Town workers banding together?
Published on November 1st, 2006
STONEHAM, MA - The town's seven employee unions reportedly endorsed the adoption of a Massachusetts law that would allow the groups to collectively negotiate contract provisions surrounding health benefits.
According to Selectman Tony Kennedy, representatives from each municipal union - another six bargaining units exist on the school side - recently submitted a signed letter to the board seeking Stoneham's acceptance of Mass General Law 32B, Section 19.
Believing the correspondence was worthy of a formal response from the town, the veteran Selectman contended that the unions' request deserved some consideration, at the least by deliberating the matter with labor counsel.
"It's important to acknowledge that the unions have taken a position. They've gotten together and all signed this letter. I think it deserves a response," Kennedy remarked.
Of the opinion that the town's acceptance of the state provision would ultimately pan-out to be a detriment to Stoneham's collective bargaining position, Town Administrator Ron Florino suspected that the joint-union health insurance talks would work against any hopes of increasing the percentage of the costs municipal workers pay.
According to the Town Administrator, yet another important clause in the state law would bind Stoneham to continuing the practice until the municipal unions agreed to end the practice.
Based on his knowledge, only seven communities in the Commonwealth had adopted the proposal to date, Florino claimed, and he had little information as to whether the measure had strengthened those cities' and towns' ability to reach health insurance concessions from their unions.
"I do have some concerns with the town accepting Chapter 32B, Section 19. What this is all about is that it allows the unions to form together and bargain with the town for health insurance," the Town Administrator explained.
"I really can't get into specifics [but] health insurance is really the primary thing the town is looking to change right now in return for salary increases," Florino furthered. "I think section 19, as it stands now, would really tie our hands. It would really put us in a tough position with the unions."
Disagreeing with Florino, first-term Selectmen Paul Rotondi insisted that the town's adoption of the state law would improve town officials' chances of gaining a significant reduction in the percentage split the town paid for employees' health insurance costs.
According to Rotondi, who first pitched the idea months ago, he had viewed some evidence, including one newspaper article that cast a favorable light on joint deliberations between all unions.
"I personally think this is a collective bargaining advantage. We can't get into a lot of discussion [in public session], but I think we should at least talk to counsel," advocated Rotondi.
Still wary of whether the measure would in fact help management during contract discussions, Florino countered that while towns such as Dracut might have realized significant savings, that municipality might have adopted the Mass. General Law at a much better starting point - not at Stoneham's current 85 to 15, town/employee percentage split.
However, the Town Administrator did concede that if the proposal could be accepted on a short-term basis, and with some tweaking of the measure to guarantee a benefit to management, Chapter 32B, Section 19 might be worth enacting.
"Once you accept section 19, it's there forever until you bargain it out. That's something to think about," Florino said. "I think we could accept section 19 [and] make certain restrictions on what we are going to bargain for. There is a way for us to work this out and have the unions agree to it so that it is to our advantage."
Andrea's owner pleads guilty to charges
STONEHAM, MA - A Winchester resident and the owner of Andrea's Pizza pleaded guilty last week in federal court to evading taxes and filing false tax returns in connection with the operation of his Main Street pizza shop on the south side of town.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan and Douglas A. Bricker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation in New England announced today that KONSTANTINOS KOMBOURAS, age 55, of 18 Surrey Road, Winchester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty before US. District Judge Patti B. Saris to a five count Information charging him with tax evasion and filing false tax returns.
At today's plea hearing the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial the evidence would have proven that as early as 1999, KOMBOURAS skimmed cash receipts from the register of his business, Andrea's Pizza, in Stoneham, Massachusetts, and deposited the cash into has personal checking account. KOMBOURAS did not report these cash receipts on his personal income tax returns, nor on the corporate tax returns for Andrea's Pizza. Judge Saris scheduled sentencing for January 23, 2007. KOMBOURAS faces up to 5 years' imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney S. Waqar Hasib.
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