Charging the Astorino administration with “anti-union animus,” Westchester County’s largest public-employees union on Wednesday filed an improper practice charge with the state’s labor agency, seeking the reinstatement of CSEA Unit 9200 President Karen Pecora to her job with the county Parks Department.
Pecora, the fiery union chief who since 2009 has led opposition to Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino’s budget-cutting plans, had her job eliminated in the 2013 budget, which took effect on Jan. 1.
Daren Rylewicz, CSEA co-counsel, said that Pecora’s lay-off violates the state’s Taylor Law, which governs collective bargaining by municipal workers in New York. Under county contract, Pecora was on what’s called “full release” from her post at the county Parks Department, to head up the 3,200-member labor unit.
The charge was filed with the state Public Employees Relations Board, which has 10 days to respond. If a settlement doesn’t occur during that two-week period, PERB could dismiss the complaint, or go to state Supreme Court to seek Pecora’s reinstatement. Her post was among 73 eliminated in Astorino’s $1.7 billion spending plan.
“With a bargaining unit that large, and the number of layoffs so small, it seems blatant to us,” Rylewicz told Tax Watch. “She was the talking head of the union and very out-spoken. She was on full release, doing the union work, as agreed upon. It’s kind of hard for the county to say she had to go. They cut off the union’s head to make a point.”
In addition, the Parks Department has 262 CSEA employees, he said.
“Her removal seems unreasonable to us,” he said. “She was targeted, and removed. It seems retaliatory.”
County spokesman Phil Oliva declined comment. In December, Astorino spokeswoman Donna Greene, in a written statement, said Pecora’s job was eliminated because the union failed to accede to Astorino’s plea that the union agree to pay a portion of their health-care premiums. Her job was eliminated on the recommendation of the parks commissioner, based on her assessment of staffing needs, Greene wrote.
Pecora, who on Wednesday attended Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins’ kick-off for his campaign for county executive, said she wants to return to her post to represent the county’s work force. She chided the administration on its negotiating tactics.
“Negotiations should consist of proposals and counter-proposals,” she said. “They just make demands. It’s demeaning.”
Rylewicz said Pecora’s layoff will have a chilling effect on union activism. Pecora was elected by the CSEA membership in 2009, and a new election is set for May, 2013. If Pecora does not get reinstated, she would be ineligible to run for re-election.
“Who would want the position in the future?” Rylewicz said. “If someone had aspirations to become president, but they see that Karen gets laid off while being on full release, why would they put themselves out? They need to support their family. It’s bad all around.”
CSEA Southern Region President Billy Riccaldo said Pecora’s layoff should not stand.
“The county’s blatant singling out of the union president has a chilling effect on the union and sends a very threatening message to county workers that they could be next if they speak out for their rights,” he said. “CSEA representatives reminded the county’s representatives of the legal implications of the anti-union animus, but they chose to proceed with targeting Ms. Pecora in spite of the clearly written provision in the Taylor Law warning of this very circumstance.”
Photo: Former CSEA Unit 9200 President Karen Pecora, left, with fellow CSEA union official, on Ken Jenkins for Westchester kick-off event at Crowne Plaza in White Plains. /David McKay Wilson
5 Comments
Astorino is in deep trouble. He now has all the political appointees doing the speaking for him. Small man and small mind it seems. Who is this Phil Oliva? Another new political appointee no doubt. How many does he need? Evidently he cant speak if he does not practice and rehearse his lines.
More proof that Astorino was a wrong vote for Westchester.
It seems he cant cooperate even with himself.
He has the Feds on his case because of his lilly white arrogant stance on the housing case that will end up costing us taxpayers even more than the settlement amount.
He picks a crony group for his ill fated Playland “reinvention” scheme that are tax cheats and owe hundreds of thousands in property taxes.
He pack the county payroll with every Republican crony that ever contributed $50 bucks to his party.
He fires qualified working experienced people with credentials in favor of political hacks in exchange for political contributions from consultants and profiteers that he awards county contracts to.
He even has the clergy on his case since it is obvious he does not love the poor as Jesus did, he loves the millionaire political contributors. (see the Dec 26 LoHud Community Views section)
We will all remember this in November 2013 when election day arrives for sure.
Republicans are messing up Washington and we don’t need them to mess up Westchester. McConnell and Boehner create enough stink, we don’t need Republican stink in Westchester no matter what their consultants say or spin.
It seems to me that the county would do better in negotiations if the leadership was in place to negotiate.
How much can and will the union do to ratify an agreement to pay a portion of Health Care if their members are the prime target, and now the president.
Without a contract agreement, no contributions – with an agreement 70+ members on the payroll contributing to Health Care Cost. You do the math
Astorino’s M.O. is to do what he knows is against the law, and wait for everyone to sue him. This is just another example. Tyranny over his workers is no different than his war on the poor people in Westchester. He will leave Westchester a ruins in his wake while he rides Republican coattails to higher office. Not only does he have ZERO experience to govern this county, which is wny he surrounds himself with other idiots he thinks will advise him correctly…he is just too stupid to realize how many bridges he has burned…and that THIS time around, the Democrats who are the majority in Westchester WILL care, and will easily and handily run him out of town in November. Your days are numbered Mr. Astorino. The people of Westchester will no longer suffer your tyranny.
No politician with a brain would lay off working, experienced people and keep the useless, hack appointees. Wake up! Someone’s got to be around to do SOME work! Do the hacks do it? No, they walk around feeling entitled and looking pretty. What a cowardly move by the big, bad politician Astorino to lay off the little woman union boss Pecora. Obviously she got under his skin and since he couldn’t tolerate that, and had no real strategy to deal with her, what does he do? He has no other ideas in his little head than to fire her. Bully tactics, union busting tactics, not surprising tactics. Another thing he was counting on was that the lower class, public assistance-receiving portion of the population does not advocate for itself very well. Another bully tactic: pick on the smallest, the weakest. Not impressive and I predict that everyone will remember this come election time.
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