Q: It seems like a one year extension is a sign from the ARC that it has no confidence in being able to operate beyond the year 2013, and that they are giving us a year to prepare for shut down. It also seems to me like if we dont grant the ARC of Monmouth a year extension, that after the current contract is up they will cease operations altogether. A three year contract is at least for the near future work and hope, a one year contract leaves doubt and instability in a work force already struggling to make ends meet.
A: There is no reason at all to think that Arc will be shutting down. The reason they have asked us for a one-year contract extension is that they once again expect a zero funding increase from DDD. This has been the case for the last three years, and we have still received our negotiated 3% raises while Arc has cut corners in other ways. Their Monmouth County funding and fund raising proceeds have also decreased.
When Arc programs are in jeopardy or layoffs are possible, they have consistently informed the Union leadership and the affected employees. Unfortunately the Hersh High School program is being shut down at the end of this school year as the student enrollment is below levels allowed by the state Dept. of Education. The staff have already been given layoff notices. During the past couple of years the Work Opportunity Center has been at genuine risk of being closed due to state funding cuts. The cuts were averted due to efforts by the disability advocacy community. Mary Scott kept the Union informed during this crisis.
If the Union membership turns down the one-year contract extension, we will have to negotiate a new contract and everything in the contract will be subject to change including health benefits, pension matching, time off benefits and employee rights. There is absolutely no guarantee of a salary increase or a 3-year contract if we negotiate. In fact I think a 3-year agreement would be unlikely in the current economy. The length of a new contact is always part of what is negotiable. The Union Executive Board has recommended the extension, even though we are not happy about a salary freeze, because it will preserve everything else that we have for another year. Management has guaranteed us they will not come to us asking for increased health care contributions if their insurance bills go up when the insurance is renewed in July. If the economy continues to improve, we may be in a much more positive position to negotiate next year.