Hartford Workers OK Pay Rollbacks

Employees of the Hartford Public Library (HPL), CT, voted “overwhelmingly” to roll back pay increases and hours they agreed to for FY08/09 in order to avoid further layoffs, according to the Hartford Courant. The new contract means that workers who previously voted to increase their hours from 37.5 to 40 a week will continue working the shorter schedule. Staffers also agreed to accept an incremental pay increase instead of a five percent lump sum raise.

The action came just a few days after the library board announced that an $870,000 shortfall in the FY08/09 budget of $8.2 million would cause 40 layoffs in early July and the closure of the Mark Twain and Blue Hills branches. Board president Geraldine Sullivan told the Courant that more than $500,000 of the budget shortfall resulted when city officials took back responsibility for library pension benefits.

Mayor Eddie Perez is on record as saying that HPL should use funds from its $14 million endowment to cover operating expenses and has even suggested that the city take over the system. The Courant editorialized that, rather than force the library to dip into its endowment, the city could find the $500,000 needed to reopen the branches. Council members said they will consider the issue.