White Plains council rejects police, fire contracts as unaffordable

[INIT915 1,119]

By Keith Eddings

The Journal News • December 17, 2008

WHITE PLAINS - As dozens of grim-faced police officers and firefighters and an exasperated mayor looked on, the Common Council's increasingly assertive Democratic majority tonight rejected a three-year contract that the mayor and the public safety workers had been negotiating since the spring.

The contract contained a 3.75 percent raise this year, retroactive to July 1, and a 4 percent increase in each of the next two years. But in an hour-long round of speechmaking before the 5-2 vote against the contract, the five Democrats who have formed a consistent counterweight to Republican Mayor Joseph Delfino said he and the two unions had come up with a deal that is unaffordable to a city that has begun to retrench as the nationwide recession takes hold.

http://lohud.com/article/20081217/NEWS02/812170436

[Goose 188]

Ahh..Westchester the land of wanting the world and not wanting to pay a dime for it...

[Just a guy 493]

I think it's time for the white plains PD to take a step back and not rush to scenes, the next time mamaroneck avenue erupts in fights at 3am, let it go for awhile because the democratic majority on the common council doesnt think your worth an extra raise, so why should you rush into a melee and get hurt, it's not worth it. It's sad to think that the common council is so arrogant to think that redevelopment in white plains can continue without the support of the police... Stay strong brothers

[antiquefirelt 994]

I'm not sure I'd advertise a suggestion to "slow response" in any way, that's a great way to lose any public support you might garner. Given the fiscal crisis's we're all going to be dealing with it seems shorter term contracts will be the order of the day. I know our local is considering a short term contract with lower increases in hopes that the future might bring better days.

[SgtGumby311 0]

Perhaps "slow response" is not the politically correct term....Maybe going the speed limit to scenes, would save the city on fuel.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

And so let the games begin. *sniff, sniff* I smell a ticket slow down. Keep up the fight brothers, its bad enough the FD could use more staffing and now they want to give you next to nothing to survive in the economy as it is. Nice.

[johnvv 20]

What is interesting here is that most of these Common Council members were supported by the WP Police and Fire Unions in the past. Its also interesting that one of the reasons that the $ is tight is because the same Council members who voted down this contract were the same ones who allowed developers to build in the city, and be given huge tax breaks for the next 15 years.

Those tax breaks will now be made up on the backs of the FD and PD. Its business as usual in WP.

Edited December 18, 2008 by johnvv

[ajsbear 11]

Raise taxes but no pay raise? We seem to be going backward. Everything goes up except pay. I still say the overpaid Politicians should vote themselves a pay cut. Most of them on the state level voted themselves a Cost of Living Increase. The Judges also are getting or already got a raise but the guy down the bottom pf the pecking order gets what? Can't even say a lump of coal as that is even expensive today. Shows its still screw the little guy, everyone else for themselves.

[jayhalsey 6]

Raise taxes but no pay raise? We seem to be going backward. Everything goes up except pay. I still say the overpaid Politicians should vote themselves a pay cut. Most of them on the state level voted themselves a Cost of Living Increase. The Judges also are getting or already got a raise but the guy down the bottom pf the pecking order gets what? Can't even say a lump of coal as that is even expensive today. Shows its still screw the little guy, everyone else for themselves.

Very intersting if these individuals are indeed getting raises as you say, I am not current in White Plains politics. I am curious as to what the standard cost of living increase is, if there is a standard. According to http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflati...ntInflation.asp inflation rates for the past year ranged from just blow 4% to up over 5.5%. I wouldnt think that a 4% raise yearly is too much to ask. It is only $40 out of $1000.

[helicopper 1,050]

Very intersting if these individuals are indeed getting raises as you say, I am not current in White Plains politics. I am curious as to what the standard cost of living increase is, if there is a standard. According to http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflati...ntInflation.asp inflation rates for the past year ranged from just blow 4% to up over 5.5%. I wouldnt think that a 4% raise yearly is too much to ask. It is only $40 out of $1000.

Using logic like that you should run for office - you'd get a lot of votes!

We're all going to be in this same boat. Municipalities pleading poverty and fighting against any raises for employees. It's going to be a very difficult time for union members with this economy and political climate.

[ajsbear 11]

The Judges raise was all public earlier this year.

[nycemt728 49]

The Judges raise was all public earlier this year.

Anyone care to back up their statements??? NYS judges have not received a raise....not in the last 10 years. PD and Fire get consistent raises through bargaining agreements and unions, that is not the case for every job. The correct statement would say that the "greedy politicians" have linked the judges raises to their own, which rightly have not been approved.

NYS Judges Raise Denied

[ajsbear 11]

Anyone care to back up their statements??? NYS judges have not received a raise....not in the last 10 years. PD and Fire get consistent raises through bargaining agreements and unions, that is not the case for every job. The correct statement would say that the "greedy politicians" have linked the judges raises to their own, which rightly have not been approved.

NYS Judges Raise Denied

I am wrong. Last I read Judge Kaye was approving everything.

[ladderthebuilding 2]

Elections Have Consequences.... You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet....

[helicopper 1,050]

Elections Have Consequences.... You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet....

We'll see if that proves to be true or if everyone just blindly re-elects the incumbents yet again.

And, just out of curiosity, if the City Council can reject a labor agreement for being too costly does that mean we can reject our tax bills for being too costly as well?

[ajsbear 11]

We'll see if that proves to be true or if everyone just blindly re-elects the incumbents yet again.

And, just out of curiosity, if the City Council can reject a labor agreement for being too costly does that mean we can reject our tax bills for being too costly as well?

Chris, I like your thinking

[bob803 1]

Can any one tell me why it took so long to get to a vote. Was the city and unions negotiating up to this month? I had heard of these raises several month ago I thought they were already approved...

[firecapt32 282]

I am not sure if the Common Council of White Plains can do much, it is my understanding that there is a Stipulation of agreement signed by both parties. That is as good as a signed contract. If the Mayor signed off on the agreement and didn't have the power to do that then shame on him--he should have never been at the bargaining table. Good luck to the brothers in White Plains

[Geppetto 31]

A lesson in defeat

Journal News Editorial

December 19, 2008

The rare contract defeat that the White Plains Common Council dealt this week to city firefighters and police doubtless reflected the growing discord between the council's Democratic majority and Republican Mayor Joseph Delfino; the council has been flexing its political muscles and asserting its will on a range of public-policy matters, most notably in land-use and development. But public officials, in White Plains and throughout the Lower Hudson Valley, would be foolish if they failed to consider another lesson from the council vote. ...

http://www.lohud.com/article/20081219/OPIN.../1015/OPINION01

[ladderthebuilding 2]

We'll see if that proves to be true or if everyone just blindly re-elects the incumbents yet again.

And, just out of curiosity, if the City Council can reject a labor agreement for being too costly does that mean we can reject our tax bills for being too costly as well?

Vote the Party Line... lol

People will continue to enter the polling places and just vote down the line. They have no idea the impact it will have. Elections Have Consequences.. Good and bad.. But lately it seems more bad than good. The problem is that we do not elect people who have experience, real world experience. I'm sure a majority of our officials couldn't tell you the difference between an engine and a ladder.. Yet they are the ones who "Fight" for what we need? We put people up in various official offices who have the biggest bank accounts, biggest ties for campaign donations and have absolutely no idea what the "ground troops" do every day. Just look at what is going on in NY..RE: C. Kennedy. This isn't a Paid vs Volunteer Issue this is an issue that will not only affect the Emergency Services as a whole but also many aspects of our professional and personal lives. Of course we do have officials who are the exception. But they are few and far between.

Until regular people take over our local, state and federal governments will be still be in the whorl wind decline we are in. I don't know about you but I know I have to live on a budget, and if can't afford a $10,000 Flat Screen TV... I JUST DON"T BUY IT! Why can’t government follow the same? And then put the money saved to the Important Aspects of Governining.

I'm off my soap box...

:-)

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

Have a Safe Holiday

[ajsbear 11]

This could definitly trickle down and have an impact on all of us. Wait until you have to submit your departments budget for approval. Time has come where they are going to go through it line by line. Food after a fire? New pool table, new gear, TIC its all going to have to be justified. Just hope you don't have a problem and have to send a rig out for major repairs. Did you all go out already and by ropes? Up to date gear for interiors? We are going to see major pushback from our towns and villages.