To the Editor:

I must take exception to Mr. [Gary M.] Hickey’s letter to the editor on Jan. 12. The town of Berne has been ready and willing to negotiate with its employees in the highway department since March 2016 when the employees rejected a negotiated labor agreement.

That agreement provided a 6-percent raise over three years in exchange for limiting a four-day, 10-hour work week to no more than eight weeks per year. The town did not ask for any other concessions asked for.

For the record, immediately upon receiving the certification from New York State, the town’s labor relations consultant corresponded with the new union on Nov. 25, 2016. Not receiving a response, the town followed up five days later, clearly stating that the town was prepared to meet for negotiations.

As for Mr. Hickey’s assertion that the town had not provided the union with requested information, the union had all the data requested from the information provided to UPSEU [United Public Service Employees Union] during the certification process administered by the New York State Public Employment Relations Board.

Kevin G. Crosier, supervisor

Town of Berne

Editor’s note: Kevin G. Crosier sent copies of three emails along with his letter; the first two were sent from Berne’s labor consultant, Michael Richardson, to Mike Kutski of UPSEU. These were presumably in response to a request made by Gary M. Hickey, regional director at UPSEU, and stamped received by Berne on Nov. 30, for eight items needed to prepare for contract negotiations.

On Nov. 25, Richardson introduced himself and said labor-relations matters should be sent to him; he also noted that Berne had received certification from PERB and was prepared to enter into negotiations with UPSEU.

On Nov. 30, Richardson reiterated that Berne was prepared to negotiate and said he assumed Kutski had most of the requested data “from the information provided to UPSEU for the recent PERB election.” He also noted that Berne’s 2017 budget was posted online and wrote, “The Town will send you the summary plan description of the 2017 medical insurance plan.”

On Dec. 27, Richardson wrote to Crosier, copying Kutski on the message, asking that someone send Kutski “description booklets outlining healthcare, dental, optical, disability, and life insurance available to bargaining unit employees” and “monthly premium cost for each coverage specified.” These were in response to the items numbered 4 and 5 that Hickey had requested in the letter Berne received on Nov. 30. Richardson’s Dec. 27 email was in response to an email sent by Kutski to Richardson earlier that day, requesting the information and stating, “Once I receive this information we are ready to set dates for negotiations.”

The two sides met on Tuesday to begin negotiations.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer