CSEA sees raises

GUILDERLAND — The town’s Civil Service Employees Association employees will be getting 3 percent more each year for three years since a dozen telecommunications workers ratified the new contract on Friday.

Earlier in the month, the town board adopted the contract unanimously and last week “it passed overwhelmingly,” at a meeting of the members of bargaining unit A, said Therese Assalian, CSEA’s Capital Region spokesperson.

“Salary is always the largest sticking point,” said Supervisor Kenneth Runion when asked about negotiations, which he handled for the town.  Assalian had a similar answer, saying, “health insurance and salary increases — those tend to be the things that people spend a lot of time on.”

The amount that the workers will pay for a co-pay went from $15 to $25, which will result in $8,111 of savings for the town, based on 2008 numbers, Runion said.

Salaries had ranged from $31,734 to $58,737 and, with the increase, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, will range from $32,686 to $60,499, according to Runion.

More Guilderland News

  • In the end, the draft budget restored 70 percent of the first-grade teaching assistants. It also restored two-tenths of a librarian’s position at Altamont Elementary School, another cut that had spurred protests from a committed Altamont contingent.

  • The withdrawal came as a surprise to both IDA board members and staffers as attorneys for the agency were negotiating with Pyramid over the subsidy right up until the day before IDA Chief Executive Officer Donald Csaposs received the March 20 letter informing him that Pyramid would forgo the multi-million dollar exemption.

  • GUILDERLAND — An investigation following the recovery of a loaded pistol at Crossgates Mall in 20

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.