Clarification: This article has been updated to note that the United Auto Workers Local 1612 represents a number of full-time, non-uniform borough employees but not all the part-time staff.
Bristol Borough is slated to lose five part-time employees.
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After negotiations, members of Bristol Borough Council voted Monday evening to layoff five part-time employees. The five workers – a code enforcement officer, a parking officer, an office clerk, the animal control officer, and a streets employee – will have their employment end on Friday, March 27.
Council members said they are not in favor of laying off the employees, but United Auto Workers Local 1612, the union that represents a number of full-time borough employees, told the officials that they need to make the part-time employees full time or the union will move forward with legal action after filing an unfair labor complaint.
Greg Pezza, the East Ward councilperson, said “none of us are really happy” about cutting the employees. He said the borough does not need the five full time but their part-time service is needed.
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“Our hands are forced. We are not happy about it,” North Ward Councilperson Dave Girard said.
South Ward Councilperson Louis Quattrocchi sat on the negotiating committee and said the borough has acted in good faith.
“It’s not fair to us and it’s not fair to the five people affected by this … I hate to see this action happen, but it’s out of our control,” he said.
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Quattrocchi further stated that the borough budget does not have room to convert the five part-time employees to full time ones.
Michael Gorman, the councilperson representing the West Ward, said the Council has not recently heard back from the union.
Betty Rodriguez, the Council vice president, conveyed her disappointment in the layoffs but said the union forced the borough’s hand.
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“Our hands are tied and this has to happen,” said Lorraine Cullen, a councilperson from the East Ward.
Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said he was dismayed the borough was laying off the staff and pointed to the union for not allowing part-time employees.
DiGuiseppe said he has not heard of a union telling organization they could not have part-time help. However, the borough can ask the union if they can hire seasonal part-time employees.
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A representative from United Auto Workers Local 1612 did not return a request for comment as of Tuesday evening.
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