Selectmen OK Town Employee Contract

By Jan Howard

The Board of Selectmen voted July 21 to authorize First Selectman Herb Rosenthal to sign the negotiated contract with the town employees.

Wage increases are as follows over the next three-year period: 2003/4, 3½ percent; 2004/5, 3¼ percent; and 2005/6, 3½ percent.

Mr Rosenthal said Tuesday that the increase is in line with what labor lawyers said is being approved in other towns.

“It’s a pretty straightforward contract,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The contract covers clerical and administrative employees, enforcement officers, and supervisors in Edmond Town Hall, Canaan House, and public works.

It is the largest of the three union nonschool contracts negotiated by the town. The others are the public works and police unions.

Under the new contract employees would contribute more per pay period for health insurance benefits, as follows: 2003/4, 5½ percent; 2004/5, 6 percent; and 2005/6, 7 percent. Previously employees contributed 5 percent per pay period.

The prescription drug co-pay has also been increased by $10 for nonpreferred brand. The out-of-network coinsurance is changed to 70/30 percent from 80/20 percent.

Longevity payments were increased by $50, with an additional cost for 2003/4 of $550. The public works operations manager and fleet foreman currently receive two weeks of base pay as longevity payment. When newly appointed employees replace the incumbent employees, the positions would receive $100 after five years of service as longevity payment.

Under the contract, five employees in the land-use offices will be reimbursed $75 each for safety shoes and $250 for uniforms.

In other business, the Board of Selectmen appointed Democrat Peter Giarratano to the Board of Finance and Republican Barbara Brimmer and Democrat Michelle Rosenthal as regular members and Democrat Deborah Malin as an alternate to the Hattertown Historic District Commission.