RyeCity REVIEW THE
October 5, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 41 | www.ryecityreview.com
2018 w e i v re
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SUNDAY, OCT. 7 1 P.M., RYE HIGH SCHOOL, NUGENT STADIUM See page 9.
County OKs nurse contract; CSEA still in limbo With an affirmative vote by the Westchester County Board of Legislators, a contract with the New York State Nurses Association has officially been adopted. The new six-year contract, retroactive to 2016, locks in 2.5 percent raises in 2018, 2019 and 2021, while guaranteeing a 3 percent raise in 2020. The contract will not include retroactive raises for 2016 or 2017, however. The contract will affect 43 nurses who work in social services, community colleges and jails across the county. While this union contract closes,
the county’s biggest union, which remains without a new contract, still looms. The Civil Service Employees Association, CSEA, has been operating without a new contract since 2010, and is in the midst of negotiations with the administration of County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, after failing to come to terms during the tenure of former County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican who left office at the end of 2017. A new preliminary contract was handed down to the CSEA union ,but has yet to be approved. A new iteration would require members
to pay into their health coverage for the first time, a stipulation that proved to be a deal breaker when the union rejected a proposal in 2016. Because of retroactive raises and the amount of workers in the union—more than 3,000—county officials have shown concern that a new contract could upset an already delicate financial situation for county government. In May, a financial review of county debt projections for the 2018 fiscal year put this year’s budget shortfall at $28.7 million. That number, however, does not factor in
costs associated with the any new CSEA contract. County Budget Director Richard Soule forecasted that the CSEA contract could end up totaling upwards of $40 million. As a result of the county’s structural budget deficit—which stems from spending more money than it generates in revenue—lawmakers will likely be forced to look at the prospect of increasing property taxes by raising the property tax levy. The county is hopeful of finalizing a deal with the CSEA before the impending 2019 budget season begins this fall. -Reporting by James Pero
BOL mulls banning criminal conviction questions A bill to ban pre-emptive questions about criminal history during job interviews will be considered by the Westchester County Board of Legislators, after being introduced last week. “The Fair Chance to Work Act is a measure whose time has come,” said one of the bill’s sponsors Catherine Borgia, a Peekskill Democrat. “Other jurisdictions, states and New York City have passed this to good effect. Elim-
inating the question of criminal background on initial application has broad bipartisan support in the business community. This law does not limit background checks, but allows an applicant to tell a more complete story of his or her background.” The introduction of a law comes several months after County Executive George Latimer, a CRIMINAL continued on page 7