(MAYVILLE, NEW YORK) - In what’s become almost a weekly story here in Western New York, Members of Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 807/Unit 6300 will conduct an informational picket and rally late tomorrow (Wednesday, September 23rd) outside the Chautauqua County Office Building in Mayville to protest the lack of a new contract. 

Public Employees in this Southern Tier County have been working under the conditions of an expired agreement for nearly the past four years now, Union President Steve Skidmore tells WNYLaborToday.com.  “The level of frustration of our Membership is ‘high.’  The County’s Labor Relations Committee issued a survey of our Members and as much as (85% to 90%) don’t feel they are being ‘valued’ as employees,” he said.

CSEA Local 807/Unit 6300 represents 950 Chautauqua County Public Employees who are employed in a variety of positions, from Highway to Social Services to Weights and Measures to Health Care and Probation.  “You name the job and our Members work it,” Skidmore said.

Listening to Skidmore recount the bargaining history between his Union and the County is frustrating to listen to.  Even with the help of a State Mediator and Fact Finder, a new agreement “just isn’t getting done,” he says, and that heightened level of frustration among CSEA Representatives trying to get answers from County Negotiators – who at times, according to Skidmore, “just sit there, saying nothing,” increases that level of frustration.

“That’s why we’ve scheduled this rally – we want to inform the public and our legislators what the County Executive (Vince Horrigan) and his negotiating team are doing, as well as ‘throwing away’ a great amount of savings ($1.5 million annually) in our health insurance plan.  We will show the County that (its Public Employees) are ‘tired’ of ‘not being treated fairly,’” said Skidmore, noting the rally will start at 5:30 p.m.

What Skidmore was referring to was a September 10th negotiation session, where “the County remained silent” after a CSEA Representative used a whiteboard to show how much money the County could have saved – and has now wasted – in regards to paying for its Public Employees’ Health Care. 

“A simple change in how the insurance is paid for” would not have changed the cost of the insurance premium, Skidmore said, as well as for co-pays and other contractual insurance benefits “in any way.” 

Not surprisingly, County Representatives continued to dispute the Union’s figures, but when asked by the Mediator to show why the Union’s figures were wrong, Skidmore again said: “The County (representatives) remained silent.”

The CSEA also reached out to a third health insurance party from Erie County, which subsequently conducted a cost analysis that offered a 3% decrease in the County’s current health insurance premiums (which would mean the County would only pay 90% of the premium), Union Officials said. 

The arrangement, which CSEA Officials described as the worst case scenario, would save Chautauqua County $1.5 million in savings – per year, Union Officials said.

In addition, the Union contends the health care savings would also help to finance wage increases for the County’s Public Employees at no cost to the County or taxpayers.

“The County’s ‘refusal’ means the County will lose ($750,000) in savings through the remainder of 2015,” the Union said.

While continuing to work under the old agreement, Skidmore tells Your On-Line Labor Newspaper his CSEA Unit is “willing to go back to the negotiating table” with the County, but after initial and positive response from the County – no new sessions have been scheduled.

“We’re willing to go back, but if they are not willing to budge… “ Skidmore said. 

The Southern Tier CSEA Labor Leader, meanwhile, also faulted the Republican Majority in the Chautauqua County Legislature for not taking a stand when it comes to doing what they can do so a fair contract can be hammered out between the two sides.  “The Legislators tell us they can only vote ‘up or down’ on a negotiated contract, but at least two have been involved in the County’s Deficit Reduction Committee – they know what’s going on,” Skidmore said.

In the end, that underscores the need for Public Employees and Middle-Class Workers, Union and Non, to support and vote for several Democratic County Legislator Candidates, including several from the Labor Community, who are running for seats this year – including three from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 16 and another from the CSEA in Fredonia, he added (See WNYLaborToday.com’s September 9th Labor News Report, Headlined: More And More Union Leaders & Members Are Running For Public Office, Yet Another Case In Point: IBEW Local 106 Business Manager & Jamestown AFL-CIO Labor Council President David Wilkinson… Wilkinson – Who Helped Labor Play Instrumental Role in Saving NRG Plant in Dunkirk Back In 2014 & Was Publicly Recognized By The Business Community For His Efforts - Is Proud Of His ‘Union Roots’ And Ability To “Work With Both Sides Of The Aisle”)