
go toward the $150 million in recurring labor savings that the county's financial control board, the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority, has called
for, Mangano said. The new round of cuts boosts recurring savings to $120 million for the year, Mangano said.
The administration is still in the process of determining the employees to cut, due to "bump and retreat" rules that allow workers with seniority to move
down to lower-ranked positions, said Katie Grilli-Robles, a Mangano spokeswoman.
Nassau has laid off about 400 employees since December 2011, said Mangano. The county workforce is now about 7,300 employees.
Mangano's plan also includes $3.8 million in cuts to youth and mental health programs that went into effect July 5. Mangano left open the possibility of
restoring the funds, saying it would "require a bipartisan effort."
Responding to the cuts in programs and county expenses, Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said Mangano "needs to tell us how many of
his political benefactors' contracts are part of that list."
Mangano declined to respond.
Under the plan, departmental spending will decline by $12.2 million. Cuts include $1.5 million for uniform replacement and $770,000 for vehicle
replacements, according to a list the administration provided.
The $19 million in canceled improvement projects includes $5.8 million for streetscaping and $440,000 in park projects.
County Comptroller George Maragos and legislative Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) joined Mangano at the news conference.
Maragos commended the plan for not relying on borrowing, and both Schmitt and Mangano said the county would not turn to property-tax increases to
fill the budget gap.
"We're going to continue to meet this deficit with cuts," Schmitt said.
Reducing the deficit
Among the cuts in Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano's deficit-reduction plan are:
Jail Vehicle Replacement: $15,000
Streetscaping: $5.8 million
Office Equipment: $500,000
Park Improvements: $440,000
Computers: $37,000
Wantagh Marina Bulkhead improvements: $583,000
Garage door replacements $700,000
Source: Nassau county executive
Nassau retirements expected to save
millions
July 20, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
More than 60 civilian employees in Nassau have accepted a voluntary retirement package, saving the county an expected $6 million annually, county
officials said.
The incentive, which pays employees $1,000 for every year of service with the county, expired Friday. In total, 61 employees accepted the offer, meant
to encourage higher-paid workers to voluntarily leave the workforce. The retirees have until July 27 to change their minds.
"The Office of Management and Budget is calculating the millions in savings associated with this program," County Executive Edward Mangano said.
"These savings are helpful in keeping Nassau County's fiscal recovery on track."
The retirees come from across the county workforce. They include 20 civilian police department employees, 10 employees from the Department of
Public Works, six from social services, five from the district attorney's office, and four from the probation department.
The retirements come as Mangano continues to downsize the county's workforce. Mangano, who is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit, is expected to
announce further staff reductions on Monday as he unveils a plan to cut $45 million from the budget.
Since June 2011, there have been about 400 layoffs of Civil Service Employees Association members; another 300 retired with incentives. Also, nearly
100 police officers, including 35 supervisors, accepted a retirement incentive in March.
"The county workforce has been cut to the bone," said CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta, who backed the retirement incentive that closed Friday.
"There is no room to lose even one more body."
Last month, Mangano, a Republican, directed department heads to draw up layoff lists to reduce their workforce budget by 3.5 percent. The
move came after Democrats in the county legislature rejected nearly $41 million in borrowing to pay for property tax settlements. Minority Democrats
have said they will not support new borrowing for tax refunds without a new legislative redistricting plan that is "fairer" than the one Republicans have
proposed.
The county will borrow to pay for the CSEA incentive. The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state oversight board in control of the county's finances,
supports the borrowing for the retirement incentive.
Mangano plans fee hikes, layoffs
July 20, 2012 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano is proposing fee increases for a variety of services, including transporting accident victims by police
helicopter to medical facilities, and is expected to call for additional staff reductions as part of a $45 million deficit-closing plan.
Mangano is to announce the plan Monday as he attempts to balance this year's $2.7 billion budget. The county comptroller last week warned that
Nassau is facing a $45 million deficit without further belt-tightening. The county ended last year $50.4 million in the red.
To boost revenues, the Mangano administration this week proposed legislation that would increase penalties for false alarms from home and business
security systems. Bills filed with the county legislature also would raise fees to process traffic violations, register ATMs, obtain home improvement
licenses and taxi cab permits and register as a county vendor. A new $7,500 fee for "any case where medical evacuation and transportation is
accomplished by helicopter" also was proposed.
The administration did not estimate how much total revenue will be raised through the fee increases. Mangano declined to comment Friday on his plan.
Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said, "We'll take a look at anything but fee increases, in our opinion, are backdoor tax increases."
Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) added that lawmakers will "judge the cost of it versus the fairness of it and then make a decision on whether it's
something we can support."
Mangano aide Brian Nevin said, "Despite the Democrats creating Nassau's fiscal mess," Mangano is "moving this county forward by holding the line on
property taxes, maintaining critical services and cutting government waste."
To curb spending, Mangano is expected on Monday to announce the need for further staff cuts after last year's reduction of nearly 400 workers through
layoffs and voluntary retirement incentives.
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employee Association, said Friday that Mangano told him additional staff cuts are needed, "but not until
the end of the year."
He said the more than 60 union members who signed up for a retirement incentive that closed Friday, "should take the pressure off. As far as I'm
concerned, there should be no more layoffs in terms of head count reductions in the CSEA."
Mangano agreed to cut $150 million in recurring labor costs this year in a budget deal with the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the state board in
control of Nassau's finances. But state officials estimate only $90 million has been saved so far.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/as-mangano-eyes-cuts-skating-rinks-questioned-1.3816873
As Mangano eyes cuts, skating rinks
questioned
July 1, 2012 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
As Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano warns of further layoffs and budget cuts, his
administration is seeking proposals for a private developer to build two indoor skating rinks in
Eisenhower Park.
A Mangano aide said the plan is for the private developer to shoulder all costs, with the county
getting a piece of the profits.
"The county would spend no money on this project, but enter into a revenue-sharing agreement with
the operators to generate additional revenue to help the county hold the line on property taxes," said
Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin.
But some questioned the timing of the request.
"It's a nice idea in good times," said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the county's Civil
Service Employees Association. "Why are we discussing ice rinks when we can't pay our bills and
are laying people off?"
To fill a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, Mangano plans to cut $4 million in youth group funding this
week. Also, county department heads had until last Friday to turn in layoff lists enabling them to cut
3.5 percent from their current budgets.
The ice rink proposals are due Monday.
On June 13, the county issued a request for proposals from "qualified developers for the
development of a public twin indoor ice rink skating facility within the limits of Eisenhower Park
in East Meadow.
"The county envisions a state-of-the-art facility that will host youth recreation, amateur sports and
public events," it said. "Proposers will include methods to enhance the public's recreational
experience by seamlessly integrating the facility into the park." Few other details were offered in a
summary posted on the county website.
Nevin said the county initiated the request after being contacted by "two private developers with
interest in building such a facility." He declined to identify them.
The county currently operates an indoor ice skating rink at Cantiague Park in Hicksville.
Gary Lewi, a spokesman for the Association for a Better Long Island, a developers' group, said he
expected individual members to look seriously at the proposal.
"County public-private initiatives that protect the county's quality of life while avoiding any additional
tax burden should be applauded and supported," Lewi said.
However, the association's executive director, Desmond Ryan, who has been a past Mangano critic,
questioned the timing. "When you take into consideration the financial condition of the county, in the
words of the captain of the Titanic: 'No reason to panic, folks, we just stopped for ice,' " he quipped.
< back to article
Unions move to block Nassau
furlough plan
June 19, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau's five labor unions will be in federal court Wednesday morning seeking to block legislation that would allow County Executive Edward Mangano
to furlough employees and reopen labor contracts.
Mangano signed the legislation, authorizing him to make $41 million in cuts to the county budget, on Monday -- 28 days after it was passed by
the GOP-controlled county legislature.
"The actions provided in this law would break CSEA's contract with Nassau County, which we believe to be a violation of the United States
Constitution," said Ryan Mulholland, spokesman for Civil Service Employees Association Local 830. "It also strikes at the very purpose of a union and
collective bargaining as enacted through New York's Taylor Law."
Gary Learned, president of the Nassau Superior Officers Association, said "the bill is illegal and we want to end it before it has a chance to do any
damage."
Mangano's office did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
The law gives Mangano unilateral authority to cut the budget through variety of options including furloughing union employees one day a week,
modifying county contracts and cutting county contributions to employee benefits.
Mangano on Monday also signed legislation broadening the authority of police Commissioner Thomas Dale to discipline officers. The Police
Benevolent Association says it expects to challenge the bill in State Supreme Court in Nassau next week.
Questions raised about two Nassau
votes
June 7, 2012 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Questions are being raised about the validity of two controversial Nassau laws decided by a Republican legislator who voted unseen from the back
room of the county meeting chamber.
Robert Freeman, executive director of New York's Committee on Open Government, said state law requires the public to be able to observe a
lawmaker's vote, either in person or by videoconference.
But nobody in the audience nor any legislators could see Legis. Dennis Dunne Sr. (R-Levittown) cast the 10th and deciding votes May 21 in favor of
two crucial measures: to allow County Executive Edward Mangano to unilaterally cut $41 million in expenses and also to remove requirements that
restrict red-light camera revenues to pay for social services. Only Dunne's voice could be heard by microphone.
"A key element of the open meetings law involves the ability to observe the performance of a public official," Freeman said. "The public has to have the
ability to observe any member of a public body who is participating and voting."
Dunne was sequestered in an antechamber after arriving by ambulance; neither reporters nor photographers were allowed to see him because,
officials said, recent leg surgery made him susceptible to infection.
"For all we know, he could have been bound and gagged," said Jerry Laricchiuta, head of Nassau's Civil Service Employees Association.
State law calls for members of public bodies to be "gathered together in the presence of each other or through the use of videoconferencing" when
they take action. A 2005 state appellate court struck down telephone voting because of that requirement.
Suffolk Legislative Counsel George Nolan agreed. "Here in Suffolk, I've never seen a vote cast by a person who was not in the horseshoe [of
legislative seats] or at least in the auditorium."
Both Laricchiuta and John Jaronczyk, president of the recently renamed Sheriff's Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said their lawyers are
looking into challenging Dunne's votes. "It didn't seem right and it didn't seem legal to me at the time," Jaronczyk said. Both unions already plan to
challenge the constitutionality of the law allowing to Mangano to cut contractual benefits.
Ed Ward, spokesman for Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt (R-Massapequa) and Dunne, acknowledged Nassau's rules require the 19 legislators to be
present and in their seats to vote. With consent of the nine-member Democratic minority, Ward said, "they waived that to allow him to vote from an
adjacent room on a microphone that was attached to the speaker on his desk."
William Muller, the legislature's Republican clerk, said he recorded Dunne's vote because of that informal waiver. "Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams
(D-Freeport) generously waived [Dunne's] presence on the record and I feel it was a legal vote."
Abrahams said he told Schmitt that Dunne could vote from the back room "if he's safer back there." He added that Democrats "have no intentions of
bringing this up in any type of legal suit. Our position was to let Dunne vote from the back because of his medical health."
But Freeman said state law cannot be waived simply because lawmakers agree. "A waiver cannot serve to eliminate the application of a state statute,"
he said.Rachael Krinsky, president of Nassau's League of Women Voters, said, openness and transparency are the league's main issues. "As such,
the league would expect the Nassau County Legislature to comply with any applicable laws pertaining to voting procedures."
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/csea-escalates-battle-with-nassau-university-medical-center-1.812042/csea-escalates-battle-with-nassau-university-medicalcenter-1.3736029
Spin Cycle
CSEA escalates battle with Nassau
University Medical Center
1:39 PM By Robert Brodsky
The Civil Service Employees Association has stepped up its battle with the leadership of Nassau University Medical Center.
On Tuesday, union officials went floor-to-floor at the hospital distributing packets of information that itemize their list of complaints with the
management and operation of the Nassau Health Care Corporation.
Their grievances include the integration of services between NUMC and North Shore LIJ. They also complain that more than 300 NUMC employees
have been laid off in the past year while six-figure salaries have been doled out to hospital management, including former Legis. John Ciotti, who was
hired in January as their $300,000 general counsel.
“We have heard for years now that this hospital is in dire straits because of changes in health care in New York State,” said CSEA president Jerry
Laricchiuta. “I do not dispute that, but to hire political pals at such outrageous salaries in a time when layoffs have occurred, and employees are
working without a raise, is simply disgusting.”
Arthur Gianelli, president and CEO of NuHealth System, responded that “CSEA has an estranged relationship with reality as well as way too much time
on its hands.”
Gianelli argues that despite its collaboration with North Shore, NuHealth will remain a public hospital and that NuHealth management personnel earn
less on average than similar employees at other Long Island hospitals.
“The real issue is that CSEA is walking away from difficult contract negotiations,” he said. “Management isn’t. So respectfully, we suggest that CSEA
return to the bargaining table and stop wasting our time -- and their members’ money -- with distortive, and ultimately irrelevant ad campaigns.”
The union is encouraging its members to call Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano to complain -- a message that is reiterated on a new sign
truck that will drive around NUMC, North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and the County Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola. The
truck reads “You deserve a choice in healthcare… Don’t allow North Shore LIJ to create a near healthcare monopoly.”
CSEA represents 3,000 employees at NuHealth, which includes NUMC, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and several clinics.
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-unions-vow-to-fight-furlough-bill-1.3734288
Nassau unions vow to fight furlough
bill
May 22, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau's public employees unions pledged to fight a bill passed by the legislature Monday that
would allow County Executive Edward Mangano to furlough staffers and unilaterally alter sealed
labor contracts.
Union leaders argue the measure is "unconstitutional," but administration officials said the law is
justified and legal.
Attorneys representing the Civil ServiceEmployees Association and Sheriff Officers Association went
to federal court in Central Islip Tuesday seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent the
administration from implementing the legislation.
But, the order was not granted as Mangano has yet to sign the bill. Labor leaders, including the
county's three law enforcement unions, promised to return to court once the legislation is signed.
The bill will automatically become law in 30 days if Mangano does not sign it.
"This law is illegal," said CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta. "No government official should have that
kind of unfettered authority."
John Jaronczyk, president of the Nassau County Sheriff's Correction Officers Benevolent
Association, said the bill "tramples on the Constitution" by opening union contracts.
"The bill is perfectly legal," responded County Attorney John Ciampoli. "Each provision is
researched, rational and defensible."
Twice before, Mangano has offered bills to change union contracts, but the legislature failed to act
on them.
Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said the county will now "incur legal costs it cannot
afford" by fighting for the bill.
The new measure allows Mangano to cut more than $40 million from the budget by modifying
contracts, closing departments, furloughing employees one day per week, ending programs and
reducing assistance to towns and villages. The bill became necessary, administration officials said,
after Democrats refused to authorize $41 million in borrowing for tax refunds.
It's unclear when Mangano will sign the legislation. But, county spokesman Brian Nevin said, "there
is still time for the Democrats to support County Executive Mangano's plan to end borrowing and
prevent draconian cuts."
Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) declined to comment Tuesday. He was harshly
criticized by Democrats and unions on Monday after first saying there would be no vote on the bill
because of questions about whether it violated any state or federal laws and then scheduling a vote - with almost no members of the public left in the chamber -- an hour later. Democrats got up and left
in protest, and the measure passed 10-0. Democrats on Monday did prevent the GOP majority from
attaching an amendment to the bill that would have allowed unions to avoid furloughs and other cuts
by providing labor concessions before July 1.
Mangano also has yet to sign a bill that would give Police Commissioner Thomas Dale the authority
to fire officers. The Police Benevolent Association plans to fight it in court.
"When a member of the force commits a violation of the rules and regulations we will have an
efficient process in place to deal with these issues," Dale said in a statement Tuesday.
< back to article
Mangano: Sewer deal to save $22M annually
Originally published: May 3, 2012 9:02 PM
Updated: May 3, 2012 10:21 PM
By ROBERT BRODSKY AND SID CASSESE [email protected],[email protected]
Cash-starved Nassau County has reached an agreement for a private company to operate its sewer system for at least 20 years -- a deal that will allow
the county to save $22 million in annual interest payments, officials announced.
The proposed deal with New Jersey-based United Water would be the largest sewer privatization in the nation's history and would provide Nassau with
at least $750 million from a third-party private investor who has yet to be named, County Executive Edward Mangano said.
The funds would go to reduce Nassau's $3 billion debt, including $465 million owed by the county's Sewer Authority.
The authority, which county officials have said will go bankrupt in 2014, then would cease to exist."This action will protect our taxpayers, our children,
our bays and our oceans," Mangano said at a news conference.
Critics were skeptical of Mangano's promise to freeze sewer rates through 2015, and then cap them for the life of the deal at the rate of inflation.
"No one is investing $750 million unless they are expecting a handsome rate increase," said Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick).
Trish Kearney, a Bay Park Civic Association official and one of about 10 residents to protest the deal outside the legislative building in Mineola, said,
"We firmly believe that the service rate will skyrocket."
Nassau is expected to sign a contract this summer with the financier, who in turn will contract with United Water. The company, the world's second
largest private water systems operator, will manage the Bay Park and Cedar Creek sewage treatment plants, 53 sewage pumping stations and 3,000
miles of sewers. Severn Trent Services will continue to manage the county's Glen Cove plant for the next eight years.
Nassau will issue a separate request for proposals for a private investor to fund the deal, Mangano said. The county separated the contracts to spur
investor competition, Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said.
United also will fund at least $400 million in capital improvements to the system over the next decade.
Company officials said Nassau's sewage treatment plants use outdated and energy-inefficient machinery. The company said it can save tens of
millions of dollars annually through equipment and operational improvements.
"Over time, the . . . [system] has become more and more inefficient because of lack of investment, lack of long-term leadership and obsolete
technology," said Patrick Cairo, United's senior vice president of corporate development. The company serves 600,000 residents in the tri-state region
and has sewer deals in place in Indianapolis, Pontiac, Mich., and San Antonio, Texas.
The deal, which would begin by next year, must clear the GOP-controlled legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state monitoring
board that controls the county's finances. Nassau this year is facing a projected deficit estimated as high as $100 million if no additional cost-cutting or
revenue-boosting measures are taken.
Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt (R-Massapequa) said it "sounds like a good plan that would save taxpayers money." But Minority Leader Kevan
Abrahams (D-Freeport) called the proposal a "Hail Mary pass designed to provide a short-term budget fix." The finance authority declined to comment.
The sewer system's 265 employees will be offered jobs at United at roughly the same salary and benefits, or employment elsewhere in the county,
officials said. United does not expect to retain the entire workforce.
"My main concern is job preservation," Civil Service Employees Association head Jerry Laricchiuta said. "I do not want to lose another worker to
layoffs." If Nassau kept sewer operations public, residents could face a 22 percent rate hike or a major reduction in plant improvements, Walker said.
The plan drew criticism from Sam Bernhardt, Long Island organizer for Food and Water Watch, a watchdog group opposed to sewer privatization
efforts.
"This lease is akin to refinancing the county's debt with a higher interest rate and shifting the financial obligation to sewer customers who will pay
through sewer assessment increases," he said. "Leasing the county's sewer system will be a lot like a cash-strapped consumer relying on a payday
loan to make ends meet, and we've all seen how well that has worked out."
Nassau Social Services fights bedbugs
May 1, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau's Department of Social Services Building in Uniondale is being treated for an infestation of bedbugs and mice, county officials said Tuesday.
Workers in the building on Charles Lindbergh Boulevard have complained in recent months of bedbug bites on their arms and several have discovered
mouse excrement on their desks, said Civil Service Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta. He wants the department to get more
aggressive in its remediation. "People are afraid to go their desk," he said. "Between the mice and the bedbugs, that's not an acceptable workplace
environment."
The building has been treated for bedbugs on and off for two years but the problem persisted, said department Deputy Commissioner Paul Broderick.
The bugs were likely transported into the building by the roughly 1,200 daily visitors or by staff, he said.
"Everyone acknowledges there is an issue," Broderick said. "And, we are addressing it collaboratively."
In January, the state Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau cited the department for failing to have an effective and continuous remediation
program. Since then, private exterminators have been brought in and bait traps were set for the rodents, Broderick said.
A thorough cleanup of the building, including vacuuming and shampooing of floors, began April 29 and will continue through mid-May, he said.
The department is encouraging employees to remove food from their desks, avoid wearing cuffed pants where bedbugs may hide and to put tape over
the bugs to trap them. The department also has portable bedbug heaters at its three employee entrances that can be used to exterminate bugs carried
in personal belongings.
Probe into carjack suspect probation
report
March 26, 2012 by ANN GIVENS / [email protected]
Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice is investigating whether a supervisor in the county probation department failed to file a report that a man later
arrested in an armed carjacking had violated his probation.
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Nassau Civil Service Employees Union, said at a news conference Monday that the supervisor tossed a March 5
report detailing numerous violations by Edwin Flores and then ordered the officer to sign off on a new report last Wednesday, the day after Flores, 20,
of Hicksville, was arrested. The violations would have been enough to put Flores, on probation for gang assault, back in jail, he said.
"If you get violated, you're sent to a judge and you are arrested," Laricchiuta said.
John Byrne, a spokesman for Rice, confirmed the probe. John Fowle, who heads the Nassau Probation Department, did not return a call or an email
seeking comment.
Prosecutors said Flores and Remick X. Menjivar, 18, of Freeport, took a 2006Infiniti at gunpoint from a man in Hicksvilleon March 21. Flores drove
away in another stolen car and Manjivar later crashed theInfiniti into a wall at the Harold Fayette Elementary School in North Merrick as he tried to
elude police, prosecutors said. They are both being held without bail.
Three officers were injured as they tried to arrest Menjivar.
"If the process had been followed through like it should have been, this might not have happened," said James Carver, president of the Nassau Police
Benevolent Association, who attended the news conference.
Laricchiuta said the probation officer, whom he did not name, originally wrote that Flores had violated probation by missing appointments, failing to
attend anger management courses and consorting with gang members.But on March 22, the day after Flores was arrested, the officer's supervisor
ordered her to sign another report suggesting that Flores had been previously cited for "absconding" -- just failing to show up for probation meetings,
said Laricchiuta.
Flores' defense lawyer, Stuart Austin, of Mineola, said he was not aware of the allegations.
Union stops funding pols over
pension vote
March 19, 2012 by TED PHILLIPS / [email protected]
ALBANY -- Angered by last week's vote to reduce pensions for future workers, the largest state
employees union said Monday that it was suspending campaign contributions and candidate
endorsements.
"This action is necessary to give our union the opportunity to re-evaluate our political
relationships and make judgments about the criteria we use in determining who has earned and
deserves our support," Civil Service Employees Association president Danny Donohue said in a
statement. "It is also important to consider how our support is valued."
The move by the union, which represents about 66,000 members, was a direct result of the deal
between Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislators to create a less generous pension plan called
Tier VI for future employees, Donohue said.
What impact the suspension will have -- and how long it will last -- remains to be seen. CSEA
spokesman Stephen Madarasz said the suspension was "indefinite" but that the union would
still be part of the political process.
CSEA gave about $130,000 to candidates in 2011, according to Bill Mahoney, legislative
operations and research coordinator of the watchdog organization New York Public Interest
Research Group. That made it the 39th largest donor in the state. However, the different public
employee unions together played a larger role, contributing $21 million in the 2010 election
cycle -- or 8.5 percent of giving.
"By themselves I wouldn't say the CSEA completely changes the way things work, but if it
serves as an omen, it might significantly change how 2012 elections look," Mahoney said.
Representatives from two other large unions said that legislators' vote on Tier VI would be
considered when they make endorsements but that they weren't joining in a suspension.
"If . . . [political candidates] have received our support in the past, this is going to make it harder
for them to get that support in the future, but it won't necessarily make it impossible," said
Sherry Halbrook, spokeswoman for the 56,000-member Public Employees Federation.
Carl Korn, a spokesman for 600,000-member New York State United Teachers, similarly said
the union would look at a range of issues, including Tier VI, when deciding whom to support in
the fall.
Other observers said that if unions withdraw from the election cycle, they risk losing their
influence. "It's a double-edged sword," said Democratic political consultant George Arzt.
Nassau mulls private operator for
sewers
March 18, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau County is poised to pick a private operator for its sprawling sewer system in a nearly $1
billion deal that would represent the largest and most complex financial transaction in county
history.
The public-private partnership calls for Nassau, which began the year with a $310 million deficit,
to hire a vendor to manage and maintain its three major wastewater treatment plants, 53
sewage pumping stations and roughly 3,000 miles of sewers. The system serves about 1 million
customers.
The deal could generate $400 million in revenue for Nassau, budget documents show. The
county also would receive $465 million to retire system debt.
Nassau will maintain ownership of the system and the contract will stipulate that the county will
continue to set usage rates, Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said.
He said Nassau will not raise rates, though he did not indicate how long the guarantee will hold.
"If the switch happened overnight, you wouldn't know anything had changed," he said.
But the county has disclosed only basic details about how it expects to get its revenues from the
deal.
Bidding for investor
The Mangano administration says that after a separate bidding process, the county will select a
private investor who will provide the county with the funds. The investor will then be repaid by
the private operator. The operator, meanwhile, makes its profit through operating efficiencies
that it institutes.
Walker said it was too early to discuss the financing in any more detail, but that officials are
confident an investor will be found. Otherwise, there will be no deal.
Some lawmakers and civic activists also have expressed concern that the deal will lead to less
government oversight of the treatment system and possible environmental problems. They
question the wisdom of relinquishing control of one of the county's most vital assets for a one-
shot budget fix. They also complain that they have not received enough details about the
changeover.
"We should not be the incubator for privatizing a public necessity," said Nassau Legis. David
Denenberg (D-Merrick), who also is skeptical of the county's promises not to raise sewer rates.
Hearings planned
Legis. Denise Ford (R-Long Beach) plans to hold hearings on the deal in May, but is not
convinced change is needed.
"I am not a fan of the idea," said Ford, chairwoman of the Economic & Community Development
and Labor Committee. "Once we hand the keys away, we may not be able to go back."
"We feel left in the dark," said Claudia Borecky, president of the North and Central Merrick Civic
Association. The group belongs to the Nassau County Coalition of Civic Associations, which
was formed to fight the sewer system changeover. "We are looking to find out answers."
County officials said last year that they planned to sell or lease the sewage system to a private
operator that would charge customers a fee for service. But Walker said that idea is no longer
under consideration. Currently, the average county homeowner pays $225 a year in sewer
taxes, officials said.
Within 30 to 60 days, Nassau will choose from among three bidders: United Water of Harrington
Park, N.J., which operates two of Indianapolis' wastewater treatment plants; Veolia Environment
of Paris, a subsidiary of the firm running Nassau's bus system; and Severn Trent Services of
Fort Washington, Pa., which has managed the Glen Cove Water Pollution Control Plant since
1992.
Transfer likely in 2013
A transfer of control of the treatment system, including at Glen Cove, Bay Park Sewage
Treatment Plant and Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh, is not expected
until at least January 2013, Walker said.
Severn Trent spokesman Eric Risch said public-private partnerships are "fairly seamless" and
residents rarely notice a difference. The operator, he said, gains a profit through bulk
purchasing, cutting energy costs, shutting down obsolete equipment and other operating
improvements.
Veolia spokesman Matt Demo said the company's proposal "aims to improve the environmental
performance of the utility, and provides options for better performance, improved maintenance
of the county's infrastructure assets."
United Water didn't respond to requests for comment.
The deal still must clear the legislature and the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state
monitoring agency that controls the county's finances.
Nearing bankruptcy
Walker calls the changeover necessary because the county's Sewer and Storm Water Finance
Authority will go broke in 2014.
"I inherited a bankrupt sewer district with facilities that were severely neglected for a decade,"
County Executive Edward Mangano said during last week's State of the County address.
Former Democratic County Executive Thomas Suozzi, who was in office from 2002 through
2009, declined to comment.
Denenberg said Mangano has been slow to make needed plant improvements, including those
for odor abatement and ammonia removal.
In 2007, the legislature authorized $700 million in capital improvements for the plants but only
about half the money has been borrowed and spent, budget documents show. The county will
finish repairs already under way but the new operator would need to complete the work, Walker
said.
The roughly 260 county employees working at the plants will be offered jobs by a private
operator, Walker said. But Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the Civil Service Employees
Association, which represents plant workers, wants county workers to have the option of also
transitioning to other public sector positions.
"This is not a simple agreement," Laricchiuta said. "It's one of the most important parts of our
infrastructure.
Sewer system changeover
Nassau County is preparing to pick a private operator for its sprawling sewer system in a nearly
$1 billion deal.
The system
• Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh
and Glen Cove Water Pollution Control Plant. They process a total of 137 million gallons of
wastewater per year.
• 53 sewage pumping stations
• 3,000 miles of sewers
Finances
The county has provided few details about how Nassau will be paid, other than to say that a
private investor will make an upfront payment to the county. The investor then would be repaid
by the system operator. The county would continue to set sewer rates and will not raise them.
The
Nassau County Sewer and Storm Water Finance Authority, which currently operates the
system, received $119,031,815 in revenues from residential tax assessments in 2011.
Supporters say
• Sewer rates will not increase.
• Nassau will maintain ownership of the properties.
• Services will not be affected.
Critics say
• Privatization would pose environmental risks.
• The sewage system is too valuable an asset to give up.
• Too little is known about the plan.
Union urges hearing on NUMC, North
Shore
February 27, 2012 by OLIVIA WINSLOW / [email protected]
A Nassau employees union wants the county legislature to conduct hearings into Nassau
University Medical Center's ties to North Shore-LIJ Health System because of fears the
relationship could spell the end of the county's lone public hospital.
The Civil Service Employee Association launched a radio ad campaign three weeks ago to push
for hearings by the Nassau legislature.
"We're trying to alert the public. The bottom line is, although we have a lot of respect for North
Shore . . . what I do not want to see one day is North Shore's logo on the side of [NUMC's]
building," said Jerry Laricchiuta, president of CSEA Local 830, which represents 3,400 workers
at the hospital.
Laricchiuta said he wants hearings because of concerns Arthur Gianelli, president and chief
executive of NuHealth, which includes NUMC, would "deliver this hospital to a huge
conglomerate."
Gianelli said Laricchiuta's fears were outdated and didn't recognize the need for health
institutions to collaborate to achieve cost savings, improve patient care and to respond to new
rules from the health care reform act.
"The whole world is doing this," he said. "The CSEA has an Atari attitude in an iPod world.
Either we keep up with the times, or we'll be left behind."
Gianelli said the affiliation between the two medical institutions -- which began in 2005 and has
been extended through June -- as well as a recent application to the state to create a limited
liability corporation and joint partnership, would not result in North Shore taking over NUMC or
assuming its assets or liabilities.
Gianelli noted -- and legislative representatives confirmed -- the legislature has no role in
deciding the hospitals' collaboration, but Laricchiuta argued the legislature could still conduct
hearings on behalf of the public.
The ad says in part: "If North Shore eventually takes over, will NUMC remain a public hospital
that serves us all?"
Brian Mulligan, a spokesman for North Shore-LIJ, said the goal is to "elevate the quality of care
at NUMC and achieve cost savings and ensure the hospital's long-term viability."
Laricchiuta also criticized the hospital's board of directors for allegedly making decisions behind
closed doors, a charge Gianelli vehemently denied, saying the board operated with
transparency. Both Gianelli and Laricchiuta noted they have talked about the hospitals'
collaboration during union negotiations.
Nassau extends CSEA retirement
incentive
February 22, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau has extended a retirement incentive for Civil Service Employees Association members
that could potentially lead to laid-off workers being rehired, county officials said.
The incentive will pay outgoing workers $1,000 for each year of service with the county. The
program ends March 22 and is open to all CSEA members, regardless of experience.
"This is just another way for the county to save additional money," said Deputy County
Executive Rob Walker.
The county will examine the number of employees who take the incentive and their respective
salaries before determining whether to rehire some workers, Walker said.
The goal is to entice top-tier workers, who are paid higher salaries and cost the county more in
pension contributions, to retire early, Walker said.
The county did not have estimates on how many employees could sign up or the potential
savings. The union said 30 workers could take the deal.
Rehired employees could fill public safety spots, revenue-generating positions and jobs at the
Department of Social Services, which lost more than 100 workers in December, he said.
CSEA suffered 128 layoffs in June and roughly 270 in December. About 50 workers were later
rehired. "We hope to get some people back," said CSEA Local 830 president Jerry Laricchiuta.
Nassau first offered the incentive for CSEA employees last December and 111 members took
the deal, the union said.
The legislature approved $17 million in borrowing for the first phase of the program; $3 million
more was available from previous bonding. Roughly $7 million is still available, officials said.
The county will submit a bill to the legislature this week extending the program, Walker said.
February 8, 2012/ East Meadow Patch
NUMC to Move Forward with Bed Reduction Plan
Part of a state and federal push to reduce costs.
By Michael Ganci
The board of directors at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) voted unanimously Tuesday to
approve a plan that would cut approximately 10 percent of the hospital's beds to help reduce costs,
according to Newsday.
The plan, which will now be submitted to Albany, is part of a state and federal push to reduce the
cost of lengthy hospital stays.
From Newsday:
NUMC's proposal, which the hospital hopes will result in a $30-million state grant, also calls for a
closer alliance with the North Shore-LIJ Health System and more use of its doctors. To help
strengthen its negotiating position with managed care plans, the hospital is also applying to the state
to permit it to obtain assistance from North Shore-LIJ.
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of Nassau's Civil Service Employee Association, questioned the
relationship between NUMC and North Shore-LIJ at the meeting.
"Where are we going? We are a public benefit corporation," Laricchiuta said.
Under the plan, 50 of the hospitals 530 beds would be eliminated, including 10 inpatient detox and
10 chemical dependency rehabilitation beds.
With the state grant, Newsday reported that NUMC would then build an expanded primary care area
near the emergency department to better manage patients' overall care and to help keep them out of
the hospital.
"Either we change with the times or we get left behind," Arthur Gianelli, President and CEO of
NuHealth said.
CBS 2 News January 31, 2012
Nassau County Considers Ways To
Collect Unpaid Traffic And Parking Fines
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Nassau County is having a tough time balancing its budget, and yet, the county has let millions of dollars in traffic and parking tickets
go unpaid.
The county has failed to collect $10 million in unpaid red-light camera fines as well as $26 million in parking tickets and $44 million in traffic fines.
That’s 107,000 red-light camera fines alone that have gone uncollected, even as the cash-strapped county laid off hundreds of workers, cut services and is proposing to
consolidate police precincts.
“There’s revenue out there. Tens of millions of dollars of revenue just sitting on the street,” Jerry Laricchiuta, CSEA Union President, told CBS 2′s Carolyn Gusoff.
The county union president said his workforce can boot and tow scofflaws and has offered to.
“We think we work together with them and bring this cash in,” he said.
The deal is under consideration. In a statement, a spokesman for the Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said: “Because the bulk of uncollected fines date back years
before County Executive Mangano took office, the county is contracting with a firm to collect these dollars and is implementing a program to boot and tow scofflaws.”
The spokesman said they’re also exploring less expensive options to collect the ticket money.
Critics said they see it a different way.
“I hate pointing fingers of blame but, in my estimation, the ball was dropped,” said Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs.
Some lawmakers are calling for hearings into the county’s failure to collect ticket fines. Meanwhile, you may want to pay your fines now. The county union is hopeful it will take
over the job of booting and towing within months.
Union leaders said they met with Mangano on Tuesday to try to hammer out a plan to finally collect those unpaid tickets.
Critics pan plan to close NUMC detox
center
January 18, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Drug-abuse experts and union officials Wednesday criticized a plan under consideration by
Nassau University Medical Center to close its 20-bed detox center, calling it shortsighted at a
time of growing concern about the abuse of prescription painkillers and illegal narcotics.
"As we see people dying from overdoses of opiates and people getting tragically murdered in
pharmacies . . . do you really think it's a wise idea to shut the detox center?" asked Civil Service
Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta during a meeting Wednesday of the
hospital's board of directors. "It goes against the very core of why we are here."
While hospital officials declined to detail their plans, union and legislative officials said NUMC is
considering moving to an outpatient treatment model that will allow it to qualify for additional
state grant funding.
The change would require approval of the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services and the state Department of Health.
Arthur Gianelli, president and chief executive for the East Meadow public hospital, said he is
considering a number of proposals related to NUMC's detox and chemical dependency
services.
"There is no scholarly evidence to support the claim that inpatient addiction services are
superior to outpatient care," Gianelli said in a statement. "Any reduction in inpatient addiction
beds would be more than offset by a massive expansion of outpatient addiction, primary care
and care management services."
Claudia Ragni, executive director of the privately funded Kenneth Peters Center for Recovery in
Syosset and Hauppauge, said outpatient treatment is appropriate for 80 percent of all addicts.
The other 20 percent, she said, need to be treated in a hospital.
"We have lost hundreds of detox beds in Long Island over the past 25 years," Ragni said. "And
what we are looking at now is the absolute worst drug crisis Long Island has seen in its history."
Questioned about the possibility of closing the detox center, Craig Rizzo, chairman of NUMC's
board of directors, said, "We are in the process of discussing various options. At this time,
nothing has been voted on or presented to the board."
Facing a $50 million budget gap, NUMC laid off 175 workers in November. But in December,
the hospital hired former Nassau Legis. John Ciotti as its new $300,000-per-year general
counsel.
“They have money for that and not the detox center,” said Legis. Judi Bosworth (D-Great Neck),
ranking member on the legislature’s Health and Social Services Committee. “It flies in the face
of common sense.”
NUMC seeks to hire nonunion
workers
January 18, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau University Medical Center, the county's only publicly funded hospital, is planning to
create a nonprofit subsidiary that would allow it to hire nonunion employees.
But the union representing NUMC employees said it will challenge the move, claiming it
undermines the mission of the public hospital.
The East Meadow hospital hopes to establish a nonprofit entity known as NuHealth Services
Corp., which would co-run the facility, according to documents submitted to the state Health
Department.
NuHealth Services Corp. would run existing health programs and facilities with the existing
public benefit corporation, the Nassau Health Care Corp.
The plan must be approved by the state Health Department's Public Health and Health Planning
Council.
The new entity would allow the hospital, which is facing a projected $50 million budget gap, to
hire private-sector, nonunion employees. The Civil Service Employees Association represents
3,400 employees at the hospital, the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and several
outlying clinics.
Nassau Health Care Corp. president and chief executive Arthur Gianelli said the plan would
provide the hospital with flexibility.
The new entity would have the same board as the public benefit corporation and would have the
option to hire new nonunion employees, Gianelli said. "The union can represent such
employees, assuming it follows the proper process to do so," Gianelli added.
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta accused Gianelli of trying to bust the union.
"We will fight to the death on this one," Laricchiuta said Wednesday at the hospital's board of
directors meeting. He contends that Gianelli attempted to "sneak" the change past the union.
Employees hired by the proposed nonprofit would not receive the same contractual health care
and pension benefits afforded to hospital CSEA employees, Laricchiuta said.
Although the proposal does not require county approval, the state Health Department has asked
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano for a "no objection" letter, hospital officials said.
On Tuesday, County Attorney John Ciampoli wrote to Ronald Stack, chairman of the Nassau
Interim Finance Authority, which controls the county's finances, seeking its input. Stack declined
to comment Wednesday.
The proposal would "allow NUMC to remain viable despite its mandate to provide health care to
the indigent," Ciampoli wrote.
In a letter to Gianelli Wednesday, Ciampoli said the county will await NIFA's comments before
offering its opinion.
Legislative officials have pledged to investigate the proposal.
"At a minimum I would expect the Health Committee to hold a hearing on NUMC's intent to
operate the hospital as a nonprofit," said Dave Gugerty, chief of staff to the Democratic minority.
With Sid Cassese
< back to article
Nassau finds money to rehire 40
workers
January 5, 2012 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau County officials said Thursday they have found new grant money to rehire roughly 40
Department of Social Services employees who were laid off last week.
That department lost 106 employees in the Dec. 29 cuts, more than any other. Several laid-off
employees complained that Nassau would gain only minimal savings because a significant
portion of their salaries were subsidized by state and federal funds.
The county will tap grant funds it has recently identified to rehire about 40 workers, said Deputy
County Executive Rob Walker. County operating funds will not be used for the rehires, which
will occur within a few weeks, he said.
"We have done our due diligence and found new funding to bring back some workers," Walker
said.
Civil Service Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta said, "Cuts at DSS were just
too deep. DSS is ready to implode on itself." Walker said the county is "comfortable" with the
cuts and that the department has sufficient resources and manpower.
Also Thursday, the county offered new details on the composition of last week's layoffs.
Of 264 total layoffs, 243 were CSEA members and 21 were appointive, non-union employees,
including senior departmental officials in information technology and housing, Walker said. The
departing ordinance employees were either laid off or quit in advance of their termination, he
said.
Laricchiuta said the higher-paid employees should have borne more of the brunt of the layoffs.
"So far, I have not seen any shared pain," he said. "It's just CSEA pain. And, you can't balance
this entire mess on one union's back."
Walker said the administration has "shared the burden," cutting patronage jobs by 30 percent
for savings of more than $15 million.
Walker also said Thursday that no decision has been made yet on whether to extend a
voluntary retirement program that provided CSEA members with $1,000 for every year of
service with Nassau. The program ended Dec. 29 but employees had until Thursday to rescind
their retirement papers.
A total of 114 employees accepted the incentive, saving Nassau $7.3 million in labor costs and
preserving roughly 150 jobs that otherwise would have been lost in a second round of layoffs,
Walker said.
The legislature appropriated $20 million in borrowed funds for the incentive and termination pay.
The layoffs and retirements cost the county about $30 million, although some of the money will
be spent in 2013 and 2014. Departing workers had the option to be paid out over three years.
Meanwhile, even as some workers were being brought back, seven Traffic and Parking
Violations Agency employees were laid off Thursday and three other workers were demoted,
the union said. CSEA is contesting the moves.
Nassau County layoffs truly a 'loselose'
January 1, 2012 by DAN JANISON / [email protected]
Last week's layoff of more than 260 Nassau County employees richly deserves to be labeled a
"lose-lose."
Consider Laura Dermody, the single mother of two, and pink-slipped employee of the
Department of Social Services who told Newsday's Robert Brodsky she expects to file for
unemployment, food stamps and Medicaid.
That's Exhibit A for the lose-lose. When public jobs are shed en masse, cost savings are offset
in part by an increased burden on public benefits, heavier overtime expenditures and service
disruptions that come with reshuffling civil-service workers into lower slots.
County Executive Edward Mangano never claimed a win, of course, as those fired and demoted
trekked home Thursday. Months ago, he targeted the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which
his office blamed for allegedly trying to make him raise taxes. Now that things have been
smoothed over with NIFA, the official index finger points toward the Civil Service Employees
Association.
Mangano, approaching the halfway point of his elected term, noted he'd warned county unions
"that layoffs would occur if they did not provide the concessions needed." When CSEA
president Jerry Laricchiuta called Nassau "the embarrassment of New York State," the lose-lose
in labor-management relations was clear.
Waves of layoffs occur after a fiscal situation has been allowed to deteriorate, explains Frank
Mauro of the nonprofit Albany-based Fiscal Policy Institute.
"It happens in a situation where you have to, in effect, make big cuts in a short period of time."
The question becomes "why the situation got to the point where there were no other choices,"
he said.
Executives reach for personnel cuts in an emergency because "that's generally where a lot of
the expenditures are," said Doug Turetsky, spokesman for New York City's Independent Budget
Office.
Another 175 employees lost their jobs in November over at the Nassau University Medical
Center, which faces rising pension costs, reduced Medicaid payments and other problems. By
chance, Legis. John Ciotti (R-North Valley Stream) that month received his own dismissal
notice, from voters, in the form of his close loss to Democratic challenger Carrié Solages.
Did these separate events also add up to a lose-lose? Not quite. As Newsday's Celeste Hadrick
reported Friday, Ciotti got a $300,000-a-year counsel job -- with the Nassau University Medical
Center and its affiliates.
Looks like Ciotti won after all.
Nassau workers begin taking buyout
package
December 25, 2011 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Roughly a dozen Nassau County workers so far have accepted a voluntary retirement package
that will pay them $1,000 for every year of service with the county, with the number expected to
grow in the coming days, union officials said.
Civil Service Employees Association members have until Thursday to notify Nassau's Office of
Human Resources if they want to take the buyout. Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano
can extend the deadline for an additional 90 days, but it's unclear whether he will.
The salaries and benefits of retiring workers will be used to offset the layoffs of about 300 CSEA
employees by year's end. Mangano has mandated that the union provide $54 million in savings,
either through layoffs or retirements. It's not yet known how much money the retiring CSEA
workers will save the county.
County officials declined to comment, but CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta said "there is a long
line" of workers who are interested in the deal. "This is a big decision in their lives," Laricchiuta
said. "It's a life-changing moment."
He said some county workers have calculated that they will receive more through extended
unemployment than they would through the incentive package. CSEA employees who
voluntarily retire will not be eligible to collect unemployment.
The separation program is open to all CSEA workers, except employees of Nassau Community
College.
Layoffs will go forward Thursday. Some employees could get rehired, officials said, if the
separation package is extended through next year.
The goal of the incentive package is to entice Tier 1 and Tier 2 workers -- who are paid higher
salaries and cost the county more in pension contributions -- to retire early.
"Layoffs, the last resort in personnel reduction, are costly and inefficient," the county explained
in its summary of the separation plan. "Unemployment benefits have been extended to 99
weeks, and under 'bump and retreat' provisions of the CSEA contract, layoffs will result in
employees being placed in positions that do not utilize their particular expertise and without the
input of department heads."
The separation package, the document said, "allows for an orderly transition of personnel over a
course of months. Department heads will be able to allocate resources appropriately and with
staff better matched to their position."
A similar plan offered by Mangano earlier this year paid employees $750 for each year of
service. Those employees had up to six weeks to make a decision, and more than 50 left,
saving the county more than $5.3 million.
In this round, retiring workers have less than two weeks to decide, as their salaries must be off
the books by the new year.
Employees are expected to receive incentive payments within 60 days of their resignation.
Departing employees will also be paid for their outstanding sick and vacation days. In the past,
CSEA members could cash out up to 90 vacation days, but the incentive program lifts that cap.
Only 248 CSEA employees have more than 90 banked vacation days, county officials said.
CSEA members can also cash out up to 200 banked sick days.
Employees can select to receive termination pay in a lump-sum payment within 90 business
days or in three installments.
Employees who accept the separation plan must sign a waiver releasing the county and the
union from all claims, charges, complaints and damages resulting from their employment, with
the exception of those already pending, according to the agreement.
With Celeste Hadrick
Mangano, unions working to avert
layoffs
December 6, 2011 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Facing a Dec. 15 deadline, the leaders of Nassau's two largest unions said Tuesday they are
working with County Executive Edward Mangano to try to avert hundreds of looming layoffs.
Police Benevolent Association president James Carver and Jerry Laricchiuta, head of the Civil
Service Employees Association, say they are actively discussing possible deals to help
Mangano balance next year's $2.6 billion budget, which is projected to have a deficit of more
than $300 million.
Mangano has warned that he will lay off more than 400 employees and demote 200 others if
unions do not come up with $75 million in savings by next week. Late last month, Mangano
submitted a proposed layoff plan to the County Legislature.
Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) is awaiting final recommendations from
Mangano and is prepared to schedule a vote Dec. 19 to implement the layoffs if needed, said
Schmitt aide Ed Ward.
Mangano declined to comment on the specifics of the labor talks. "I will tell you that the CSEA is
actively engaged in trying to reach a solution and more recently, the PBA has become engaged
in serious discussions," he said. "We're going to continue to try to work toward a solution."
Carver said: "We have been sitting down with the county in an attempt to resolve issues
regarding the budget. I'm always hopeful that when people are reasonable, reasonable
solutions will come."
Laricchiuta said he had offered "a fair proposal" that would save money and "as many jobs as
we can." He declined to give specifics except to say that his plan would include a retirement
incentive for high-wage earners, protect against future layoffs and, eventually, lift a wage freeze
imposed by the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.
NIFA, a state board that took control of the county's finances in January, has said it needs to
see significant progress toward closing next year's deficit before it can approve the county
budget and allow the county to sell short-term notes to cover payroll this month.
Laricchiuta said he hopes NIFA approves the CSEA's plan at its public meeting Thursday. But
NIFA member Chris Wright said Tuesday the board "can only vote on a proposal which has
been negotiated between the principals, the union and the administration, and which is in final
approvable form."
Mangano has warned that more layoffs will occur Feb. 1 unless unions offer another $75 million
in concessions. Otherwise, Mangano said he would have to reorganize the police department
and close two precincts.
Schmitt introduced a bill on Monday that would remove the police commissioner from the
process of determining precincts and give the legislature the authority. But he tabled the bill
when Democrats objected.
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-csea-deal-could-avert-layoffs-1.3392886
Nassau-CSEA deal could avert layoffs
December 15, 2011 by ROBERT BRODSKY / [email protected]
Nassau County is close to an agreement with the Civil Service Employees Association that
could potentially avert hundreds of layoffs, according to County Executive Edward Mangano.
The county legislature is scheduled to vote Monday on a bill authorizing 435 layoffs, 217
demotions and the elimination of funding for 183 vacant jobs.
But on Wednesday evening, Mangano submitted a bill asking the legislature to approve $54
million in separation payments for CSEA members. Assuming a deal with CSEA leadership is
reached in the coming days, those funds -- all from new borrowing -- would cover payments to
county workers who take a voluntary early retirement package, Mangano said.
"We are within range of a deal," Mangano said, noting that negotiations will continue through the
weekend. He described his legislation as a "placeholder" that anticipates an agreement with the
union.
The legislature is still expected to vote on the layoff package, which would go into effect Dec.
29, but Mangano can rescind the dismissals and demotions by executive order
CSEA president Jerry Laricchiuta confirmed that "we are close to a deal to save jobs."
The agreement would pay employees $1,000 per year of service if they leave by the end of the
year. But Laricchiuta said, "there is not enough time to do this effectively. In the end, I am not
sure this will work."
Laricchiuta said there were other elements to the deal with the county, but declined to elaborate.
The $54 million in borrowing would require a two-thirds vote of the legislature, including at least
two Democrats. But incoming Democratic leader Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) said his
caucus will not approve any additional borrowing -- including the voluntary separation package - until it receives a commitment for an independent, nonpartisan redistricting process.
Both Mangano and Laricchiuta said the separation package should not be tied to redistricting.
The borrowing would also require the approval of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, a state
monitoring board with control of the county's finances. NIFA chairman Ron Stack was
unavailable for comment.
Mangano has asked the county's five unions for $75 million in concessions by the end of this
year and another $75 million in givebacks by Feb. 1. The agreement under negotiation with the
CSEA, Mangano said, would eliminate the need for additional personnel actions against the
union's members next year.
The layoffs primarily target CSEA members, although exact figures are still being tallied by the
independent Office of Legislative Budget Review. Some nonunion employees are also expected
to be laid off.
Deals have not been reached with the county's four law enforcement unions, whose members
would face demotions, but not layoffs, under Mangano's proposal.
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-ok-on-1-5m-in-contracts-irks-csea-1.3399668
Nassau OK on $1.5M in contracts irks
CSEA
December 19, 2011 by CELESTE HADRICK / [email protected]
Nassau Republican lawmakers Monday approved about $1.5 million worth of professional
service contracts, paid for with borrowed money, despite union complaints the consultants
would be doing the jobs of members targeted for layoffs.
Jerry Laricchiuta, president of the county's Civil Service Employees Association, said the union
had just seen the details on contracts for "on-call" traffic engineering, construction management
and landscape architect services.
"These are our jobs," Laricchiuta said. "It's despicable during a time they're laying off people."
The CSEA contends its contract prohibits the county from hiring consultants to do the jobs its
members do.
Financial experts say borrowed money should only be used for long-term capital projects, not
for routine maintenance and repairs.
But Deputy County Executive Rob Walker later told the legislature that the county will not lay off
26 engineers, inspectors and landscape architects who could do those jobs, but will instead
charge their salaries to capital projects -- not operating expenses.
It was unclear Monday night exactly whether county workers or outside consultants were going
to be doing the jobs in question.
Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) asked Walker why they just approved $1.5 million in
outside consultants if county employees are going to do the work. Walker said he'd have to look
into it but added that the projected layoff list "changes daily."
Laricchiuta said the county had notified him of the plans yesterday morning, but he had nothing
official except Walker's testimony.
"When we see it, we'll believe it," said CSEA vice president Ron Gurrieri.
Two people in the audience who were scheduled to be laid off said they were surprised that
their jobs had been retained.
The rules committee, which has the power to act on contracts, voted 4-3 along party lines to
approve 10 capital contracts. Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) told Laricchiuta
that he was making the complaints too late and he should take it up with County Executive
Edward Mangano.
Laricchiuta suggested later that the contracts were divided among eight companies to
encourage political contributions from the consultants.
Mangano aide Brian Nevin responded to the union allegations by saying, "These false
accusations are nothing more than an attempt to avoid the inevitable concessions that are
needed to protect taxpayers."
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/nassau-budget-numbers-not-adding-up-1.3405031
Nassau budget numbers not adding
up
December 21, 2011
Forget the season of "Ho! Ho! Ho!" For anyone trying to figure out where Nassau County's
finances are headed, it's turned into a time of "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the state board overseeing Nassau's finances, approved
a 2012 budget last week by a 5-2 vote, but even those who voted "aye" communicate more
hope than certainty.
NIFA members said they approved the budget not because it was good, but because rejecting it
would create an immediate cash crunch and a government shutdown. Nassau's finances are in
such horrid shape that any meaningful move by NIFA to rein in county borrowing would bounce
paychecks and spur chaos.
County Executive Edward Mangano is trying hard to solve the problems, and he's gotten the
county's unions to the table. NIFA's biggest contribution thus far has been enacting a wage
freeze that superseded raises in union contracts when it declared the budget out of balance.
But the financial realities are staggering. The 2011 deficit will be $80 million, money that must
be borrowed for the county to function. Add in other money the county plans to borrow in the
next three years for operations, and the total is $450 million. And the possibility that these
moves will keep the county solvent, even in the near term, is based on finding $150 million in
annual savings from the unions, via layoffs and concessions.
The county legislature approved a deal to save the first $75 million by imposing more than 300
layoffs, mostly among members of the Civil Service Employees Association. The county's other
unions will reduce their numbers largely via demotions, unfilled vacancies and retirements.
The CSEA's offer includes a retirement inducement of $1,000 per year served that, if popular,
would forestall many of the layoffs. The buyouts would definitely be available for at least 10
days, but that time frame could be extended to 90 days, and CSEA employees could be laid off
Dec. 29, then rehired if the buyout period were extended to 90 days, then laid off again if
enough people still didn't take the buyout.
The CSEA also says it's close to a deal with the county on the concessions due from all the
unions by Feb. 1 that will create the other $75 million in annual savings. But the CSEA says its
concessions are contingent on NIFA removing its salary freeze.
One adviser to the county fears it may not be legal to unfreeze the wages while the budget is
still unbalanced -- not to mention that it would cause tremendous anger to allow raises for the
CSEA but not for the police. And laying off members one year and giving raises to the ones who
remain the next would look like the basest sort of betrayal, both against those laid off and the
taxpayers they no longer serve.
And these are the negotiations that are going well. County officials say while they are meeting
with the police unions every day, the sides are not close enough on terms to seal a deal.
This is not a case of things being so bad you're justified in thinking "at least they can't get any
worse." Things are that bad, but they can get a lot worse. And they will if Mangano and NIFA
can't make the numbers add up and the unions sign on.
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/columnists/joye-brown/layoff-deal-says-a-lot-about-nassau-county-1.3405252
Layoff deal says a lot about Nassau
County
December 21, 2011 by JOYE BROWN / [email protected]
The last meeting of the Nassau County Legislature this week revealed the inner workings of a
cash-strapped government nearing the end of its first year under a state control board.
It wasn't pretty.
To control expenses, the county must lay off employees.
Lawmakers agreed Monday to spend millions of additional dollars to make that happen, in part
by voting to lift the payout cap on banked vacation days.
The cap was 200 days.
The legislature also approved 10 of 12 other proposed contracts, for work that union leaders say
is done by members who are slated to be laid off.
The wrinkle here?
The county would cut operating expenses while increasing borrowing to put contractors on call
for traffic engineering, construction management and landscape work.
"My kids will be paying for planting flowers right now," Jerry Laricchiuta, head of the county Civil
Service Employees Association, told a Newsday reporter after the meeting.
The legislature also approved $6.8 million -- more than three times the amount budgeted -- for
outside legal work in the county attorney's office.
The rub here is that the work was completed before the contracts went to lawmakers for
approval.
And the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, the state control board, has yet to see most of the
contracts.
Republican lawmakers were so incensed that they proposed a law to force County Attorney
John Ciampoli to do what he was supposed to do in the first place: Get legislative approval for
the work in a reasonable amount of time.
But that effort got lost amid Democratic lawmakers' fight for a "transparent" process in -- of all
things -- redrawing legislative district lines.
That move led to an hours-long delay in restarting the meeting after a recess.
While lawmakers cooled their heels, Democrat Kevan Abrahams, the incoming minority leader,
was upstairs in County Executive Edward Mangano's office, working on a trade.
Democrats would support $17 million in borrowing -- for the voluntary retirement incentive
program -- if Mangano agreed to a "transparent" redistricting process.
What's odd is that Mangano, according to the charter, has nothing to do with redistricting. That
matter rests with the legislature and Peter Schmitt, the presiding officer, who was downstairs,
angry at the delay.
What makes things odder is that Schmitt did not know about the redistricting part of the trade
until he read it in Newsday -- the next day.
On a positive note, lawmakers balked at the $102 million in property tax refund settlements that
were dropped on them days before the last meeting of the year.
Traditionally, settlements over $100,000 need legislative approval, but not a single proposed
settlement went to the legislature -- until a stack was dumped on them at the last meeting of the
year.
The stack, wisely, was never formally put before lawmakers for action. Lawmakers in the cashstrapped county will consider it anew in 2012.
Which means that Nassau, under a state control board, will begin the new year much as it
ended the old.
< back to article
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/gianelli-storm-rising-at-public-hospitals-1.3404759
Gianelli: Storm rising at public
hospitals
December 21, 2011 by ARTHUR A. GIANELLI
Arthur A. Gianelli is president and chief executive of NuHealth, which is based in East Meadow.
Last month, I oversaw the heartbreaking layoff of 175 employees who worked for NuHealth, the
public benefit corporation that runs the Nassau University Medical Center, the A. Holly
Patterson Extended Care Facility and four primary-care sites.
It shouldn't have come to that. In 2009 and 2010, NuHealth was profitable for the first time. We
have improved our inpatient and outpatient services, installed an electronic medical record
system and built a state-of-the-art emergency room. We've won accolades for achievements in
care delivery, earning the 2011 Excellence in Patient Safety Award and top patient-care
rankings from Health Grades Inc., an independent health-care rating company, and from U.S.
News and World Report.
The employees I had to let go made these successes possible. Yet our achievements were
overwhelmed by two developments. The state comptroller has raised our annual pension
contribution costs by $25 million since 2009. And the federal government will reduce our
supplemental Medicaid payments by $15 million each year from 2012 forward.
These dynamics will worsen. Public pension costs in New York will rise higher, approaching a
wildly uncompetitive 25 percent of total employee salary expenses by 2014. The state and
federal governments will continue to face budgetary pressure to reduce hospital
reimbursements. And the Affordable Care Act will redirect future Medicaid supplemental
payments away from hospitals to expand insurance coverage.
Additionally, federal and state health-reform efforts are demanding that hospitals make
significant new investments to enhance primary care, reduce unnecessary admissions, and
coordinate the management of clinically challenging patient populations.
After a comprehensive analysis, the state is proactively addressing a health-care crisis in
Brooklyn, where many nonprofit safety-net hospitals that provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries
and the uninsured are barely solvent. Public hospitals will be next if steps aren't taken now.
Public hospitals in New York cannot simultaneously manage dramatically rising public pension
costs, declining reimbursements from public payers, and the demands for investment driven by
health reform. New York State should either provide public hospitals the resources to meet
these challenges or give them the flexibility necessary to reduce costs while still providing high
quality care.
Albany should recognize that public hospitals are not governmental subdivisions: We cannot
raise taxes or fees, and we operate in a competitive health-care marketplace. This is a
distinction the state can use to treat public hospitals differently in the public pension system.
Relief could come in several forms that would not compromise the fund: capping contributions at
levels consistent with those seen at competing hospitals, forgiving amortized pension
contributions, or authorizing enhancements in Medicaid reimbursements that recognize
pension-contribution increases as state-mandated costs.
Alternatively, the state can relieve the public hospitals of statutory constraints that increase their
costs without adding any value. Beyond the state's extraordinarily expensive public pension
system, one need only look at the burdensome requirements to hire staff through civil service,
or even to be organized as public benefit corporations.
Alternative organizational models would make it easier for public hospitals to enter into joint
ventures with other hospitals, physician groups or even for-profit investors, as well as engage in
efforts at clinical or financial integration to improve quality, reduce costs and competitively
contract with commercial insurers. Such approaches are being successfully implemented in the
rest of the country.
The layoffs at NuHealth were the leading edge of a storm -- but it's a storm whose full onset can
be prevented. First we must realize that it is unreasonable to expect public hospitals to take
care of vulnerable, complex and poorly paying patient populations -- in a period of declining
public funding and accelerating health reform imperatives -- without either relief from state
mandates or the organizational flexibility to reduce expenses without sacrificing care.
< back to article