Contract reached for DPW workers

Friday, October 09, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com

SOUTH HADLEY - The Selectboard has agreed to a one-year contract with 2 percent wage increases with the union that represents the town's Department of Public Works employees.

The board voted 5-0 Tuesday to sign an agreement with Local 1725 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees retroactive for July 1.

Interim Town Administrator Jennifer L. Wolowicz said officials opted for a one-year agreement rather than a three-year pact in order to get the public works employees on the same cycle as the Police Department. In addition, officials are mindful of the uncertain economic times as well as the tightening of state aid, she said.

Under the new contract, employees in the lowest paid category will start at $584.09 a week with the chance to work up to $701.20 a week after five years. Employees in the highest paid category will start at $725.88 a week with the opportunity to work up to $872.04 a week after five years.

The pact allows for several changes in language in the agreement, including a provision for a 20-minute rest period each day. It also outlines how workers may be absent under the federal family and medical leave laws as well as to serve in the military.

Union officials could not be reached for comment.

DPW contract signed

Daily Hampshire Gazette, October 8, 2009:

The town and the union representing about 30 Department of Public Works employees have agreed to a one-year contract calling for a 2 percent pay raise.

The raises are retroactive to July 1, said Interim Town Administrator Jennifer Wolowicz. The contract was signed by the Select Board Tuesday.

"It was a very good negotiation," Wolowicz said. "I think (the union) understood the situation with town finances," she said.

Selectboard OKs merit pay raises

Saturday, September 19, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com

SOUTH HADLEY - Town Hall and other municipal employees who recently formed a union will soon get raises of 1.5 percent, 3.25 percent or 6 percent depending on job performance.

Most of the employees will receive the 1.5 percent increase, and only department heads were found worthy of the 6 percent raise, a point criticized by one member of the Selectboard.

Youth services librarian Marguerite A. Clancy, a leader in the workers' years-long fight to form a union under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said the lowest raises are still below increases in the cost of living. "We are losing money working for the town," Clancy said.

The Selectboard recently approved the increases by a 3-2 vote after considerable discussion. Selectboard member John R. Hine made the motion to award the raises, which was seconded by Selectboard member Marilyn G. Ishler and supported by Selectboard Chairman Gregory R. Sheehan. Selectmen Robert G. Judge and Carlene C. Hamlin voted against the increases.

The system of raises based on job performance allows for raises of 1.5 percent for the 35 employees meeting expectations, 3.25 percent for the 28 employees sometimes exceeding expectations and 6 percent for the six employees often exceeding expectations. The raises, which are retroactive to July 1, will be funded from $80,000 approved for that purpose by Town Meeting.

Hine said the new system of awarding raises at a much a much higher spread than in recent years is an improvement. Last year, the town gave out raises of 3 percent, 3.5 percent and 4 percent annually depending on merit after several years of giving out raises less than those received by the town's unionized employees.

"I think we are better off than we were before," Hine said.

Sheehan said he likes the system allowing for a greater spread between employees just meeting expectations and those exceeding them.

Hamlin criticized the evaluations that showed only department heads often exceeding expectations.

Split vote nets raises for South Hadley employees

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette:
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By STEPHEN C. HILL
Staff Writer

Friday, September 18, 2009

SOUTH HADLEY
The six top performing town employees, all department heads, will receive a 6 percent raise this year.

Selectmen in a split vote Tuesday approved the merit pay increase plan as proposed by the Personnel Review Board. Board members Carlene Hamlin and Robert Judge objected to the plan. Hamlin voted against them because no employees other than department heads were rated by the review board to "often exceed expectations" and Judge because he is concerned about reduced town revenues in coming fiscal years.

The review board's report, based on evaluations from supervisors, rated 35 of the 69 nonunion town employees as "meeting expectations," 28 as "sometimes exceeding expectations" and six as "often exceeding expectations." Those meeting expectations will receive a 1.5 percent raise, those sometimes exceeding will receive 3.25 percent and those often exceeding expectations a 6 percent raise.

"It just doesn't send a good message to me and to the employees," said Hamlin, after learning that all those rated as often exceeding expectations are department heads. "This will breed confrontation," she said.

As a new department head after being elected Clerk/Treasurer in May, Hamlin said she knows other employees to be outstanding. Most department heads are evaluated by the town administrator and with Barry Del Castilho serving part time as the interim administrator this year, he had less opportunity to observe their performance, she said.

Department heads, therefore, "all probably had a lot of input on their evaluations," Hamlin said. When told two of the six department heads were evaluated by the elected boards that oversee them, she said "I rest my case."

Although board chairman Gregory Sheehan voted for the merit raise plan, he agreed with some of Hamlin's points. "How can a department head be a superstar without some of his staff being superstars," he said.

Judge said state aid will likely be reduced in the coming year and the current budget is not in balance because Town Meeting rejected the local option to increase meals and rooms taxes. "This is not the time to increase your wage base," Judge said.