Town, Union, Settle After Allegations of Employee Mistreatment

A local labor union that alleged unfair and unethical treatment of employees by Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh has withdrawn an improper practice charge, settling out of court without any admission of wrongdoing by the town.

The local Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) labor union claimed Walsh threatened to fire union member Michelle Allegretti, who works in town hall, if the union and town were unable to come to terms on a new healthcare agreement. The comments, which Walsh later admitted to and apologized for, were made during the middle of exhaustive labor negotiations between the CSEA and town/village this fall.

Walsh claims that she made a brief comment to Allegretti and another employee, saying if an agreement was not reached there could be layoffs. The union has disputed that version of the story, claiming the comments were more direct and disrespectful.

A settlement reached between the Town/Village of Harrison and CSEA March 3 states that "discussing adverse consequences which may emanate from negotiations or the failure to reach an agreement in negotiations" is not a violation of civil service law. This essentially clears the town, and mayor, of any legal wrongdoing as the union agreed to drop the improper practice charge as part of the settlement.

The Harrison Town Board voted 4 - 0 to approve the settlement with Walsh abstaining.

Previously the state public employment relations board, which handles such charges, has maintained that local officials can comment on the affect of bargaining on employees, said Harrison Village Attorney Robert Paladino

"Basically, if it had gone to court we would have won," he said, adding that the mayor probably shouldn't have said what she said, but that it is covered under her first amendment rights.

Walsh said Monday she didn't want to comment on the matter, and that it was "over and done".

About a month after the comments were made, on November 2, more than a dozen union members attended a town board meeting to  Walsh. At that meeting the mayor acknowledged comments were made, and apologized.

"I said there could be layoffs — and it could be you, and it could be you, or it could be somebody else, and I apologized," Walsh said during that meeting. 

Eight days later the CSEA filed the improper practice claim to go before the public employment relations board, alleging the town/village violated New York Civil Service Law by threatening to terminate union members if they didn't agree to changes in healthcare benefits.

The town/village responded to the charge officially in January 2011, claiming Walsh did nothing wrong and that the town/village has a right to communicate with bargaining members in regards to potential layoffs.

As part of the settlement both sides agreed to good faith negotiations moving forward and accepted that the town and union are precluded from making threats or engaging in direct negotiations with non-bargaining agents in the future.

The town is still negotiating a new labor agreement with several local unions, including the CSEA, which would change the town's current healthcare system. Walsh, along with several town board members, has maintained that there will be no new hires until a new agreement is reached between the two sides.