Lawrence officials, union workers take their fight to the public

Lawrence officials and the union representing 25 village employees have publicly aired their feud after a year of behind-the-scenes talks.

"We have been working with representatives of the village . . . but to date the village has been unwilling to address its employees' concerns," Brandon Nasierowski, a labor representative for the United Public Service Employees Union, told the Lawrence board of trustees last week.

Nasierowski spoke before a standing-room-only crowd that flowed out of the small room at Village Hall into the hallway Thursday night.

Mayor Martin Oliner responded, reading from a prepared news release. "To date, the Village has offered its more than two dozen union employees a salary increase over the next three years of 2.5 percent, 1.5 percent and 1.5 percent."

The employees have been without a contract for five years.

Oliner said the three-year offer "seeks to compensate for the five-year-long hiatus . . . [and] the Village believes it is being fair and generous . . . [and its] proposal is competitive and realistic."

Jacqueline Handel, a resident and alternate member of the village planning board, who was at the meeting, later disputed the mayor's assessment. "They deserve more," she said.

Nasierowski said the union wants a base salary increase of $2,000 and 2 percent hikes over each of the next three years.

Outside the meeting, Pino Romanello said that he had been working in the village's Department of Public Works for seven years, "and I make $12 an hour."

Nasierowski said not only did the village lay off some employees, "but then it hired part-time employees and paid them $15 an hour."

Lena Fusco, the village assessor, said "five years without a raise just isn't fair. People can't live off $30,000 a year."

The mayor and trustees are unpaid.

Jack Levenbrown, a former six-year mayor of Lawrence, said he is "surprised" at the length of negotiations. "Over the years, we have had terrific, hardworking employees, and they deserve to be treated better."

Oliner and Village Administrator Ronald Goldman did not respond to queries, including about Nasierowski's assertions.

"The board of trustees and the Mayor are committed to resolving this matter in an equitable fashion and believe we are doing so," they said in a statement sent Friday through Village Attorney Peter Bee.

Ellen Feuer of Atlantic Beach, who is a member of both the yacht and golf clubs in Lawrence, said she attended the meeting with a dozen other members to support the workers. "These are the people who make the club what it is," she said. "If you have disgruntled employees, you are not going to have anything in the long run."

Both sides said no further meeting has been scheduled with the state Public Employment Relations Board, which has been mediating the talks.