Village of Warwick seeks labor negotiator for DPW contract talks

Warwick — The Village of Warwick Department of Public Works’ contract is expiring May 31 and the Village Board is looking to get three proposals from attorneys for the labor negotiation. This is a standard renegotiation, according to Trustee Eileen Patterson, with Teamsters Local 445, which represents the 13 employees of the Department of Public Works and the village’s water department. The village has received one proposal from Donoghue, Thomas, Auslander & Drohan, LLP of Port Jervis to negotiate with the union at a rate of $190 per hour. Stuart S. Waxman, a member of the firm, performed the same duty for the town. His focus in the firm, according to its Web site, is primarily education, labor, and employment law. Four years ago, the village’s attorney, Michael Meth, did the negotiation. Although not required by law, the village’s policy is to obtain three proposals for most expenditures. The current contract went into effect on June 1, 2004.