By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority has lifted the wage freeze for a small group of city employees.
About 200 food service workers with the Buffalo School District will now be allowed to receive a small pay increase. The city's control board reached a new contract agreement with AFSCME Local 264.
The food service workers have agreed to forgo a one thousand dollar a year "perfect attendance" bonus in order to receive a pay hike. Although it is a very small group of city workers, control board chairman Brian Lipke says he is excited about the deal. Lipke sees it as a first step in working with city unions to begin removing the freeze on wages..
AFSCME workers must still approve this contract deal.
But Lipke stressed that the city faces harsh financial realities. He says that means the unions, including police and fire, must agree to concessions in order to keep the city's budget books in balance. Lipke says the city can no longer afford the type of contracts that have been negotiated over the past 30 years.
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