No Layoffs After Conn. Union, Mayor Make Deal

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- Labor concessions mean no firefighters or police officers will be laid off, Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio announced this afternoon.

Finizio also said he vetoed the council-approved municipal budget this morning so that the budget can be corrected to "reflect the agreements and to restore funding for critical city staff."

Some city employees who received layoff notices may still lose their jobs. Finizio did not specify which personnel cuts would be restored.

Calling the labor agreement "fair and equitable" and with fire union President Rocco Basilica at his side, Finizio told a group of reporters at City Hall that negotiations with the firefighters, which wrapped up Tuesday afternoon, ended with a tentative agreement that would prevent the layoffs of 25 firefighters who received termination notices late last month.

Finizio and Basilica said union bylaws prevent the parties from discussing the particulars of the agreement until the union has voted for the changes. Basilica said he expects that vote will come next Thursday, with a majority needed for approval.

The news of an impending deal, Basilica said, has increased union morale and "makes it easy for me to lead.

"We're ready to move forward," Basilica said.

Negotiations with the police union are scheduled to wrap up Thursday afternoon, Finizio said, but preliminary discussions indicate the layoffs of 10 police officers will be avoided and will generate "significant savings" for the city.

Chief Administrative Officer Jane Glover, who stood with Finizio during the brief press conference, has represented the city in negotiations with both departments.

Earlier in the day, Finizio said he vetoed the City Council-approved $42.5 million general-government budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year so that changes could be made to reflect the labor contract changes, lower the council's estimated revenues which were inflated by $265,000 and so Finizio could restore funding for city staff which was cut during the council's third reading of its budget.

Finizio said the new budget would more closely reflect the council's second reading and would stay within the approximately 8 percent tax increase the council had approved. He said he was confident he will have the votes to avoid an override of the veto following conversations with council members.

He added that he has decided not to sign or veto the $40.5 million school budget, instead letting it automatically become the adopted budget.

Finizio said tax bills for July 1 have already been sent to city residents and reflect the current year's tax rate because a new rate has yet to be set. A supplemental bill will be sent sometime after the new rate is approved.

At the beginning of the budget process, the mayor had proposed an $87 million budget with a 20 percent increase in taxes, which he had said would have preserved all services and jobs. Finizio announced the layoffs after the council approved the first of three readings of the budget.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service