Charicature of a younger, better looking Publisher / Editor Hezi Aris.
YONKERS, NY — September 4, 2014 — Yonkers City Hall’s western facing garden presented a welcoming venue for the six unions who came together Wednesday afternoon to underline and make it understood that six unions have been working for almost six years without a contract. They contend they were first to be called upon to maintain the functioning of the city but last to be recognized for their loyalty and personal pride in being part of a ‘can do’ attitude too often unrecognized among those in City Hall who remain dismissive of the city workers’ contributions. They want a contract; and want it now. Their case was expressed palatably, and respectfully. Mother Nature facilitated the gathering; freshening the tree-lined periphery with filtered sunshine peering through the canopy of leaves, and keeping all in attendance calmed by the gentle breezes that whisked the perspiration without censoring the passion or the message. It was a succinct message. The unions waited almost six years for a contract. They are still waiting. Even the non-represented, non-union workers at City Hall have received pay increases this year. Those pay raises remained hush, hush until the raises, were initially mentioned by a local columnist; but he cherry-picked only a few benefiaries. The list is large. So large in fact, that the Freedom of Information Law (F.O.I.L.) request Yonkers Tribune made of Yonkers Corporation Counsel was today responded to by noting that Yonkers Corporation Counsel required an additional 20 days to decide if they would supply the list or not. What is appalling is that City Hall continues to be embarrassed by its conduct. It remains unable to focus attention to those who have steered CoY toward the mess bequeathed to Mayor Mike Spano. Such behavior reeks of being complicit with respect to the likes of former Mayor Phil Amicone..
Each union leader came before the 400-500 men and women gathered to engage them in a poetic dance that asked,
“What do we want?
Contract!
When do we want it?
Now!
“What do we want?
Contract!
When do we want it?
Now!
Zephyr Teachout, gubernatorial candidate primarying Governor Andrew Cuomo in this Tuesday’s Democratic Primary, in the September 9th contest attended the rally and was quick to pick up the poetic back and forth chant of the assembled union members and those that believed they were suffering short shrift from the days of Amicone to the present under the aegis of Mayor Mike Spano. Yonkers Firefighters Local 628 had endorsed the Zephyr Teachout and Tim Wu respected Lt. Governor.
Yonkers Tribune has learned that every elected official with connection to CoY was invited by the respective unions: Local 1897, A.F.S.C.M.E, Local 9169, C.S.E.A., Local 456, I.B.T., Local 628, I.A.F.F., Local 704, S.E.I.U., and Local 628, U.F.O.A. The seven members of the Yonkers City Council membership attended. The four members of the Albany Delegation did not. Neither did the Westchester County Board Legislators representing Yonkers. Neither did the United States Senators representing New York State and neither did the Congressman. Neither did the Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino and neither did Governor Andrew Cuomo. Those that did not attend may be correctly said to not be interested in even sending a representative in their stead. Had they been, they would have been recognized. Even more appalling is that the unions who have already gain contracts with the city did not stand in solidarity with those that were still awaiting ironing out future agreements.
It was most appalling to hear from Councilman Christopher Johnson who advised that the Yonkers City Council had allocated funds in the most recent budget to meet the needs of all the city union membership. He added, the City Council did not know how much was allocated, and that the City Council did not know the sum of the funds allocated. One must pause a moment to ask how he could have cast his vote of approval over a line in the budget that he cannot recollect the sum to which it totaled. Johnson must have imagined his telling would win empathy from the crowd. Instead it showed him unaware and not focused on responding to an inequity in CoY’s conduct vis-à-vis its city employees. Were he knowledgeable of the power of his office, he could conceivably move to pry open the books of the FY2014-2015 Mayor’s Budget by having the City Council in its majority coalesce on issuing a subpoena against the Commissioner of Finance John Liszewski. The fact that the Yonkers City Council has not attempted to travel along that road speaks to its tacit and complicit conduct, and its disingenuousness in addressing the union membership and to all Yonkersites comprising the community at large.
If Johnson is correct and the sum allocated is sufficient to satisfy all the unions awaiting a contract with the city, when will Mayor Mike Spano release the funds. Is Mayor Spano holding onto the money so a to earned interest n the sum allocated? Will Mayor Spano engage in contractual discussion so as to disburse the funds in March 2015? Will it be too late for Mayor Spano t ‘buy’ the vote? Fughetaboutit!
When Councilman Michael Breen suggested “we need to get along”, I was ready to hurl. Perhaps a small campfire, and plenty of marshmallows could bring us together under a moonlit sky with a boisterous stanza of kumbaya repeated in a slurred fashion throughout the night. I only wish he would say nothing; his constant whining away for a romantic scenario shows him vacuous in thought and incompetent in the grand political game; proving its time for him to depart the scene. It was once said of Breen that it was his time to be elected. It seems Breen has overstayed the promise by which he could not deliver. The potential to create something of pertinence and value have left him on the lurch. Thank goodness for term limits.
Then Majority Leader John Larkin spoke. He was going to tell the entourage gathered what they did not want to hear, that is, that the blame was squarely before Albany. Those were the culprits who forced all our woes upon us. He also chose not to tell those gathered that his lack of leadership has gained nothing since his first being elected to office. Larkin refuses to persuade the City Council that engaging in discussion first among themselves and then with an ever wider conglomeration of elected officials meeting to find direction and positions to challenge Albany is the underlying missing link in Yonkers yearly drama which finds Yonkers deficient in funds.
Perhaps it will sooner rather than later be recognized by Mayor Spano that permitting the corrupt conduct of former Mayor Amicone to go untold, hiding the pilfering and outright theft that had been permitted and continues to this day as per the Nydia Perez story written today will not win the day, much less the expected re-election effort of 2015.
Over 2,000 some-odd union workers were represented by the six unions that attended the City Hall rally to attest to their pride and to stand up for themselves and to divulge how they were being disrespected and shunned. Yonkers City Hall claims otherwise. It is at just such moments of impasse that reveal for all who hold ability of sight to recognize that the leadership Yonkers needs is wanting. It cannot be found. Will anyone step up to the plate?
Yonkersites can blame each other. It is 2014 and it is later than once imagined. The issues must be put forward and done so publicly. No more, I did this and I did that. The poof is not to be had; never heard, never discussed. The public is kept at bay. The unions submit to gag orders. City Hall plays its game of not responding to taxpayers concerns and their right to know.
In public, every side agrees that we should do this or that; when push comes to shove, it is not done, as was deemed and said appropriate. The public is fooled; the taxpayer continues to pay, and others believe this conduct of subterfuge will win the next election to office. There is much local history to validate such assertions. Even so it will in time implode in anger.
Those that play the onerous political game will in time trip. They will earn no empathy from me. It has become evident that Yonkers “special interests” have no interest to commit to the City of Yonkers or its citizens’ interest to move toward something very different than the gruel we are forced to swallow.
Is there one among us that can stand at the plate and hit the ball out of the park?
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Comments 16
Its great Tom Tiedemann has ruined the Service Center its a joke wonder what hes pal will do to cover for him this time
is it true they made him deputy commissioner.What will he F-up next
http://verdictsearch.com/verdict/arrest-violated-police-protocol-plaintiff-claimed/
Really Yonkers Finest? You department is in the middle of a full blow criminal investigation which caused someone’s death.
Your members such as Vera and others lying to get search warrants.
Are we safe from the finest? Are Judges safe? Think not. Is this a pattern Yonkers Finest? People have been reading this site and it does not look like Yonkers Finest. Throwing people out for speaking out? Setting up other members? Breaking into Offices right next door to the D.A’ office? Fist fighting at meetings? Evidence missing? I am just a reader with no skin in the game?
Brilliant article Hezi. I have given up on this place and its band of thieves. Michael Spano as well as the rest of the political class are way too corrupt and self serving to truly serve the taxpayers of Yonkers. With that convicted felon Nick Spano pulling strings and with the Spencer/Spring sociapaths back in City Hall, I am not surprised at the stench of corruption that emanates from City Hall. The only silver lining is that nothing good lasts forever and nothing bad lasts forever and Karma can be such a bitch when she needs to be.
Hezi criticizes Councilman Christopher Johnson “One must pause a moment to ask how he could have cast his vote of approval over a line in the budget that he cannot recollect the sum to which it totaled.” Yet Johnson did not vote for the budget. One reason why he voted against the budget is that the Administration did not answer his questions then or now.
Yes, and nobody stood with him either.
The only thing the citizens and union members can do is throw the bums out. Start with Republicratic mayor Spano and who ever on the council is up for election this year and next year. They think they are untouchable so they just make empty promises every year but nothing changes. Kind of like my paycheck not changing in 6 years. Throw the bums out.
I have full confidence in my union getting us a fair contract.
I believe in what politicians say and promise.
Come on BROTHERS believe me!
The unions pushed for Spano and look what they get/got!
Don’t get me wrong, 6-years is a very long time without a contract and it is not right, but every union member who supported the “Puppet Spano” thought they would be made whole and that they had a “new friend” in Shitty Haul!
Surprise! The direct opposite is true.
The only people making out here are the friends and family members of the Mike Spano, plain and simple.
As far as the Yonkers City Council is concerned, the citizens of Yonkers are truly being misrepresented!
The Yonkers City Council is completely useless except for pushing Mayor Mike’s money grabbing agendas.
Chris Johnson? Mike Breen? John Larkin? I could have a better, more meaningful, intelligent conversation with a freaking house plant!
Olson got a car, free gas, his sister her first paying job and f–ked his membership by giving away 207c, something he did not fight for.
And a contract for his members that all the other unions are fighting to get close to.
I forgot that one.
Yeah unity man, the firefighters are all waiting to give away 207a too. Lol
Get on with Olson
Another eloquent passage from the cowardly dirtbag. With every lowlife comment you show your desperation. You want to talk about family? You of all people? Look in the mirror you fucking skel. Look hard and long and you’ll see what the rest of us see. Just another piece of trash from the gutter.
Be very careful on you may accuse. There is a lot of that being hurled from the sellout union leader Keith Olson. You see where that got him. You union leaders know that he cut a deal behind your backs. That deal f–k his membership as well as your efforts. He is a self serving rat all for a city car, an election, and for family. Because his sister got her first paying job in over a decade. As for family I agree with you, but Anthony the cheetah Chiarella should not, should not be entering a coworkers Family setting. You reap what you sow.
Even that John Mueller, the name that Anthony used to threaten the husband could not stop a good old fashion of woop ass.
Long live Barry who has balls, not like Olson.
was keith olson there? Of course not he is the scumbag that froze phelan out when he made a deal with the devil all for what to run unopposed and a 90k job a year for his sister that thank goodness she threw out that short fuck horny wanna fuck anyones wife LT and don’t worry Mueller will be chief one day yeah ok Anthony……..