Union: what about contract talks?

By DAVID HULSE

ELDRED — A union spokesman representing town highway workers questioned Highland officials last week about the delay in negotiating a new contract.

Wayne Mackey, of Local 17 of the Laborers Union, detailed repeated, so far unsuccessful, attempts that he has made to contact Highland’s labor attorney, James Roemer. Mackey said there had been no negotiations on the expired contract in the past year and a half.

“We haven’t heard a peep out him. I just wanted to come before the board and see if you knew what was going on,” he told the town board on Tuesday, March 12.

Town Attorney Andrew Boyar would not comment on the apparent failure in communications, saying that he’d now only heard one side of the story. However, Boyar said, “You will hear something in the next two weeks and we will arrange for the beginning of discussions.”

In other business, the town board:

• Moved to formally designate the Route 55 town property as the future site of a new highway department garage;
• Heard Town Justice Alan Hochhauser explain that the town is eligible to receive old court furniture from New York City, which is rehabilitating its central court. Hochhauser said oak benches and “perhaps a witness chair” are available, but the town will have to pick them up on a weekend;
• Heard Councilman Bob Burrow detail Sullivan Renaissance plans for a small town park opposite the town hall between the Peck’s and Eldred Inn parking lot on land donated for use by the DeCumber family.