Union agreement outsources EH trash collection

Jan. 19—EAST HARTFORD — In a unanimous vote, the Town Council ratified an agreement with the union representing public works and parks staff Tuesday that, among other things, will outsource the town's curbside trash collection.

Town officials say a request for proposals will go out in February to collect bids from companies for waste collection services.

TRASH CHANGE

WHAT: East Hartford will outsource its waste collection, including trash and recycling services, but bulky waste will still be delivered to the town's transfer station, and services there will remain intact.

WHO: Town officials expect to put out a request for proposals on waste collection services in February.

WHY: Town staff expect cost savings and improved service to residents.

Officials expect savings from the outsourcing to be $863,000 over the life of the contract, using an estimated quote for the cost of the services.

Another major change in the new four-year contract that's retroactive to July 2021 is a large bump to wages of public works and park maintenance employees. The contract states that in 2022, all employees covered by the contract will receive a $2 and 2% hourly wage increase, with 2023 bringing a $1 and 1.25% increase, and 2024 bringing a $2 and 2% wage increase. Employees under the contract will also receive a one time $3,000 bonus.

A memo included in the meeting packet states that from 2021 to 2024, the net wage increase will be 6.4%, or $668,000, for the 60 staff members represented by the union.

Mayor Michael Walsh said Wednesday morning that overall, the net savings of the contract is estimated at $200,000, stressing that the sum is predicated on the final quote of the bidding process.

Public Works Director John Lawlor said at Tuesday's council meeting that the town had an analysis performed by an outside consultant to determine the best way to improve "operational inefficiencies" in the department. Also, residents have regularly complained about limited bulky waste pickup in town.

"The only way for us to achieve that would be to outsource those services, and negotiate that as part of the (union) contract," Lawlor said.

Walsh said Tuesday night that the town hopes to provide each resident with one bulky waste pickup every month as part of the outsourcing, alongside their first trash collection of the month. That would remove the permit cost for residents to schedule a pickup and should help take care of illegal dumping, he added.

Lawlor said it would save a "tremendous amount of calls and scheduling," to be reconfigured that way.

"We feel, and the industry feels, that it will be a lot easier to go without appointments," Lawlor said.

Majority Leader Sebrina Wilson said having a regular, free bulky waste pickup system has been a goal of hers.

"I have been talking about this for two years now on Town Council," Wilson said.

Councilman Travis Simpson said he'd like to see organic waste material pickup in town as part of the request for proposals.

"A lot of our lots, you don't have a wood line" for composting, Simpson said.

Sandy Franklin, interim human resources director, said the wage increases were important due to high turnover in those departments.

"Our Public Works and park maintenance employees make significantly less than surrounding towns, and we're constantly losing people since we closed the pension in 2006 and our benefits switched to the high deductible," Franklin said.

Walsh said the changes, on average, would move wages from about $26 per hour to about $32 per hour by the end of the contract.

Councilman Tom Rup said he agreed with the wage increases, but was worried that the salaries would still be below neighboring towns.

"Right now our wage differential is just over 21% ... if the other towns increase their employees' salaries by an average of 2% per year, by the end of the contract we'll be 10% below the market," Rup said.

Walsh replied that he had "sticker shock" when going through the contract negotiations, and was concerned with making too drastic an increase for the town to afford over the course of the three years.

"This was dramatic, it was bold," Walsh, a former director of finance for the town for 23 years, said of the pay hike.

Council Chairman Richard Kehoe said he questioned some of the numbers for the costs and savings in regard to salary increases and outsourcing of waste collection.

"At the end of the day, it would seem to me we are getting close to almost a break-even," Kehoe said.

Kehoe said he would still support moving forward with the contract because even if the town only broke even with the contract, town services and wages for covered employees would improve in the process.

"I think if it breaks even or gives us some modest savings, but it gives us a better service, then it's the way to go," Kehoe said.

Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.