Expect Controllers to Ratify New Pact

The Daily Register MoilIIUDII111 County's Great Honie Newspaper VOL. 103 NO. 300 SHREWSBURY, N.J. TUESDAY, JUNE 23,1981 20 CENTS Expect controllers to ratify new pact WASHINGTON (AP) - The president of the ment would not offer any more money than the formed of the negotiations through White House air traffic controllers union predicts his 14,800 140 million package it placed on the table two chief of staff James A. Baker III, who was in members will ratify a new contract that falls far weeks ago. regular contact with the transportation secre- short of what they sought. PATCO originally sought 1770 million. But tary. A tentative contract agreement was reached under pressure from the administration and Poll said the threat of legal action - possible in the pre-dawn hours yesterday, just two hours Congress, it agreed to the government figure arrests and fines — against the union played no before the controllers scheduled a strike that after redistributing the money within the pack- role in settling the dispute. Federal employees could have crippled the nation's air transport age. The actual figure for the first year of the 42- are barred by law from striking. system at the start of the summer travel season. month pact is $38.3 million. Asked what the union gained since the con- "We're glad It's over," said Robert E. Poll, Under the terms, the controllers, who now tract was essentially what the government of- president of the Professional Air Traffic Con- average $34,000 a year, would receive a first- fered at the start, Poli said the "redistribution trollers Organization. "I am pleased with the year salary Increase of about $4,000, including made a big difference about how it affects our agreement, and I don't believe I'll have any the negotiated raise and the one due all govern- people." He also said union inclusion in the trouble selling It to the members." ment employees. PATCO had asked for $10,000. FAA's policy-making was a "big break- Poll said copies of the contract and ballots The union also would gain something it long has through." will be sent to members next week and that the sought — a voice in the Federal Aviation Admin- "We feel that with the present economic full ratification process should take about two istration's policy decisions on controllers. - conditions, it is a good package for us," he weeks. Parts of the contract dealing with pay, Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, who stated. fringe benefits and some working conditions bargained head-to-head with Poll, said the pro- Lewis estimated that the average salary also must be approved by Congress because the posed contract "represents a just, reasonable increase in the first year would be about 6.8 controllers are federal employees. and fair agreement at a time when the president percent, in addition to the increase of approx- The agreement, hammered out in all-night has called for reduced federal spending and has imately 4.8 percent due all governmental em- negotiations, was a victory for President Re- asked all Americans to help control inflation." ployees this year. agan, who declared last week that the govern- Lewis reported that Reagan was kept In- See Expect, page S HOSPITAL WORKERS PICKIT — Workers at Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital picket yesterday outside the Institution during a one-day lob action to protest an Impasse In negotiations with the state over a new contract. The workers, members of a union representing para-professlonal workers were expected to return to work today. Fellow union members at the Neuro-Psvchlatric Hospital, Sklllman, also walked off their lobs for Damage by storm not major a day. A similar Job action Is planned bv the union today at four other state hospitals. ' • The gale-force winds that accompanied yesterday afternoon's rain storm managed to blow down quite a few tree limbs, but failed to cause major property damage, according to police reports from around Monmouth County. Marlboro workers The winds - with occasional assists from lightening bolts- blew tree limbs on to power lines, disrupting service In serveral parts of the county, according to James Lowney, a spokes- man for Jersey Central Power & Light. due back on job Lowney said service was knocked out to approximately 800 homes in the Freehold area July 1 and another 2 par-cent in January," said for about a half-Hour when the storm hit In the MARLBORO - Approximately MO members late afternoon. , of the union repesentlng para-profeulonal em- Mark Neimeiser, associate director of the 1,800 member AFSCME Council 1. Another 800 homes in the Eatontown-West ployees who itaged a one-day Job action at Long Branch-Long Branch area lost service — Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital yesterday, were The union represents 10,000 workers. Similar some of them for more than an hour — Lowney expected to return to work today. 24-hour walkouts were planned for today at the said. Workers at the Neuro-PsychUtrlc Hospital, New Lisbon State School, Burlington County, the Tinton Falls police reported that power went Sklllman, who walked off their Jobs yesterday, Woodbine State School, Cape May County, the out at their headquarters and in homes in the also were expected to return to work. Glen Gardner Geriatric Center, Hunterdon northern end of the borough for nearly two Union members at four other state institu- County, and the Menlo Park Soldiers Home, hours. At headquarters, an emergency gener- tions, however, were expected to stage Job ac- Middlesex County, Wurf said. ator was pressed into service. tions today. He said that the state offer was "Insuffi- In Eatontown, the cause of the service dis- The workers are members of the American cient," that the union was asking for a 11 ruption was apparently a tree limb that struck Federation of State, County ana* Municipal Em- percent raise the first year of the contract and the top of a utility pole on Broad Street. The ployees, which represent* licensed practical another II percent raise the second year. limb reportedly snapped off a section of the pole nurses, food service workers, physical and oc- and brought down power lines. cupational therapists, human service tech- The Communications Workers of America, Crews corrected the problem In Eatontown, which represents other workers at the hospitals, nicians and assistants. Their job action Is In but in Freehold, the situation as apparently yesterday refused to honor AFSCME's picket FIRST IT WAS SUNNY — Ellen Snyder and her pet dog take a break at the Hall of protest over an Impasse in contract nego- lines and accused AFSCME of trying to "sell lee Storm, page I Records In Freehold during the hot, muggy weather yesterday morning. tiations. The major unresolved issue Is salary, out the rest of the unions and state workers." according to union leaders. • m^^^^^i——————aaMaellalalaM Roy EUllnger, Marlboro hospital's executive The CWA said that the four unions represent- director, said that employees working when the ing various state employees, including AFSCME, had agreed to form a coalition and 5 new cases strike occurred were asked to work an additional eight hour shift. He said they were then bargain together with the state, consolidating their strength. But AFSCME missed the coali- given a four hour sleep break and were asked to 1 work for four more hours. tion ! last meeting and began its "wildcat" job of hepatitis actions without consulting the other unions, said "We are providing basic coverage (for pa- Larry Cohen, International representative of the tients)," he said. "It Is similar to what we CWA. would have on a holiday." "AFSCME's leadership Is staging this job confirmed "'••tiit.*? Spokesmen for both the state and the union action to provide the appearance of militancy so said negotiations would resume today at S p.m., they can then justify a quick settlement with the MIDDLETOWN - Blood tests have con- but a union official said the talks would not state. This strike is designed to deceive their firmed an additional five cases of infectious affect planned walkouts. members and will only jeopardize the bargain- hepatitis in an outbreak originating here, bring- "Even if negotiations started at 8 o'clock Ing position of other state workers," be said. ing the total of confirmed cases to 46. tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, we won't stop Township Health Officer Stephen McKee Wurf skid hospital supervisors recently Hid an additional five blood test results are our job action until such time as we finalize a elected the CWA over AFSCME as their contract," Al Wurf, executive director of expected today, and that more cases would bargaining unit, and be added that could be the come to light in the next two weeks. AFSCME, said. "If we finalise some time In the cause of the CWA action yesterday. middle of the night. It's possible we can call off Approximately 1,350 persons were vac- our people (Wednesday)." "Malice, I don't know," Wurf said when cinated this weekend against the disease with asked why the CWA would not honor AFSCME gamma globulin provided by state health of- State negotiators had offered a IIS million picket lines. "I've never beard of one AFL-CIO ficials. wage package to the health care and rehabilita- union railroading another." Most of those vaccinated were relatives of tion workers, but the offer was not enough to victims or customers of Taco Town, THIN CAM! THI WIND, RAIN — A large puddle Is all that remains on Ocean Avenue, Wurf said CWA people had tried to pass out North Long Branch, after a late afternoon storm lashed portions of the county.

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