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by David Seifman
At least half a dozen uniformed-workers unions are weighing whether to reopen their contracts to try to match the raises awarded by an arbitrator to the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, officials said yesterday.
The detectives union said it intends to invoke the reopener clause in its contract to "recapture the difference" between the 3 percent and 3.15 percent raises they settled for and the 4.5 percent and 5 percent raises won by the PBA for Aug. 1, 2004 to July 31, 2006.
But the police raises came with significant givebacks that the other unions are reluctant to accept, especially the surrender of 10 vacation days each year for five years for cops hired after July 1.
With the givebacks, city officials put the value of the PBA deal at 7.41 percent, or 1.16 percent more than other unions received.
"I don't believe in giving up anything that other union presidents and the work force fought for," said Harry Nespoli, president of the sanitation workers union.
"Ten vacation days for new employees for five years, that's a lot of vacation days [to give up]."
Nespoli said the demanding physical labors of a sanitation worker's job require that they have sufficient time off "so their bodies have time to recover."
Still, he said he'll be talking with city officials to determine whether there are other productivity savings he could offer to win the PBA package.
Sanit workers' base salaries are 10 percent lower than cops, but many end up making as much or more by working two-man trucks and through other productivity deals negotiated over the years.
The city estimates that the PBA pact will cost $50 million a year more than originally projected.
If every other uniformed-workers union matches the deal, officials said it would add $135 million to the city's labor bill between fiscal 2005 and 2008.
Norman Seabrook, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said he's also exploring his options.
"I will decide whether or not it is feasible to do," he said.
The Uniformed Firefighters Association was the first to invoke its option to reopen its contract.
Insiders said unions representing superior police officers were likely to try to reopen discussions as well.
One city official expressed confidence that the other unions would be able to achieve packages similar to the PBA without having to force their rookies to give up vacation time.
"We'll get this all resolved," said the official.
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