Brick officials and the Transport Workers Union have reached an agreement on a new contract.
The TWU's Local 225, Branch 4 represents employees in many township departments, including Public Works. The union had been in negotiations with township officials.
Under the new employment pact, the number of steps for current employees will go from eight to 12, effectively lengthening the time it will take for workers to reach their highest possible salaries.
The new agreement also changes township EMTs to a three day per week, 12 hour shift schedule.
The most significant change in the contract, however, comes for employees who began work in the township after Sept. 1, 2012. Those employees will not have contracted step wage increases, and will instead receive annual cost of living adjustments.
Over an employee's 25 year career, the move will save taxpayers $267,000, said Business Administrator Scott Pezarras.
"Both the union representatives and the administration worked very hard on this memorandum of agreement," said Council President John Ducey, before the council members unanimously approved the new contract and an accompanying salary ordinance.
The new agreement will run through 2015. It contains annual 2 percent raises, until the final year of the contract, which includes a 1.9 percent raise. The first 2 percent raise will be retroactive from the beginning of the 2012 calendar year.
Spartacus
8:13 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Todays APP-
Acropolis said. “Right now, we are starting to look at the budget for next year and we might be outsourcing some departments and eliminating positions as a way to save money.
Cat
7:26 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
Here we go again!
hard working sucker
9:15 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
why is anyone getting a cost of living raise? i know that it is greatly needed, but those of us not in the gov., muni., positions have gotten nothing and are expected to make do in order to save the companies we work for. some won't get a raise for 5 years, and have given back vacations and other benefits,a d don't earn nearly what these employees do. sorry if anyone is offended by my comment, but many of us feel this way, after all, our taxes have gone sky high, our gas prices have increased, our food costs have risen, etc. maybe the answer isn't in salaries, but in putting the squeeze on these companies.
A Resident
9:31 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
and yet, when those companies were doing well and people were getting big increases and bonuses....no one offered large increases to public workers.
Ya, I have worked both sides.
Funny how when the economy was good and private business workers were getting large raises (while public employees didn't), no one complained. Now when the shoe is on the other foot....listen to all the complaining.
Smells like bacon
12:21 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Resident: The concept of public service was ALWAYS a lower than private sector salary in exchange for the benefits.
That balance is now out of place.
You can argue and stop your feet all you want - but you are attempting to defy mathematics.
Jim
9:28 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
I agree. I haven't gotten a raise since 2008. And that raise was 2%. My medical benefits payment goes up every year as do most of my other bills. My company has laid off over 75 people and we are working at least 9 to 12 hrs. a day. Straight salary not per hr. I am glad to have this job of 30 years and I am repeatedly insulted and offended by government workers thinking they deserve more than the rest of us. It must stop. How dare you expect and get a raise each year. It is our tax dollars that are paying you. Our elected officials work for us not you and themselves. Each person approving this wasteful, unnecessary salary contract should NOT be re-elected.
Jerry Belle
10:06 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Hey Jim, you weren't insulted when public employees were being paid wages below poverty levels and the private sector was being paid obscene money back in the day, were you? Public employees do not get a raise each year and each contract has givebacks and "take aways" too. The public sector numbers are down and people are expected to do more for less. Don't be jealous, because you chose a job that has sucked the life out of you apparently..
Smells like bacon
12:19 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Jerry Belle - the hyperbole is overflowing.
public servants making "below the poverty level"
private sector making "obscene money"
peaches
12:50 pm on Sunday, October 21, 2012
Jim is 100% right. first of all Public workers should not belong to unions. that should be abolished. they create contracts with Politicians , which promise them everything. but where does the money come from???? the private sector. who looks out for them who makes sure that their property taxes don't get to a point where people can't afford their homes. to feel that one is entitled is nothing but . wrong. Government workers pay taxes yes, but it all goes right back to them. they don't create revenue . they take revenue. they don't make anything. to put out in the marketplace. they give a service which you can get anywhere. the blame goes straight to the politicians, that created this system. they made promises made deals with other peoples money. private sector is not sitting at the table when negotiations are being drawn out.where is that fair.??? all all boils down to money Laundering . a promise of a vote for a promise of wages, pensions, health benefits. the Chickens come to roost. private sector is no longer the goose laying the golden egg. no one is recession proof. all have to give. the Party is over.
WMS826
9:57 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Work union and get organized white middle class. Everything they fought for in the 30s is gone until you wake up and be the voting block you were.
peaches
12:54 pm on Sunday, October 21, 2012
act like thugs??? your losing the war with that attitude. no one is above a recession. all have to affected .
hard working sucker
11:46 am on Thursday, October 18, 2012
i've worked for over 40 years and have seen the balance of salaries yo-yo back and forth. these are extremely difficult times for anyone. i agree that public salaries used to be lower than the private sector, as well as teachers, one of which i was trained to do. now however, the economy is down the drain and really no hope within the next few years according to economists. i like to stay optomistic however. we all keep plugging along to try to stay above water. but complaining about it won't solve the problem..and that's all i seem to be doing the past few years. what i'm saying is that i don't feel anyone should get a raise until things start to turn around. public workers were threatened last year about losing their jobs (of which i never agreed with). if the economy of brick was that bad, why are they getting a raise..kind of defeats the purpose. i would never deny anyone a raise, especially when they deserve it, but why a raise now if things are so bad out there in brick. my taxes have almost tripled in the past few years, but my salary has gone down. no one deserves that. i know costs have gone up, but instead of using that as a crutch, find someone with a backbone who is willing to cut costs without hurting the work force. traders cove for example...we don't need to funnel money into that right now..put it on hold until we get back on our feet..then reconsider if it is for the good of brick or just a select few. i personally will be working too hard to enjoy it.
Smells like bacon
12:25 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Do not overlook the fact that there are always TWO increases to public servants pay
1. The contractual raise [mentioned in the article]
2. Step raise [increase to baseline] - which is almost ALWAYS not mentioned.
Take a look at the payroll in your town - then ask yourself if it makes sense that your public servants on average are making more than you, who pay for them. This is a mathematically impossibility.
http://php.app.com/NJpublicemployees12/results.php?lastn=&firstn=&location=BRICK+TOWNSHIP&countyname=%25&fundname=%25&tfm_order=DESC&tfm_orderby=salaryall2 $100K+ salaries as far as the eye can see.
Daniel Nee
1:19 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
The step raises were mentioned in this article. Actually that was the subject of the majority of this article.
Smells like bacon
1:59 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Actually it isn't.
The new contract[s] - which is in fact the subject of the article - would clearly have both the per year raise and per step raise [at a minimum you could calculate the latter]
Attention is always drawn to the % of raise [as in this article] but not the % increase in the step. The latter is ALWAYS larger - and often much MUCH larger.
Daniel Nee
5:34 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
The percentage raise is mentioned in the last paragraph. The bulk of the article is about changes to the step guide and the elimination of the step guide for new hires.
J. mamba
2:40 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wow, eye openning "smells like bacon". large % are police. What % of the police force makes over 100k? And they want to hire more?
Chief Wahoo
5:51 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012
stop paying your property taxes and starve the beast......its your only chance and yet everyone is brainwashed and scared to do it !!!!!
how can the employees make more than the people who pay their salaries and benefits.......IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.........SIMPLE MATH !!!
peaches
1:00 pm on Sunday, October 21, 2012
if all the people stuck together and did that, Chief they would have to change the way of doing business. its of no use to talk about how the public workers use to get paid. we have to deal with now. its not sustainable . he does not add up.
Breeze
2:57 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
You picked your job no one else did
Watchman
1:44 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
First of all there are 11 steps in the new contract.They call the starting salary step 1. It is not a step. It takes 11 years to reach top pay, not 12. And the union gave up nothing.The elimination of steps only affects new hires.I guess Mr. Pezarras knows how many people they will hire in the next 25 years to save $267,000..How much did this contract save us in 2012,2013, 2014,2015??? Exact same raises the P.D. received right to the 2% cap.Please don,t p--s down my back and try to convince me it's raining.The tax payers got screwed again.
peaches
1:05 pm on Sunday, October 21, 2012
where is this money gonna come from??? the revenue is not there. these people make me sick in office. they go from laying off everyone to giving raises . well the Dems campaigned on not raising taxes which is in their D N A . now the only people in this town that are benefiting from are the public workers. they go hand and hand. what did you people that voted Democrat and are not. think was gonna happen.
A. Nonie
3:06 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012
most public workers pay property taxes. they are effectively paying for their own salaries.
What you talkin about Willis?
3:31 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Good one!!!! "most" pay???? If employee A makes $100k a year and lives in the town's average house....he pays maybe 10k in property taxes. 60% goes to school and 20% to county. That leaves 20% of 10k or $2k
If this is Obama math then 2k pays for $100k but here in NJ you are just making stuff up.
PS - don't forget about the benes.....
A. Nonie
8:17 am on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
I said "most" because a lot can not afford to buy a house with the salaries they make. and what regular public worker makes $100k a year!? the frustration of having double-dippers and cronies racking in thousands of dollars a year is frustrating but dont take it out on the regular-joe workers who are just trying to live.