Thursday, March 23, 2023
Subscriber Login
My Profile
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Towns Colonie

Colonie and CSEA Unit B strike a deal

Jim Franco by Jim Franco
September 28, 2022
in Colonie, Government, News, Towns
Reading Time: 2 mins read

COLONIE — The town and one of its largest unions settled a five-year contract that gives raises through 2025 and is retroactive to 2021.

The deal with CSEA Unit B will give its some 120 members a 2 percent raise in 2021 and this year, a 2.5 percent bump in 2023 and 2024 and a 2.75 percent raise in 2025.

Health care benefits, always a sticking point with many municipalities asking employees to pay more, will remain the same, said CSEA Unit B President Bill Alund, who represents workers in the Department of Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Latham Water, Office of General Services and Pure Waters departments.

“These negotiations were never something I never encountered before. You go in expecting a battle and that wasn’t it was this time,” Alund said of his talks with Supervisor Peter Crummey. “There were different circumstances. We were coming off COVID and guys were tired of seeing zeros. Zeros were not negotiable. Let’s face it, everything is costing more.”

Crummey said CSEA Unit B is the last group of the town’s handful of unions that represent the some 600 employees to reach a deal and the big ticket items, salary and health care, follow the same basic formula. The police contract, though, is only for four years and expires at the end of 2024.

“It’s was a great opportunity to galvanize labor and management,” Crummey said. “Now we can get everyone moving forward with a game plan. I am very happy about it.”

There are specifics that are unique to each bargaining unit. For example, Alund said, his workers had gotten $250 a year earmarked for safety boots but under the new deal that money can be used for a safety jacket. Also, there was a boost for employees working out of title. If a worker has to head up a crew on a particular job — if a water main breaks, for example — they will get 15 percent increase in pay rather than 5 percent and the pay is used in compensation time rather than cash.

“When you have happy employees things get done,” said Alund, who has been union president for five years and vice president for two before that. “We are having a difficult time getting employees just like everyone else and when people come to work here they know they have a good package. We didn’t want to break the bank but we wanted to get some things and we did.”

The only outstanding contract is with the Emergency Medical Technicians, but Crummey said that it is penned and sent to the printer just not finalized with a vote and an official signing. That contract includes up to $3,000 of bonuses provided by the federal government for first responders who worked through COVID.

The vast majority of town employees are unionized. In the last weeks of the administration of Supervisor Paula Mahan a new union, the Colonie Professional Employees Alliance, was created to include 20 positions that formerly served at the pleasure of the supervisor including the EMS chief and deputy chief, director of  Management Information Services, general services director, library director and the sewer and water district superintendents. The only employees who are not in the union, Crummey said, are the town attorneys and a handful who work in his office.

Tags: CSEASupervisor Peter Crummey
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

BCHS hosts “Rock On, Keep On” event to support mental health

Next Post

Wild in the Trees, a two-day event merging skateboards and music, is set to take over Lake George with an epic weekend festival

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

Recent News

Voorheesville Public Library news: Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon

March 23, 2023

Guilderland Public Library news: The Music of Burt Bacharach

March 23, 2023

Bethlehem Public Library news: Go on a library expedition

March 23, 2023

OBITUARY: Jane Ellen Streiff Spelich of Delmar

March 23, 2023

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter March 8th – March 15th

March 19, 2023

Bethlehem Area Weekly Police Blotter March 8th – March 15th

March 18, 2023

Eva Marie Saint, the Academy Award-winning actress, started her path to fame here

March 15, 2023

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter March 1st – March 8th

March 12, 2023

Voorheesville Public Library news: Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon

March 23, 2023

Guilderland Public Library news: The Music of Burt Bacharach

March 23, 2023

Bethlehem Public Library news: Go on a library expedition

March 23, 2023

OBITUARY: Jane Ellen Streiff Spelich of Delmar

March 23, 2023
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Legal Notices Portal

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Election 2022
  • News
    • Crime and Police
    • Fire Departments
    • Milestones
    • Real Estate and Housing
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Theatre
    • Music
    • Food and Drink
    • Health & Fitness
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login
    • Service Directory
    • Hire Power – Employer Spotlight
  • Capital District Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
  • Log In
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949