Sewanhaka Board Passes Two Employee Contracts

The passed two contracts Tuesday night, Nov. 23, shoring up its employees for a further three years.  The first was an agreement between the district and the United Public Service Employees Union, who represent the security aides for the various school buildings as part of a collective bargaining agreement.  The second agreement was between the district and the Building Administrators' Association, which include principals.

While the contracts easily passed the eight member board, New Hyde Park-Garden City Park Trustee David Del Santo was the lone opposing vote on both measures.  "We shouldn't be entering into any long term agreements given the fiscal climate that exists today," Del Santo said after the meeting.  Sewanhaka had been negotiating a total of seven contracts with various employee units this year that expired in June.

The new agreement would be for  a period of three years.  Del Santo did not specify a time frame he would be comfortable with, but he did not want to enter into any new agreements "until we know what the federal government and the state government are going to do come the new fiscal year."  He added that he wanted to hold off on signing any agreement until April and the completion of the governmental budget process.  "We're going to enter an agreement and maybe burdened or saddled with an expense that we can't afford and that's not right at this time," he said.