Herbst: “Jim’s breadth of experience as a human resources professional and his proven track record of negotiating agreements that are fair to employees and taxpayers make him uniquely qualified to assume this new assignment.”
January 7, 2014 - - First Selectman Timothy M. Herbst on Tuesday announced the appointment of James Haselkamp as Trumbull’s first Director of Labor Relations. Haselkamp’s appointment in Trumbull caps a nearly thirty year career in labor relations and human resources, having served in four different municipalities. Haselkamp is the current Director of Personnel and Labor Relations for the City of Norwalk, Connecticut. “Jim’s breadth of experience as a human resources professional and his proven track record of negotiating agreements that are fair to employees and taxpayers make him uniquely qualified to assume this new assignment,” stated First Selectman Herbst. “Jim has a consistent track record of negotiating employee labor agreements that respect municipal workers while at the same time implementing innovative cost saving measures that have saved taxpayers millions of dollars in each of the municipalities he has served. He will be able to hit the ground running and help the Town of Trumbull immeasurably.”
In his current role as Director of Personnel and Labor Relations in the City of Norwalk, Haselkamp successfully arbitrated the outsourcing of solid waste services resulting in a 12 million dollar savings to the City of Norwalk over a ten year period, while at the same time avoiding layoffs. In addition, Haselkamp negotiated changes to the Norwalk pension plan which will reduce the City’s annual contributions to the fund by $8,430,000 over the next ten years. First Selectman Herbst indicated with the Town’s pension fund being an issue that has been given top attention over the course of the last four years, having a person with Haselkamp’s experience will further assist the Town’s efforts in fully funding the Town’s pensions, which in turn will help the Town work towards a AAA bond rating.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to serve the residents of Trumbull”, Haselkamp said. “Trumbull is a great community and I am honored that First Selectman Herbst has given me this opportunity to serve. I look forward to the challenges that the position will bring and working with the employees to better serve the residents of the Town.”
Haselkamp, a Milford resident and father of three, began his career as an attorney for the Connecticut Council of Police Unions #15, AFSCME. He would later pursue a career in municipal labor relations where he served as the Director of Personnel and Labor Relations in the City of Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury and finally Norwalk. Former Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia, who served with Haselkamp for the last seven years, indicated that the Town of Trumbull would be well served with a person of Jim’s experience and acumen. “Having worked with Jim for seven years, I can state without hesitation that he is a professional and dedicated employee who places the well-being of taxpayers as his highest priority,” stated Mayor Moccia. “During his tenure in Norwalk, Jim successfully negotiated multiple labor agreements that struck an appropriate balance between concern for our employees and concern for our taxpayers. Jim will serve the Town of Trumbull well.”
The new position of Director of Labor Relations was part of a reorganization plan approved by the Board of Finance last month. Before the reorganization plan was adopted, the Town had not had a qualified human resources professional managing the department. At the beginning of his third term, the First Selectman indicated that this reorganization and position was critical in meeting the current demands of the Town. “In speaking to my colleagues in other municipalities, it became clear that Trumbull was behind the times,” stated First Selectman Herbst. “Virtually every other municipality in Fairfield County has a qualified professional administering the human resources and labor relations functions of their respective municipalities. So, when we sought a candidate to fill this position, we needed to make sure we hit the ground running. Trumbull has found that candidate in Jim Haselkamp.” Haselkamp is an attorney admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, holding a BA in Political Science, with honors from the University of Connecticut, where he was on the Dean’s List. He holds his law degree from Western New England College School of Law, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Haselkamp will assume his new responsibilities on February 1, 2014.