Village, workers reach tentative agreement

    PENN YAN—Penn Yan Mayor Bob Church said the village has reached a tentative agreement with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) labor union representing 33 workers who declared an impasse with the village Thursday, May 9. The CSEA voted on the contract terms Tuesday, May 28. The result of the vote was not available at press time.
    “We have a tentative agreement,” Church said. “This was premature on their part to send that in to the papers, because after they declared impasse, two or three days later we reached a tentative agreement, but they still chose to send this in.”
    CSEA Communications Specialist Lynn Miller said the sticking point with village employees that led to the impasse revolved around disagreements with health care contributions and wages. She said the proposed contract runs from Saturday, June 1 to May 31, 2015. Miller said it also includes an hourly wage increase of 45 cents this year and 40 cents in each of the next two years.
    Miller said insurance contributions will also increase by 5 percent during this time. She said the members currently at 5 percent will go up to 10 percent, while those at 20 percent will increase to 25 percent. Miller said new employees hired after June 1 of this year will be at 30 percent.
    She said they had issued the original press release Tuesday, May 14, and had come to a tentative agreement with the village Thursday, May 16. Miller said they held informational meetings with members Monday and Tuesday, May 21 and 22 to explain the terms offered and answer questions.