WPCNR Daily White Plains Worker. By John F. Bailey. October 17, 2003: Janice Marra, spokesperson for the Civil Service Employees Association told WPCNR today that the CSEA which represents approximately 400 City of White Plains employees is unhappy with the Common Council response towards CSEA demands for a new contract. "The White Plains City Council has not been too receptive to some of our requests," she said.

George Gretsas, asked about street talk indicating to WPCNR that negotiations with the CSEA were not going well, said that an impass in negotiations had been declared and that a fact finder had come in to review the rationales of both the city and the union, who would make a recommendation that might lead to a settlement, but it was not binding. He said he expected that the fact finder would have their analysis ready within "a few weeks."

Marra, spokesperson for the CSEA's Southern Region Office in Beacon, New York, confirmed to WPCNR that the impasse and fact-finder being brought in was true, saying, "The Common Council has stalled things to date. The City Council hasn't been too receptive to some of our suggestions. Efforts at mediation have been unsuccessful."

Marra said 400 City of White Plains workers are CSEA members, and that there are 2,000 CSEA members living in White Plains. She said, "We're looking at starting public outreach in the next few weeks, asking our members to reach out to Mayor Delfino and members of the Common Council to urge them to return to the bargaining table."

Asked what the sticking points were, Marra said they were not over wages, but benefits, saying the city was asking to raise the cost of some benefits and reduce other benefits. WPCNR has learned privately from sources close to the Common Council that the union is seeking the same level of salary increase as the police and fire unions, 3.5%, and the council has said they are "not going to get it."

Marra said it was not the union's policy to negotiate through the media. Mr. Gretsas said it was not the city policy to comment on ongoing negotiations to the media, either.

"We're looking for the city to be fair to working families," Marra stated. "We want fair raises, affordable benefits. We urge the Common Council and the Mayor to come back to the bargaining table."