Red Bank PBA agrees to furloughs

Following more than an hour of closed-session talks over negotiations, the Red Bank Borough Council voted unanimously for an amended contract with police that will require officers to take three unpaid furlough days in 2010.

During the May 24 meeting, council also did away with free parking in the downtown on Saturdays in an effort to recoup revenues from parking fees and avoid layoffs.

While the Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) agreed to the furloughs, the other union representing borough employees, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), refused to accept furloughs.

Mayor Pasquale Menna said that in order to avert layoffs, borough wide furlough days would be issued regardless.

While the borough cannot impose furloughs on employees covered by collective bargaining contracts, it can lay them off, Borough Administrator Stanley Sickels explained.

According to Menna, the furloughs will make up the $302,000 deficit that was part of the $19.2 million 2010 budget.

“We’re very grateful that the PBA has been able to recognize the seriousness of the fiscal emergency in the state,” Menna said.

PBA Local 39 President Bob Campanella explained in a statement that the Red Bank PBA was given a final proposal of accepting three furlough days or facing layoffs among its 41-officer force.

“This left the Red Bank PBA with no choice but to accept furlough days for all members in order to avoid layoffs,” Campanella said. “Police officer layoffs would be a safety issue to our union members and residents alike. Our local is troubled by the fact that the governing body has been intent on police officer layoffs in order to solve the budget deficit. The Red Bank PBA feels there are other areas where cuts could have been made in order to reduce the deficit before reducing the staffing of emergency services.”

Campanella said that in early April the union was presented with an ultimatum by borough officials: either accept 10 furlough days or face up to four police officer layoffs.

Since then, the Red Bank PBA has worked with the borough to find savings in the 2010 budget, and also identified areas where revenues could be increased, he said.

“This was done at the urging of the mayor and council, who tasked the PBA with looking into the matter in order to develop possible solutions to assist with the financial crisis and avoid layoffs in the police department,” Campanella said. “Since meeting with borough officials, the deficit has been cut to approximately $84,000.”

In heated remarks, Kevin Tauro, CWA Local 1038 representative, said that his 65 workers, who include public works and clerical employees, are the lowest paid in the county and refuse to sacrifice further.

“These workers have had enough. They’ve done their fair share,” Tauro said.

The Local 1038 members are working without a contract after extending an expired 2008 pact for an additional year. Tauro criticized the borough for reaching a new agreement with the PBA last year that gave 3 percent raises.

Tauro said to threaten layoffs in the middle of contract negotiations could be considered an unfair labor practice.

“This is just wrong, and you know it’s wrong,” Tauro told the council.

Last February an outraged Tauro addressed the council, urging them not to pass an ordinance that would eliminate longevity pay increases and to be fair in the negotiating process.

“They only got half a year’s raise last year [1.5 percent] and had to adjust to the four-day workweek. They took furloughs, and they’re underpaid,” Tauro said on Feb. 22. “Give us the respect that you give other groups.”

Sickels said that implementing suggestions made by the PBA and CWA, along with others, helped save $210,000. Three furlough days for all employees would close the remaining $90,000 gap, he said.

According to Menna, the borough had state aid cut by more than $500,000 in March. He said insurance and pension costs have increased, and the borough’s surplus was reduced by about $900,000, through a state mandate.

“At the end of the day, we have to maintain borough services,” said Menna. “We can’t cut any other employees. We are at a skeleton crew.”

Council President Arthur Murphy III, who serves as police chairman, added that cutting the budget has not been an easy process.

“We have a lot of hard workers here. A lot of people are doing two jobs,” said Murphy. “Just when we think we finally have things under control, we lost our surplus and had to look at other options.”

Beginning June 5, visitors to the borough’s downtown will have to pay for parking on Saturdays, a measure Sickels said could net the borough another $60,000. As of now, the measure is permanent.

“We need to have it for next year,” Sickels said. “It’s going to be a difficult year.”

Last winter, borough officials suspended Saturday parking fees in an effort to promote increased traffic to the downtown and boost business in a down economy.

The experiment, like the borough’s four-day workweek, which after a year’s trial saved only $5,000, failed. Free Saturday parking ended up costing the borough about $10,000 a month, said Sickels.

To make up for the loss, the borough doubled meter rates to $1 per hour and parking permit costs rose 33 percent to $800 annually, beginning April 1.

“We can no longer afford to give free parking on Saturdays,” Sickels said.