NO.....WE WON'T BACK DOWN.
What we want is fair bargaining and a fair contract. That is what is important to us.
This years bargaining preparation was different. This time the people came out and voiced their opinion. We have had many discussions between ourselves, many meetings.
Our people want fair compensation and treatment.
If SOME are worth millions - we are surely worth a middleclass wage.
We give a lot to this town, we work hard and we care about this town. We just care about ourselves too and this time we aren't going to get bit.
We have our blog now to express ourselves and to discuss what our opinions and concerns are. It is empowering to people to be able to express themselves. We hear them loud and clear.
.....and they are solid and they are strong and they are determined to get that fair contract.
No........ WE won't back down.
Dear Brothers,
ReplyDeleteThis blog was set up for you to voice your concerns. Also give this site to your friends and neighbors.
We have now gone over a year without a contract settlement, the town refuses to hear all concerns.
Lets get together and display our solidarity.
Today at 2:00pm we met with the Town to see if we can reach an agreement. The Town is staying strong on their position on a new disciplinary plan. After two sessions we advised the town that we were still not in favor of their proposal. Today's meeting was to see if we can meet and come to a mutual agreement. When we presented our proposal the Town refused to review it due to us objecting to their proposal.
ReplyDeleteWhy is the town letting this attorney do this to us? That is not bargaining fair. Is this Haverstraws little version of Wisconsin? Thats bullshit. We are the people that make things safe and take care of our town.
ReplyDeleteWhen we publicize this we need to ambarrass some political people as being against us workers. I think no contract since 2010 and still doing a good job will put the public on our side.
PASS THIS BLOG out to ALL HAVERSTRAW RESIDENTS that WE ALL KNOW.
Let's get the towns people on our side AND MAYBE MAKE A FEW POLITICAL CHANGES ALONG THE WAY. IT'S TIME TO GET PRO ACTIVE GUYS..
This message is to the supervisor. How can you look at yourself in the mirrror and say you are doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is NOT Wisconsin, you asked us 2 years ago to help you with the contract and we did. Because you said we would be taken care of.
By not giving us a contract in the last 15 months and trying to discipline us for something that can happen 18 months ago.
Thanks
but NO Thanks
We will remember in November !!!!!
Maybe you should rethink who is runninhg the town you or your negotiating attorney
April 4- We Are One - Respect the Middle Class Workers
ReplyDeleteTime Monday, April 4 • 4:30pm - 6:00pm
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Location Route 300 & Route 17K, Newburgh, NY
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More Info On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he was supporting sanitation workers demanding their dream: the right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life.
Today, that same demand is electrifying people across America. It's the demand of all people—black, white, Latino and Asian American: the right to join together for our common dreams.
Join us April 4, 2011 to STAND IN SOLIDARITY with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana and across this nation where well-funded, right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King sacrified his life to protect. It's time to show WE ARE ONE!
LETS MAKE HAVERSTRAW OUR NEXT RALLY LOCATION !!!
Thanks Howard !! Do you remember when you said to us "help me out with this contract for one year" and you would remember it. WOW could you imagine if we didnt help you out what you would do.
ReplyDeleteThank you we will remember
Stay strong, stay united !! you have many brothers and sisters in haverstraw. There are many of us that belong to unions.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fight for all of us
The people in town need to know that we are getting strong armed.
ReplyDeleteI have a family to take care of and this lawyer they hired is playing "Wisconsin games" right here in our back yard.
Political payback is coming for all of the anti - worker politicians BIGTIME.
Maybe they will drag this on until November and we can have the last laugh.
Your Hwy Dept. does a great job and deserves to be treated fairly
ReplyDeleteYou really have to be joking!!!! You expect us to accept the possibility of being written up for something that happened 18 months ago.
ReplyDeleteAND
Trust our superintendent!!!!!!!
NO WAY !!!
Look at the turmoil in this department and building.
We should right his #$@ up and fine him
test the blog
ReplyDeleteI have a question to ask
ReplyDeleteIs the town negotiating or dictating what it wants?
If they are dictating then my advice to all is to stay strong and get the word out. Remember North rockland is a middle class town and very union minded.
Let your brothers and sisters from all unions how you are being treated by the people they put in office
OH Mr Supervisor
ReplyDeleteHow Many Pay Checks Do you Collect?????
Does any one know????
Is this fight over economics or working conditions? If it is over economics and a raise then all i can say is suck it up and be happy you have a job.
ReplyDeleteit sounds like both. if everyone else has got there raise the last two years and the town is not negotiating. the highway dept. workers have always done a fine job. it looks like there done sucking it up, i look forward to reading more
ReplyDeleteThey want the same raise you gave yourself over the last two years nothing more.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some of the concerns, I will show my support if they are worth while. I know where town hall is , would like to hear and see the union at the next meeting . i,m sure they would like to give their reasons. The highway dept. has helped me out a few times, if it stands to reason i will help them out
ReplyDeletenovember is comming. make your vote count.
ReplyDeletePay the real workes that make you look good, they really deserve more respect,appreciation and a raise just like everyone else in the town.
ReplyDeleteElection time is around the corner!!
The issue is the town not bargaining in good faith. The town attorney is creating a hostile environment out here on the job. How can he refuse to even look at our proposal? Why do we have to go over a year without a contracct?I hope that we can attract the labor community here and wake rockland county up again.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Anonymous. You are correct, if its not Howies way its no way. Ask anyone who deals with him.
ReplyDeleteTreat the employees who help make your job and help you get re elected with a fair contract
They are out on the front line with the residents, they deal with the residents You are behind a desk
It's not about the money..We understand the state of the economy and taxes right know that's why we asked for what the rest of the town workers got. The issue is the town attorney refused to look at a proposal we brought to the table. He is asking for a policy that would allow them to discipline an employee for something he "might" have done over a year later.We asked them if we could just tweak the policy we already have and the attorney refused to even look at it. Who's running the town anyway!
ReplyDeleteDoesnt sound like the town is prepared to bargin
ReplyDeleteI didnt think they could refuse to look at a propsal. This attorney sounds like a real jerk. They should remember we are not in wisconson. Stand strong
To all IBEW 363 Members
ReplyDeleteI just want all of you to know that I am watching this closely and I am speaking to Gil about it daily.
You are not being unreasonable at all in wanting a fair disciplinary procedure. On top of that, you deserve the repect of the town looking over what you proposed. I am very aware of that proposal and it answered the towns concerns in every way - and it also answered ours which was only that that we want to deal DIRECTLY with the town officals.
People are looking for less government and so are we. Why can we NOT work out our differences together in a manner that is fair to everyone involved? Why does the town attorney want to bring in an outside hearing officer and force EVERYTHING to be so formal? That is what breaks down relationships.
As for writing people up in 2011 for something the town may THINK they did in 2009? Really? Is that fair? I ask ANY resident to chime in on that question. Is this China or Haverstraw?
We want to build good, fair relationships. All we want is a fair contract. I am hoping that negotiations can open back up and we can discuss OUR CONCERNS and have the town answer them as we have done with theirs.
I don't believe a having a "little Wisconsin" in Haverstraw will make anyone proud of our elected officials. We, as a union however, would be congratulated for standing up for a reasonable issue that does not cost the town MONEY.....and we would have tons of support.
So let's work at getting to the table and be fair with each other so things do not continue to progress the other way as I see them doing right now. We have a long term relationship and a good track record of working fairly with the town of Haverstraw and we do not want that changed.
See everyone on April 4th at the "Workers Rights Rally"
In order to get a comment posted you have keep hitting Post comment till you see the following
ReplyDelete"Your comment will be visible after approval"
Thank You Sam,
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% correct, we are not looking to cost our friends, families and fellow residents any more money during these tough economic times.
The main disagreement is that the town wants to be able to discipline up to including terminate us on something if we used todays date back to September 2009.
We have a proposal that addresses the towns concerns, but they are listening to their attorney and refusing to review our proposal.
Hey the longer the attorney makes this go the more money he makes and costs the taxpayers even more
Call your supervisor express your concern
WAY TO GO WOLVERINE
ReplyDeleteDONT HOLD BACK!
KEEP THEM COMING !
We will all stand together in Solidarity with you!!
ReplyDeleteI am a Long Islander standing in solidarity with you.
ReplyDelete"I Won't Back Down"--a great song with a great message for labor in these times. Keep fighting for workers in the Hudson Valley!
ReplyDeleteSo its more than the teachers that they want to screw. Its all public workers.
ReplyDeleteBut what i am reading here is that this isnt even about money, its about treatment and dictatorship.
I hope the residents in the North Rockland District and especially the Town of Haverstraw residents, voters and taxpayers keep a close watch on this.
Highway workers you have our support,
Thank you for what you do for us.
I read something a little earlier and they are right
THIS IS NOT WISCONSIN, ITS NEW YORK
AND
MORE IMPORTANT ELECTED OFFICIALS THIS IS NORTH ROCKLAND>. A MIDDLE CLASS TOWN WHICH SUPPORTS ORGANIZED LABOR>
IF YOU DONT BELIEVE IT KEEP UP THE TACTICS AND WHEN ITS TIME FOR US TO PULL THE LEVER WE WILL SHOW YOU
Keep the comments coming. We want to hear all comments. Just think this blog is less than 48 hours active and we already broke 250 hits. Pass the site along
ReplyDeleteThe Highway workers deserve a fair contract. No less a Republican than Abraham Lincoln recognized that labor was the source of capital, the very basis of our economy. And while these are tough economic times, we do not need to be cutting budgets. We don't have a spending problem. We have a REVENUE problem. In the last 52 years taxes on the wealthiest have fallen 35% while taxes on the middle class have doubled (http://front.moveon.org/what-52-years-of-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy-looks-like/). Just since 1980, over one TRILLION (that's right Trillion with a "T") more dollars per year go to the richest 1% in this country (and that's not you or me brothers and sisters). That alone is more than enough money to balance all 50 State budgets, with money to spare. (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/20)
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not just the rich people who aren't paying their fair share. We are getting gouged by corporations as well. In 2010 General Electric made $14.2 billion in profits, $5.1 billion right here in the USA and not only paid no profits, but claimed a $3.2 billion benefit. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html)
Makes you wish you could do the same thing and take a $40,000 dollar salary and tell Uncle Sam he owed you $24,000 when you filed doesn't it?
The fact is we are being spoon fed a pack of lies about the real state of our economy. We are being asked to continue funding the lifestyles of the rich and richer, while they call for shared sacrifice which takes away our rights as workers, our health care, our retirement, our children's education, funding for police and fire protection and more.
So, the rich and the corporations are laughing all the way to the bank, and the Town won't even look at your proposal. Who's kidding who here? It's time for the workers to stand up and remind the Town and the rest of the world who really does the work and who should be getting their fair share of the rewards!
mr.phillips,thanks for taking care of your workers
ReplyDeleteWell it would seem that you may be in the right here, but can you count on yourselfs . By that i mean do you have leadership, The right road is usually a rough one, so be ready to hit a few potholes along the way. Disrespect is an awful thing, it would seen that is what is happening to you the highway dept. Leaning your way need to hear more
ReplyDeleteWhat 2 town board members are up for re election yjis year with Howard.
ReplyDeleteLet target the three of them. WE should knock at least one off the board
This site is starting to gather momentum. We are now at 460 hits plus 36 comments.
ReplyDeleteLets break 500 visits and 60 comments today. We want to thank the other unions and especially the residents who are posting on this blog. The most important of all is the residents, the highway department realizes that, not sure about the rest.
THE BIGGER ISSUE HERE IS THE RELATIONSHIP.
ReplyDeleteIBEW Local 363 has had a very good relatonship with the town and we have always been mindful of the towns needs. We have stepped up many times when we were asked. We have always stressed to and convinced our members/their employees to embrace the concept of respecting the taxpayers, working hard for them, making sure we pitch in and to help in times of crisis. We have done that and continue to do that WITHOUT BROADCASTING IT.
For that, we get insulted by the town attorney with a refusal to even look at a thoughtful proposal designed to answer the towns concerns AND the workers concerns.
Reasonable people would probably agree that writing people up "this year" for things alleged as happening two years ago is kind of ridiculous. If an issue goes that long without being a writeup - management should be terminated.
Negotiations over these simplistic issues that are holding up these peoples contract - need to be back at the table and resolved fairly asap.
There is no need to continue to hurt a great longtime relationship over showmanship and insults aimed at working people who just need to survive, work and live.
Let's fix this.
ALWAYS REMEMBER WHO MAKES THE HOWARD PHILLIPS FRANK BROOKS AND THE TOWN BOARD LOOK GOOD FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HAVERSTRAW. THE HIGHWAY DEPT
ReplyDeleteHAVERSTRAW A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE SUCKS TO WORK HERE
ReplyDelete18 month window for discipline? I can't remember what I did 18 days ago, let alone 18 months! This seems like someone has an ax to grind, or a target attached firmly to their backs. Pay attention to what is going on locally. The Village of Washingtonville just had two of the incumbents voted out. All it took was some mobilization and people who were ready for a change! This is a great start & I wish you luck! Stand strong - this country would not be the same without unions and the rights that we have fought for for the citizens of America!
ReplyDeletehey I just punished my 6 year old daughter TODAY "Haverstraw Style". I made her go to her room because 2 years ago in March of 2009 (when she was 4 years old) she wouldn't listen to her mother.
ReplyDeleteShe is very confused about why she is in trouble TODAY - 2 years later - so I am going to call in a $600 an hour attorney to explain to her why punishing her now makes sense.
ridiculous
That is a very good point.
ReplyDeleteThis is directed to Howard Phillips, who in the highway department do you want to terminate??
Plus if you do why hide behind section 75 and 76. is it to say oh im sorry the town board had no say in it, because it was an outside hearing officer.
If it has been working for so long why change it now unless you have a plan.
I would like to know what amount of increases the following have received the last two years
ReplyDeleteHoward Phillips
Frank Brooks
How much are you paying the attorney for this bargaining?
Why not use the Town attorney so it doesnt cost the taxpayers more money
Here is a portion of Howard Phillips, Supervisor of Town Of Haverstraw 2010 State of the Town address:
ReplyDeleteTHE TOWN OF HAVERSTRAW HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT HAD AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE YEAR WITH THE SNOW AND ICE IN THE WINTER TIME AND MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDE DRAINAGE, ROAD, CURB AND SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE. THROUGHOUT ROCKLAND COUNTY, THE TOWN OF HAVERSTRAW HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IS LOOKED UPON AS THE DEPARTMENT TO EMULATE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS, FRANK BROOKS, AND THE MEN UNDER HIS SUPERVISION.
Wow. What an excellent statement to make.
Howard if you speak the truth, then why treat us this way and not even look at our proposal.
We listened to you in 2009, by helping you, now your words you can not live up to that you would help us. How are you helping, by trying to terminate us and not look at our proposals.
I love the smell of labor unrest in the morning
ReplyDeleteTo Councilmen:
ReplyDeleteIsidro Cancel
Vincent Gamboli
John Gould
Hector Soto
If you possibly can speak to Howard and ask him to go back to the table and talk.
I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE RESIDENTS TO CALL HOWARD PHILLIPS AN ASK HIM WHY HE WOULDN'T LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL AN WHY HE IS WASTING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY ON A ATTORNEY HE DOESN'T NEED
ReplyDeleteThere is no need for this conflict. Things are crazy enough. Treat these workers fairly and drop the long term punishment idea. It really is not fair and we,your residents,do not support it. It is unfair. Go back and settle this out. We need to read some good news, work it out together.
ReplyDeleteCesar Chavez Said:
ReplyDelete"You are never strong enough that you don't need help."
Brothers and Sisters across Rockland County, whether you work here or in the city. Lets band together and help our brothers in Haverstraw.
Who knows we all could be next !!
Seems like Haverstraw under the direction of Supervisor Phillips, is trying to dismantle the union.
Lets show the elected people in Haverstraw that this is NOT Wisconsin, New Jersey or Mayor Bloombergs area, we are talking about the heart of the middle class and organized labor in Rockland county, the North Rockland Area !!
They are reaching out for help, so lets HELP them.
Lets Tell Them work at the issues or we will work them out in NOVEMBER !!!!!!!
I am a life long North Rockland resident, and proud local 363 member. I also know Howard Phillips to be a good and decent man trying to run a town in probably the worst economic time of our lives..... Mr. Phillips be a man of your word and give us a "FAIR" contract... we kept our word and want to keep serving the people of Haverstraw to the best of our ability... This issue really is a nonissue.... Mr. Phillips please be the man that i helped get elected... please be the Supervisor that we elected you to be... a fair contract from a fair man.....
ReplyDeleteYour Supervisor decided to make you the enemy. Recognize it and treat him as such. It remains the eternal employer/employee conflict. Fight on.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about the money with the town supervisor. Its what he wants to change in the contract. He wants you to "bite your togue'!! otherwise be prepared!!!!! What ever happened to freedom of speech OR it is don't bite the hand that feeds you???
ReplyDeleteTake it from someone who has lived in different towns, Mr Supervisor, your Highway Dept is one of the hardest working crews out there. You should be proud of your guys not trying to deprive them from what they deserve. Without the Highway Dept the town would look like shit!
ReplyDeleteMr Phillips what do you pay Mr Brooks to do? Our own Supervisor doesn't take a stand for his own men. But yet the guys are such hard workers!
ReplyDelete