Gillen leaves Hempstead employees a parting gift

Although Theresa Kohuta, president of Hempstead's Civil Service Employees Association, backed Republican Tax Receiver Don Clavin's successful race for town supervisor,  it looks like departing Democratic Supervisor Laura Gillen is leaving a gift to union members after she leaves office Dec. 31.

A CSEA Local 880 notice of a "payroll change" agreement was delivered to town employees yesterday that essentially says that Hempstead and the union negotiated an additional day off annually for all fulltime employees, starting Jan. 1. See above.

The flyer says the town agreed to make employees whole during a change in payroll companies,  by fronting each employee five vacation days to make up for the one-week pay lapse that will result from the switch. The five vacation days will be paid back one day per year for the next five years, it says.

But to make up for the "inconvenience", the town agreed that each fulltime employee will receive an additional personal day each year for the next five years.

And the town will also give each fulltime employee one additional floating holiday each year starting Jan. 2020. "This equates to one additional day off per year," the notice says.

Interesting that employees didn't receive the good news until 12 days before Gillen leaves office,  preventing Gillen from getting any credit, if she indeed played a part in the benefit change.

A Gillen spokesman could not be reached for comment.