Middletown council reviews tentative UPSU contracts; debates telework rules, pension and budget impacts

Corey Wisniewski, deputy general counsel for the city, presented a three‑year tentative agreement with UPSU Local 6457 and a linked agreement for UPSU Local 6458, outlining wage increases, a telework memorandum of understanding and projected costs.

“What is before you tonight is really a 3 year extension for the city UPSU TA dealing only with wages,” Wisniewski said, adding later that “the wages that are in front of you it provides for an average of 3.17 over those 3 years.” He told the council that Carl Urlacher provided a financial impact statement that breaks the total cost down by year and amounts to $505,337.92.

The agreements carry forward a remote‑work MOU, allowing certain UPSU members to work remotely up to one day a week when both their department head and the mayor agree that the job can be done offsite. Wisniewski said remote workers must provide a summary of what they have accomplished during that day and that the city may terminate remote work at its discretion if the arrangement is not working.

Council members pressed for operational detail. Councilman Vincent Lofredo asked whether employees could effectively take 52 remote days a year and whether liability coverage follows workers when they are offsite. “So my question is, I’m working at home. I’m covered?” Lofredo asked. Wisniewski replied that workers’‑compensation and first‑report‑of‑injury issues “would have to be evaluated on a case by case basis,” and that the city’s risk manager and outside consultants would assess coverage based on circumstances.

Councilwoman Jeanette Blackwell raised implementation and transparency questions, including how many employees currently telework, which departments participate and whether the mayor’s decision to close City Hall during inclement weather applies to teleworkers. Blackwell also pressed whether the city incurred new telework costs; Wisniewski said the city received a state grant for telework implementation and that employees are expected to supply their own internet and computers where feasible, with the city providing protected remote access through web‑based systems.

Blackwell emphasized confidentiality concerns, saying staff working from home “can’t really be talking city business that’s confidential and have other folks at home in earshot of confidential information.” Wisniewski said personnel and IT policies addressing confidentiality are incorporated by reference into the MOU.

Several council members asked about pension and OPEB implications. Wisniewski said the agreements address wages and the telework MOU only and noted that certain tiers require future employees to enroll in Medicare Advantage upon retirement. He said that, as previously discussed with the pension board, the city’s OPEB liability remains substantial and that some contract design choices aim to manage long‑term costs. Council members cited an earlier OPEB estimate discussed at a pension meeting of about $160 million and asked the finance director to present compounded cost projections at the July 6 meeting.

Council members also questioned the wage rationale. Wisniewski said the team relied on data from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and Baker Tilly and that the raises were set with CPI and internal comparability in mind; the proposed raises average 3.17% over the three years while New England CPI figures referenced ranged around 4–4.5% in recent months.

Wisniewski reminded the council of timing constraints, saying the council has a statutory window to approve or reject requests for funds necessary to implement the tentative agreement and that the items are expected to be on the July 6 regular meeting agenda. No binding final vote on the tentative agreements was held at the workshop.

The workshop concluded with a routine voice motion to close the session, which carried by voice vote.