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Stamford lawmakers approve one union contract, reject other(Stamford Advocate, The (Stamford, CT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Mar. 4--STAMFORD -- City sanitation, vehicle maintenance and traffic enforcement workers learned Monday they will soon be taking home a 3 percent raise, while city attorneys will not. In a vote that split largely along party lines, with several Republicans speaking against any wage increases in a turbulent economy, the Board of Representatives voted 19-12 Monday to accept a one-year contract extension and 3 percent raise for United Electrical Local 82, the union that represents sanitation workers and others. In a separate vote, the board decided 26-3 to reject a similar contract for city attorneys which had one minor health benefit stipulation in addition to a one-year extension and 3 percent raise. The city administration had offered the one-year contract extensions to 10 city unions in August. The Board of Representatives has already approved agreements with six unions, while two other contracts, for police and fire, have not yet come before the board. City lawmakers who rejected the attorneys' contract said they were not willing to accept a change which stipulated that union members would be able to cover children up to age 24 under their health insurance if the children are full-time students. Under the contract's current terms, members can only cover children up to age 23. According to the union, the term had been agreed to in a previous negotiation cycle but had been overlooked. Board members said they could not find any evidence of an agreement. Personnel Committee Chairwoman Mary Fedeli, R-17, said opposition to the attorneys contract boiled down to the small difference in health benefits. "The committee had made it clear: no additional incentives," Fedeli said. Calls to the attorneys union's representative, Burt Rosenberg, were not returned Tuesday. The approval of the United Electrical contract will amount to a total cost to the city of $225,000, according to an estimate provided by city officials. The union's 121 members are expected to gross $7 million this year, which equals an average salary of $57,583. Approval of the attorneys contract would have amounted to a wage increase of $19,529. The union's five members, assistant corporation counsels for the city, are expected to gross $641,667 this year, with an average salary of $128,333. Mechanic and vehicle maintenance worker John Perkins, 52, said he was pleased with the outcome. Perkins, who said he earns just over $50,000 a year with overtime, attended the meeting Monday to show his support after working what he said was nearly 24 hours clearing snow in the storm Sunday and Monday. "All the working guys in our union deserve it," Perkins said. "They're on the street from 7 o'clock, and they work diligently on a daily basis." Police union President Joe Kennedy said he was also happy to hear of the positive vote for the electrical workers. The union recently settled on a contract with the city that does not ask for more than the 3 percent raises, Kennedy said. "The city and the association were trying to get a couple other things done, but in this climate it just wasn't possible," Kennedy said. "I know all these boards are under tight situations, as everyone else is right now." Fire union chief Brendan Keatley said the union is very close to a tentative agreement with the city. City Rep. Scott Mirkin, R-13, who argued forcefully against the raises, said the board should not continue to approve wage increases in an attempt to be fair when the economy has changed drastically since this fall. Mirkin, a senior vice president of sales for InStore Broadcasting Network, a company that sells retail radio and advertising, said salaries there have been reduced 10 percent in recent months. "In the private sector, of which I am a member, people have been laid off, people are losing jobs or being asked to do more with less," Mirkin said before the board Monday. "That is an unfortunate and distasteful reality, but nonetheless it is the reality." The Board of Finance in February recommended against approval of both contracts. The board has adopted a position in opposition to pay raises, arguing that the costs will negatively impact taxpayers. In a Feb. 24 letter to members of the Board of Representatives, finance board Chairman Michael Pollard said city lawmakers are "not aggressively pursuing terms that are very appropriate based upon current market conditions" and that a "more equitable agreement" should be negotiated. Mayor Dannel Malloy said the decision is up to the Board of Representatives. Now that lawmakers have rejected the attorneys contract, the union will either have to resume negotiations or go before an arbitrator, he said. Staff Writer Magdalene Perez can be reached at 964-2240 or [email protected]. How They Voted Contract for city sanitation and maintenence workers with 3 percent raises Voted to Reject Caterbone, R-18 Coppola, R-15 Day, R-13 DeLuca, R-14 Fedeli, R-17 Gabriele, R-16 Larobina, R-18 Layton, R-17 Lombardo, R-20 Martin, D-19 Mirkin, R-13 Rauh, D-6 Voted to Approve Adams, D-3 Bocuzzi, D-2 Cannady, D-3 DePina, D-5 Dimond, D-11 Esposito, D-4 Figueroa, D-8 Heaphy, D-8 Lyons, D-1 Mallozzi, D-12 McNeil, D-9 Mitchell, D-2 Pia, R-7 Skigen, D-19 Summerville, D-6 Wallace, D-5 White, D-1 Young, D-10 Zelinsky, D-11 Berns, D-16, did not vote and 8 members of the board were not present. To see more of The Stamford Advocate, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.stamfordadvocate.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Stamford Advocate, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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