'Very Unhappy' Town Workers Call for a Contract

Municipal blue-collar workers say they have gone more than two years without a contract — and they're not happy about it.

A group of them brought their complaint before the Parsippany Township Council at its Tuesday agenda meeting at Parsippany High School.

They were represented by Samuel Poff, president of the New Jersey Blue Collar Association, which represents non-white-collar town workers in departments including sanitation, water, parks and public works.

"We're unhappy as of late," he said. "We've been without a contract for two years, four months. We can't get $800. I'm negotiating an $8.5 million contract for 135 guys ... who make an average of $42,000 a year. I can't get an $800 raise for these guys who spent anywhere from one hour to 130 hours away from their families during the hurricane."

Poff noted that over the past two years, Parsippany has been hit by three major storms — Irene in 2008 and last year's Superstorm Sandy and the nor'easter and snowstorm that followed.

"Myself, I probably put in 400 hours," he said. "That's a lot of time away from my family. We're asking for an $800 raise and we can't get it. We see money being spent left and right. ... Raises given out to white collar workers, with merit raises [for some] on top of it, just like the merit raises given last year to white collar workers."

Poff, who does sewer plant repair, said he doesn't begrudge relatively low-paid white-collar workers such as secretaries getting merit increases for going "above and beyond."

"But I don't know how much more above and beyond you can go than [working] 120 hours during a storm away from our families," he said. "All we're asking is a mediocre—and I mean mediocre—$800. What will $800 get you before taxes? Nothing."

Poff continued, describing Parsippany's blue-collar workers as "very, very unhappy with the way we've been treated."

The union president vowed that the workers would return for the council's April 16 business meeting at Parsippany High.

The last contract was struck between the union and Mayor James Barberio in 2010, according to NJ.com. That pact gave blue-collar workers retroactive raises of 2.5 percent for the time they went without an agreement, 2007-10. The employees also received a 1.5 percent raise for 2010 and agreed to contribute 1.5 percent of their salaries to health care benefits. 

Two years ago, Barberio told NJ.com that in September 2010 his administration would start talks covering a contract for 2011-13.

After Poff's statement, the mayor responded, noting accurately that he cannot comment on ongoing contract negotiations.

"But in regard to the comments that Sam Poff made, it's not all true," he said, adding that Poff is aware that the mayor can't speak publicly about his talks with union negotiators. 

"We have been negotiating this week, but outside of that I can't comment on it," said Barberio.

"I wish I could."