Yonkers City Council Calls For Wage Freeze
YONKERS, NY (WCBS 880) - To save about 700 jobs in the city, the Yonkers City Council voted to have an across-the-board wage freeze.
They're now urging their state lawmakers to approve the plan.
"It's very serious. There are about six or seven legislative days left in Albany," says City Council president Chuck Lesnick. "We need the state legislators to give us the ability to control costs."
He says he understands the union members want their raise, but he says keeping a job is better than getting a pink slip.
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"Pre-K is going to be eliminated. Kindergarten will go to half-day. The bus routes will be changed. Art, music and sports will be eliminated," says Lesnick of what will happen without the wage freeze. "So, even with a few other concessions, if we don't have a wage freeze, we won't have enough money to restore all the services that we need."
He adds that state lawmakers need to think of the whole city, not just the union workers.
Meanwhile, St. Sen. Jeff Klein says this is Yonkers, not Wisconsin.
