Hoboken supervisors union won’t have Juneteenth off since they don’t have a contract

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The Hoboken Municipal Supervisors Union won’t have Juneteenth off since they don’t have a contract, according to a memo from Business Administrator Jason Freeman.

Photo via shop.thewright.org

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Please accept this as confirmation that Friday, June 17, 2022 is not a holiday for HMSA employees. As you know, the City and the HMSA have been unsuccessful in negotiating a successor agreement to replace the expired collective bargaining agreement,” Freeman wrote on June 7th.

“Notwithstanding the fact that Juneteenth is contained in the City’s most recent settlement offer to the HMSA, because the parties have not settled Juneteenth is not currently an observed holiday for the HMSA employees.”

He continues that HMSA employees are required to report to work on Friday unless they utilize their accumulated time, though if a deal is reached before then, Juneteenth and a floating holiday of the union’s choice would be recognized by the city.

June 17 was listed as the day Juneteenth would be recognized by Hoboken employees in a November 15th, 2021 memo from Freeman outlining the holidays for 2022.

HMSA President Dawn De Lorenzo declined to comment this morning, but laid out her thoughts in a memo to her members last week.

“I would like to assure all of you that my intention as your union President is to NOT back down, be bamboozled, manipulated or coerced into taking another union President’s negotiated contract along with her back door deal, which neither I, nor our attorney, nor any of you ever were part of, or agreed to!,” she wrote.

“My intention is to put up a hell of a fight because if we just roll over and allow ourselves to be walked all over now, we will always be subject to what the HMEA Union president and administration jointly negotiate.”

In an email, city spokeswoman Marilyn Baer said that the Hoboken Municipal Employee’s Association has agreed to a new contract that includes having Juneteenth off, while the HMSA has rejected several proposals.

“Despite multiple offers, all of which would recognize the holiday, the HMSA has not recognized Juneteenth up until now. Additionally, the Administration has proposed a plan for HMSA employees to observe Juneteenth as an off day without an agreed-to contract, which was unfortunately not agreed to,” she wrote in an email.

“Nonetheless, the Administration is hopeful the City and the union can settle this matter amicably in the coming days so that all employees can recognize Juneteenth.”

Hoboken is also doing a Juneteenth flag raising ceremony in front of City Hall, 94 Washington St., on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Just under a year ago, President Joe Biden (D) signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making June 19th a federal holiday to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans on that day in 1865.


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