Ossining Approves Raises for Employees
Whether he wants to or not, Councilman Peter Tripodi is getting his salary increase.
At Tuesday’s reorganization meeting, the Town of Ossining approved raises for various town employees that was negotiated by the CSEA and Teamsters. CSEA employees will have a 2.5 increase, and the Teamsters will have a 2.25 increase as a lump sum.
The contracts were negotiated in December and budgeted for the 2012 budget, which carries a small tax decrease. The raises impact about 40 employees. The raises do not increase year to year.
In 2011, town board members saw their salaries increase from $10,842 to $11,059. Tripodi, who voted against the raise, declined the pay increase, yet the law states that all town board members must be paid the same. Tripodi, who also voted against approving the raises for other town employees, said he plans to donate the money.
“I’ll probably donate it to the Ossining Historical Society,” Tripodi, the lone Republican on the board, said. “These are raises that are burdening future town boards and members of the community.”
Tripodi said he doesn’t agree with negotiating raises and believes employees should earn their raises.
“Union contracts are breaking the backs of the state,” Tripodi said. “We can’t afford to give people free health care and raises. Sacrifices have to be made by elected officials.”
Supervisor Sue Donnelly said that Tripodi is welcome to do what he wants with the raise.
“It’s not about the person, it’s about the job function,” Donnelly said. “If he wants to donate it, he’s more than welcome to do it.
Donnelly said that union employees would also now be contributing to their health insurance.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.