Nassau Park Workers Get Back Pay

In December 2005, CSEA Local 830 was the impetus behind the creation of the new Living Wage Law approved by the Nassau County Legislature.  It mandated that covered employers pay their workers at least $9.50 an hour, increasing annually until 2010 when it becomes $12.50.

As a result of that law, about 330 part-time Nassau County parks employees received more than $100,000 in retroactive pay, according to County Comptroller Howard Weitzman.  17 of the 55 largest employers affected by the law had instances of noncompliance, which can be attributed to the fact that the law is still new.   The result of that is the raise for those 330 employees.

The Living Wage Advisory Board, chaired by LI Federation of Labor President John Durso, was created in 2007 to provide guidance and advice on the law, so noncompliance becomes less of an issue.

Approximately 467 contracts issued in 2007 are subject to the law with a total value of about $192 million.