Working together

Throughout the private sector, employees are accepting wage cuts, pay freezes, furloughs and shorter work weeks to save their jobs and their co-workers' jobs. It is not easy, but it helps them and their employers weather the recession without imposing even greater hardships that come with layoffs.

The public sector, in general, has been another story. Public employees have shown great reluctance to forego, even temporarily, the generous salary hikes and costly benefits affordable in better economic times to save jobs and lower the taxpayers' burden.

A notable exception to the rule, though, is the LaFargeville Central School District teachers. The 48 members of the teachers association unanimously voted to take a lower salary increase to hold the line on staff and program cuts to make up for reduced state aid.

LaFargeville teachers will take less than half the pay raise they would have received with a 2 percent hike rather than 4.5 percent. They'll even take a freeze on their extracurricular pay. The school superintendent also chose to accept the 2 percent pay raise.

Contrast that with what has been happening in other districts and municipalities.

Hundreds of teaching jobs are at stake. In the Carthage Central district, 32 positions will be eliminated and programs slashed. The teachers union could not agree on a plan to save their members' jobs.

The Watertown school board approved contracts giving its cafeteria workers and administrative staff 3 percent and 2.5 percent raises, respectively, the same night it approved a spending plan slashing 19 positions.

In St. Lawrence County, the Civil Service Employees Association rejected a pay raise that would have given them a $750 payment on ratification and a 1 percent salary increase this year. Members were upset at the proposed employee contributions for health insurance. It would have cost them more, but at least they would have had health insurance.

Potsdam village officials debated over two meetings before deciding to give their employees a 2.8 percent pay hike instead of a smaller 1.75 percent increase. A trustee even criticized one of the two management officials who chose to refuse their proposed pay raises.

They recognize, like the LaFargeville teachers, that the times call for shared sacrifices.