{ title: 'The record. (Huntington, N.Y.) 199?-current, January 09, 1991, Page 6, Image 6', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn97063616/1991-01-09/ed-1/seq-6/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn97063616/1991-01-09/ed-1/seq-6.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn97063616/1991-01-09/ed-1/seq-6/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn97063616/1991-01-09/ed-1/seq-6/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Suffolk Cooperative Library System
1 ] .. I. J \ I I\ • • THE RE<:ORD ... JAW.ARY 9, 1991 Retirement Plan Shrinks Need For Layoffs By Ellen Sonosky Thirty layoffs that are required in ·· Huntington's 1991 budget may IlQ longer be necessary beeause 29 workers have opted for the early retirement program offered by the town. ·nere is def'mitely a list of people going, and there were some existing vacancies as wen. After the bump-and- retreat p~ss. it appears no one will . have to be laid off,\ said Councilman Kenneth Christeoscn, part of the thtee- member Republican majority on the town board which app:o,ved tbe budgeL ·-n.e goal was to shrink the wort forte througb attrition,. and that seems to have been successful,\ he added. But Democractic Supervisor Stephen Ferraro, whose odginal budget was revised by the GOP majority, believes layoffs may still be needed. \I'm waiting with bated breath for their next movement an4. to see if they go through with the layoffs, which they indicated they would back .in November. Believe me, if they don't act, 1 will,\ said Mr. Ferraro. ·1 expect them ~ be consis- tent with l'Cg8l'd 10 what they said to tbe people of this town.\ in the union contracts. Employees with 10 or more years of service could become eligible to retire at SO years <>f age instead of 55. In addition to fully paid medical belle· _ fits for employees and their spouses, workers would also receive a $10,000 bonus check after retirement. Employees bad until December 31~ 1990. to notify the town of their plans to retire unller the program, which town offic:ials say will not be offered again in abe near futw:e. su,.,..Stephen Ferraro nine are wllite-wllar workers.\ All 30 of the positions eliminated in the 1991 bud- get were blue collar posts. - Dming budget bearings in November, Mr. Christensen said the town would save appJ'()ximately $500,000 for every 10 employees who retired. However:, he would not specuJate on the exact amount of money the town would save given !he employees who have opted for the early retirement program. ''We have to see where the employees came from and what transfers can be made. We bave to looK: and see what skills fit the various openings. We have to look $1:0,000 checks,. that's $290,000 right there. And health and medical benefits -will cost us at least $120,000 a year .for as. long as these people live. They say we're better off, but what did they bud- get?\ he asked. \Instead of layoffs, you give them a $10,000 check and hospitalization for life. That to me doesn't ·make too much sense , he added. ·' Mr. Christensen defended the program. ur think we did a fairly decent job, especially on the back of last year's retirement program. I think we've done a damn good job in reducing the work· force painlessly with little .cost to the town and with little disruption of ser- vices to the people of this iown,\ be said., Under the approved budget, 15 of the efuninated positions were from the high- way department and 15 were in the envi- · ronmental coottol departtnent, for a tQtal savings of over$1 million. 1\venty of the 30 employees to be laid off were to receive notices at the end of the year, while the remaining 10 employ- ees assigned to the landfill would be laid off in Jl.ule 1991, when a regrading pro- ject was scheduled to be completed. Meanwhile, seven of the original 30 employees to be laid off have already been transferred to other positions, reducing the poteotial numbet of layoffs to 23, according to Pat DelCo!~ deputy director of enviroomental coottol. A seven-day ~vocanon period ended on Monday, January 7. Those workers , who chose to .retire must be off the pay· roll by January 31 .. , at every sitlgle available slot,\ he said However, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has withheld approval of a capping and closing engineering plan submitted by the town, delay!ng the regrading project by severa1 months. A source at town hall said the regrading work could begin next month. However. there are current- ly no provisions in the budget to pa~ When the Republican majority approved the budget, changes were also made to the \ti.rement incentive clause Of the approx.imately 130 eligible employees, 29 have chosen to retire under the program,. according to Lisa Baisley, persoonet director. ()f that 11um· ber, 20 are in blue-collar positions, md • 1 SALE FASHION BY fnlfiJ&fZ 464 North Country Road (2SA) St. James Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:30 584·6184 MC/Vlsa Mr. Ferraro said be wanted to know whether the program would save money or cost money and continued his criti- cism of~ retirement program. uwhat savings arc they getting? With ' 500/oOFF 400/oOFF those workers. • · CHRISTMAS: . Floral Rings Gift Bags Votive Holders Googles (Christmas) A v ti Stuff~d Animals _an __________ _ ~ 1-N-~>;• ..,., -~~¥if ••u #•.,-~·-,..~·..,.~··~ N.·•·»-·-~~·...- .• .,.,....,..,.#-\'\'.- .. ~,•·---•-~>;'n•• -n~#-•;.u>•~-....NIIf•••~··,.n·.•'• . ..,.. .•• 250/oOFF Floral Rings (All Occasion) Googles (All Occasion) Christmas Items (All Others) Christmas Stuff~d Animals ·~.......... .. I,F 1$ 1 1111C~Ii6««(C<t-<f~~ot-.f<C«««or>tot~(~-.t;o.U«f~ff.\VI'(>f('<~•<t,f~~\')o\•tro ...... .:< .... __ ••u••s~ ...... n•o..,...._-,.#(• .......... .;;•~t.o.(««''<o('(><.'I\\\-~•<-.C\''~n~~·.-o.~···~•·• I 0~ 0 OFF MUSICALS: .. Enesco's 11 Ferris Wheel\ \Typewriter'' \Rock City'' and \Toyland\ .. Waco's 1990Santa .. Austral\Caroling Bells\ .. Stockings by ~yn < .. Whitley Bay Santas \Limited Edition\ .AI Sale Items NOT Applicable .. Memories of Yesterday wwards Frequent Shopper Credit Figurines (Christmas Only) .l\~resa's ~dleligtrt GTf~loPp~ 'JUu:. fjlft~ and t!.an.J!c, !Boull~u.e \'<\We' 'tt a e:£fwp.pe <Wo'tlh 7'mdin9'\ 403 East Main Street, Port Jefferson, N.Y. 11777 • (561) 331-6245
