CSEA attorney says “stalemate” in labor talks with Village



Attorney Liam Russertt, the new labor relations specialist for the Civil Service Employees Association Local 882 union, told the Garden City Board of Trustees that a “stalemate” exists in ongoing contract negotiations with the Village of Garden City.

During the December 19th meeting of the Board, Russertt said that he and new CSEA Rank & File Unit President Robert LoDolce feel that there have been ongoing problems in negotiations, but that he hopes that new leadership on part of the CSEA (himself and LoDolce), represent a fresh opportunity for progress, ahead of the upcoming New Year.

“I wanted to talk on the record here about the ongoing problem we have with continuing our negotiations with the Village of Garden City for village employees. I have tried to re-open the negotiations. We understand there may have been issues on agreements in the past but we would love to come together and talk about a reasonable agreement that works for both parties instead of using taxpayers’ money towards litigation or charges or anything brought in front of P.E.R.M. (labor certification)… we are willing to set up dates and we’d be open to any discussion upon meeting, with any dates. I am willing to accept, check my calendar and clear my schedule so we can move forward,” Russertt said on Tuesday night.

Midway into his comments, Mayor Brian Daughney stopped and corrected Russertt’s description of the current situation as he said the village and CSEA union interaction “can be called discussions, but they are not negotiations between the village and the CSEA… we are not in any negotiations, let’s be clear on that,” he told Russertt.

Russertt said to the mayor this standstill is part of the problem as he tries to get negotiations to move forward again.

“I have had dialogue with your counsel through letter, and recently last week I received a letter. It says in part, ‘for what it is worth, I do not think the letter is going to help solve the issues between the parties or even to help towards a resolution. Since letters are not going to work I do want to bring this to your attention that we do want to come to the table,” Russertt told the Mayor and Board of Trustees.

In an interview with The Garden City News back in late October, Russertt contemplated the Board of Trustees’ approval of a new labor relations attorney, Deputy Village Attorney Kerry Oristano, to the village’s executive staff. Two months ago he said the village’s hire of Oristano represented an investment of taxpayer money into a prolonged legal process rather than an attempt to negotiate with the CSEA rank and file.

“We have already began trying to negotiate several things with the Board and they’re refusing to negotiate. To hire an additional (labor) attorney, I am not sure why they’d put the money there into more legal fees instead of just investing in services they already have from CSEA union members. I can see why the village is called Garden City, as I understand the members do a fantastic job with the beautification of plants, trees, village property and in sanitation pickup. It’s really a well-maintained village. The fact the Board has not come back to the table, and from what I understand under the law they are supposed to try to, the village has hired another attorney to challenge the law instead. I do not think that is the best use of taxpayers’ money,” Russertt told the News in October.

Russertt’s comment this week was followed immediately by an explanation from the village attorney, Kenneth A. Gray of the Garden City firm Bee, Ready, Fishbein, Hater & Donovan, as he was filling in for the firm’s principal and former village mayor Peter Bee on December 19. Gray referenced the duties of the village’s labor relations firm, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC of 1010 Franklin Avenue, and specifically counsel Christopher Kurtz at the firm.

“There is separate labor counsel from Bond Schoeneck and King who handles the labor relations aspects of various contracts. Mr. Kurtz is not here this evening so I am going to ask the Board of Trustees not to respond to you – not because we don’t want to respond to you. Just because their counsel is not here. I think the board wants to thank you for coming and for addressing the board to ‘open a dialogue.’ We appreciate that you also have a new unit president and I am confident you will be hearing from Mr. Kurtz in the next week or two. It was our intentions all along to have Mr. Kurtz reach out to you, prior to any scheduled later dates in January,” he told Russertt.

In March 2015 Kurtz was named to the Long Island Business News’ Who’s Who list for his career in labor negotiations and municipal contracts law. Just after Tuesday night’s meeting ended, LoDolce caught up with the News inside Village Hall and said “the union looks forward to Mr. Kurtz reaching out to us soon.”

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