New Haven Independent

“It’s a good deal, and I’m not a kid anymore” said Mikolike, who keeps the office of economic development running as its executive administrative assistant. She will retire on Aug. 8 after working for the city for 47 years.

Scroll to the bottom of this article to read a list of who else put in for retirement Thursday, the last day workers could sign up for the city’s buyout plan. The list includes some key players such as Kevin Berry in the finance department, and Willie Mae Walker, a 44-year veteran of City Hall who serves as the gatekeeper of the Board of Zoning Appeals.

The retirements come as the city looks to union members to help fill a $6 million hole in its $456 million FY09 budget. In exchange for retirement, they’ll get “lifetime medical” — not free health care, but an extended city health care plan for the rest of their lives. The offer was made to senior staff who have worked for the city for 30 or more years. Click here to read about the buyout plan and budgetary struggle.

Jessica Mayorga, the mayor’s spokesperson, said the city doesn’t yet know which positions will be replaced or how close the retirements will come to helping close that $6 million gap.

Now that the city has seen who will retire, it will crunch the numbers and seek further union concessions to close the gap, Mayorga said. The city has not ruled out layoffs as a last resort, she said. The $6 million comprises $3 million from Board of Education workers and $3 million from those on the city side.

The buyout plan was offered to the four non-sworn unions on the city side of the budget: AFSCME Locals 3144 and 884 and Connecticut Independent Labor Union Locals 68 and 71.

The bulk of the retirements came from the management union, Local 3144.

“I guess a lot of people were happy — it’s a good deal,” said Larry Amendola, the union’s president. Amendola reckoned the salaries of the retirees summed to over $1 million. “That’s more than our fair share,” of the $6 million, he reckoned. He said he won’t sit down with the city labor director to talk about further concessions unless all the city unions are included.

Amendola said the loss will be a blow to the union ranks: “Some of these people are very key.”

Economic Development Administrator Kelly Murphy, whose office was hit the hardest during a first round of layoffs, mourned the loss of her employees.

“We’re going to miss Betty,” she said Thursday afternoon, referring to Mikolike.

Mikolike started working for the city at age 19 at a housing code office on Columbus Avenue.

“She’s an institution,” Murphy said.

“ED [Economic Development] is taking a big hit so far,” Murphy said, adding that three positions at the Small Business Initiative had already been eliminated.

Read on for the list of retirees:

Local 3144

Joan Forte (Elderly Services)
Judi Moskowitz (Public Works)
Terry Gillo (Board of Ed)
Elizabeth Mikolike (Economic Development)
Mary Savo (Elderly Services)
Willie Mae Walker (City Plan)
Sarah Boyd (Finance)
Hildred Pearson (Commission on Equal Opportunities)
Karen DelVecchio (Board of Education)
Gloria Aranjo (Economic Development)
Veronica Foreman (Economic Development)
Albert Glassman (Board of Ed)
Robert Cleto (LCI)
Louis Naclerio (LCI)
Terry Scarpellino (Board of Ed)
Dolores Skartsilas (Health Department)
Kevin Berry (Finance)
Janet Cohane (Library Services)
Frank Pannenborg (City Plan)
Roxanne Hayes (Parks)
Dale Johnson (Library Services)
Sharyn Bishop, who died this week, was included on this list.

Local 884:

Carol Miller
Joann Miller
Veronica Mason
Josephine Guida
Francisca Rosado
Darlene Taylor