Union, supporters protest proposed Freeport job cuts

About 100 union workers and supporters picketed outside Freeport Village Hall last night to protest four job cuts under the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins March 1.

Union leaders rebuked the administration of Mayor Andrew Hardwick for deciding to lay off four supervisors with decades of experience instead of cutting new hires, part-timers or contractors.

Peter Reinke, president of the Freeport unit of the Civil Service Employees Association, said village officials informed him four days before Christmas that as many as 14 employees could lose their jobs. The current contract expires Feb. 28. "We were in contract negotiations for four months . . . and they never even intimated they were thinking of doing that," Reinke said. "There's been no negotiations. There's only been directives."

George Mulholland and his wife, Diane, who have worked for the village a combined 63 years, said they felt blindsided by the news. George, 62, a maintenance supervisor, and Diane, 62, who works at the recreation center, said the village has not officially informed them of the prospect but the proposed budget does not fund their job titles.

"I just don't understand all this," said George, an ex-chief of Freeport's fire department. "We'd have to definitely sell the house," said Diane. "I don't know what we'll do."

The rally participants then packed the village's meeting room for a hearing on the proposed $62.3 million budget, which calls for a 5.5 percent tax levy increase.

Village Attorney Howard Colton told the audience that officials confirmed the extent of a roughly $3-million shortfall in late December and notified union leaders immediately. "We never thought in a million years that this [2009-2010] budget would be so overestimated," Colton said.

"The union has given zero concessions to help us," said Hardwick, inviting Reinke to continue negotiations. "We're in trouble because of the previous administration," he added, prompting boos from the audience.