WPCNR ROTUNDA REPORT. By John F. Bailey. July 30, 2004, UPDATED 3:05 P.M. E.D.T.: The enthusiasm was contagious in City Hall this week, not only was the big mean old Executive Officer not kicking them around any more, but CSEA employees at City Hall were finally going to get a new contract giving them rumored 3% raises retroactive the last two years they have been without a contract and rolling ahead for the next three years.

 Then, inexplicably, something went wrong in the reported all-but-done deal. But nobody's talking.

However, Friday afternoon, Paul Wood of the Mayor's Office, categorically denied the rumor that the city had placed an eleventh hour demand on the table, and said that was all he would say, "I'm not going to negotiate in public," Wood said. Asked if the union had made the eleventh hour demand, Wood said "no comment." The CSEA has not recontacted WPCNR.

An anonymous source posting to this article indicates that Wood's statement is not exactly correct, this source writes:

As with most rumors and gossip that swirls around this frustrating situation, you got some of it right and some of it wrong.

The union has absolutely communicated with its members, and did so the morning after the meeting (Friday) ! CSEA city employees know what the hold-up is. We're waiting on Mayor Delfino to do the right thing, which is to drop a ridiculous Stipulation of Agreement.

CSEA employees work hard for this city and deserve to have the contract on the table settled NOW! Without this slap-in-the-face stipulation.

WPCNR has recalled Mr. Wood for an explanation of what the "Stipulation of Agreement" is.

When WPCNR first learned of this, we contacted Paul Wood, the heir-apparent to recently departed Executive Officer, asking him for comment or a statement on where negotiations stood. He did not return our call.

WPCNR then contacted Joseph Roche, an engineer in the Department of Public Works who is President of the White Plains Civil Service Employees of America chapter. Mr. Roche did not return calls placed to his home, yet his wife, answering the phone, questioned who gave WPCNR the information that the settlement had apparently fallen through. Mr. Roche did not return two calls to his office at City Hall Thursday morning.

Janice Marra, Communcations Associate for the CSEA based in Rockland County, returned a WPCNR telephone call but did not read a statement into our answering machine stating the status. The CSEA union apparently met locally last night.

Meanwhile, CSEA employees in city hall have not been briefed by their own union as of late Thursday on what went made the rumored settlement fall apart.

No picketing or demonstrations were set up, or news conference was held by the union protesting the city changing the deal, or criticising the city.

This is  leading to questions as to whether the city seriously miscalculated about the cost of the settlement they agreed to. The speculation is that the city made an eleventh hour demand that required a "giveback" on the part of the union. This "giveback" our source says is something the city is going to ask the other unions, police and fire in the city.