It seems that in one department a worker moved to another job and the question came whether that job should be split up betwixt the workers left, or another person hired for the position. Now, the three people in question, bein’ good residents, thought they’d offer the city the option of splitting the tasks betwixt the trio with a healthy raise for the work done. It would save the city money in the long run, and the work would git done jest as efficiently.

They made their pitch to the boss, the actor’s colony and other higher-ups. In fack, their good deed was seen as a way that other city departments should or could go. They really didn’t git the support of the union cuz as unions go, no one ever wants to give up a position. The immediate bosses weren’t too happy cuz, jest like the unions, yew never wanna admit that a job could be cut. It’s like leavin’ money in the budget at the end of the year. To leave it unspent puts you behind the eight ball come budget time.

Tennyrate, Iva sez that in the spring this offer was made much to the chagrin of a few higher-ups fer reasons stated. The actor’s colony liked the idea, and some numbers were batted around. Instead of goin’ with the flow, the city council put in its own number, witch to be fair, wasn’t anywhere near whot the job was savin’ the city. When yew consider salary and benefits, the workers were askin’ a fraction of the $50,000-plus it would have cost to hire someone else.

The council’s number stood up without so much as a by your leave, and things have stagnated thus far. To cut to the chase, it looks like the thing might go to arbitration or mediation. The city don’t want arbitration cuz that means they accept one side or t’other. Mediation means negotiations, which the trio did they thought in good faith.

The thing that’s standin’ in the way of agreement is retroactivity. Y’see they wanna be paid fer the work they did according to the agreed salary that is finally decided. There are some who are tellin’ them to pound sand – or anything else they might have a mind to.

Soooooo, it looks as if the decision should be made in a matter of weeks, and this trio might or might not git the salary increase they were askin’ fer, witch I hafta admit was quite reasonable effen Iva is to be believed. They might or might not git the retroactivity they asked for. The upshot is the trio is wonderin’ why they ever got involved in this in the foist place.

Like I said before, they are learnin’ the veracity of the old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

~~~

Sammy Bluejay tells me that there is some consternation in the Actors Colony concerning members of the council that are goin’ to the press without foist checkin’ with the chair. Evidently, it’s caused no little acid indigestion for a few people. The way Sammy is tellin’ it, some members are shootin’ off their oral cavities and not getting the full story to the members of the press due to their own agendas.

Of course, yew can’t blame members of the fourth estate cuz they are gonna go to the those who give ‘em quotes and have something to say.

How this is gonna shake out is anyone’s guess. This is an election cycle fer mayor and some members are looking longingly at the thoid floor corner office, soooo don’t be shocked effen a lotta misinformation and disinformation is stated as fact. It’s jest the way the political game goes.

~~~

Kudos, meanwhile, to Artie Yost and his band of Merry Men and Ladies fer the great Community Thanksgiving Dinner they put on again this year. Frum whot Cobina was able to ascertain, the dinner achieved all its goals and was attended by not only those who had no place to go, but people who jest wanted to be part of the festivities.

It is no lit’le task puttin’ on the feedbag for that many people and Lawd knows that the planning, coordinating, cooking, serving and deliveries all take woik.

Good job Ladeez and Gents, good job.

~~~

I hear-tell that a member of the City Council and a sitter on the Bored of Ed looked a bit like St. Nick when he got caught comin’ down the chimney. Tho’ they didn’t give a wink and a nod…more like like a hiccup and belch.

Nelly Nuthatch sez that said officials were at the tree-lightin’ on Saturday night and got caught by hizzoner takin’ a bit of antifreeze of the adult variety. Nelly didn’t know who was more shocked, hizzoner or the duo doing to the imbibing. Yew’d think at a kids’ event like this one would hide one’s antifreeze in a coffee cup or some other thing (in our day it was a hip flask). Tennyrate, lest anyone think Nelly was talkin’ to hizzoner. Twasn’t himself who let Nelly know. A lotta people got a gander.

~~~

Newsflash: Chairman of Finance Committee says city is in weakened financial state. I guess the hed of the committee, who happens to wanna run fer mayor went to the last Bored of Ed meetin’ to enlighten the members that she went to the Municipal Finance meeting and found that out. Crickey, whot have we been talkin’ about since 2005? This is news? Yet, she thought she’d let ‘em know over on Ogden Street.

My only question is whether they kept a straight face.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,