Lower, Four Unions Agree to New Pacts

VILLAS — Lower Township Council approved new labor contracts Monday with Teamsters Local 676, Lower Township Supervisors Union, Lower Township Superior Officers Association PBA Local 59 and PBA Local 59 for police rank and file officers.
Mayor-elect Michael Beck and Councilman-elect Kevin Lare were present in a 30-minute closed session as council discussed the contract but were not permitted to vote.
Councilman Wayne Mazurek cast the lone “no” vote on the contracts. He said council was not provided with financial data to ensure the township could afford the contracts.
“Although I don’t feel that any of these contracts are bad contracts, I just want to make sure we can afford the darn things,” said Mazurek. “I don’t feel, in good conscience, that I can vote on something that I don’t know we can afford.”
In the future, council should know how much the contracts would cost the township before it votes on them, said Mazurek.
The township’s contract with the Teamsters covers public works employees and groundskeepers and runs from Jan. 1, 2008 to Dec. 31, 2010. It offers raises of 3.8 percent the first year and 3.7 percent in years two and three.
The township supervisors’ union contract, which covers department heads, runs 2009-2011. It offers raises of 3.8 percent the first year and 3.7 percent in the second and third years.
The police superior officers contract covers captains and lieutenants and runs from 2008-2011. It offers raises of 3.8 percent the first three years and 3.9 percent in year four.
The rank and file police officers contract runs from 2008-2011. It offers a raise of 3.7 percent the first year followed by 3.75 percent raises each year for the next three years.
Deputy Mayor Robert Nolan said the township was working under a 4 percent state cap.
“In light of the fact these are hard times, this is a fair contract both to citizens of the township, the taxpayers, and it’s fair to the police officers who serve us and keep this community safe,” he said.
Nolan thanked Township Manager Joseph Jackson and Township Solicitor Paul Baldini for their hard work in negotiating the contracts. He said he agreed with Mazurek that council should receive a spreadsheet showing the total cost of labor contracts before voting.
Mayor Walter Craig called the contracts “good” and “fair.”
Jackson said the contracts had “givebacks” including higher in-network co-pays for physicians in health insurance. He said the Teamsters contract included a reduction in the salary of a new employee for a period of time.
“We’ve been working on this for a better part of a year with all these unions and we’ve been keeping council abreast of changes,” said Jackson.
He said the nation’s ailing economy was factored into negotiations.
Lower Township Police Detective Sgt. Thomas Keywood, a member of the negotiating team, said negotiations lasted more than one year and included using an arbitrator.
He said both sides made concessions.