When Terry Maccarrone and the newly elected leadership of the Suffolk County Association of Municipal Employees (AME) took office on July 1, 2025, they hoped to spend their first year listening to members, visiting job sites, and preparing for the future. Instead, they were immediately thrust into contract negotiations with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine’s administration. Representing approximately 5,400 employees, AME is Suffolk County’s largest municipal employees union. This includes nearly 400 employees at Suffolk Community College and about 20 from the Village of Westhampton Beach. The same is true of members from Suffolk Community College, who do the tasks that help Suffolk County residents succeed in their dreams of higher education.