Mineola, NY - Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) and the Nassau County Legislative Majority recently approved a new five-year contract with the Civil Service Employees Association, which is expected to save the County millions of over the next five years. Minority members rejected the pact, the second time in recent years that Republican lawmakers refused to approve a new contract for Nassau County employees. The Minority members also rejected the Sheriff's Officers Association contract approved in 2001.

The CSEA pact, which is retroactive to January 1, 2003, extends to December 31, 2007. The total savings to the county is estimated to be anywhere from $44.7 to $61.7 million over the life of the contract.

The contract holds salary increases in line with the Consumer Price Index for each year and caps increases at 3.5%, the lowest wage increase in recent contract history for county employees.

"This innovative contract reflects the kind of savings that Nassau County needs to achieve in the coming years," said Jacobs. "It is important to view the CSEA contract in terms of the entire cost-saving package that the County has laid out in its Four-Year Fiscal Recovery plan."

The contract also includes a provision that extends the workday by 15 minutes, from 33-3/4 hours to 35 hours weekly, has the potential for saving $161,000 in 2003 to $588,000 in 2007. A health insurance buyback in cases where a wife and husband are both members of the CSEA bargaining unit and each has health insurance coverage provided by the County, would save $443,000 in 2004 to $640,000 by 2007. The contract also includes a provision for health insurance coverage for domestic partners.

"This contract exhibits great give and take from both sides and I commend the administration for achieving this delicate balance," Jacobs said.

In addition, effective January 1, 2004, the contract would cap compensatory time at 240 hours.