Public Employee Press

Pay raises in October and November

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

About 90,000 members will receive the first two raises of the new economic agreement in October and November.

“We are happy the pay increases will kick in as the holiday season approaches,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “Now that the pay dates are basically settled, we are working hard with the city to implement other provisions of our new contract, like easing the residency requirement and starting the salary review panel.”

The 32-month pact was ratified in August by an overwhelming 97 percent membership vote. It runs from July 1, 2005, to March 2, 2008, and provides for compounded raises totaling 9.42 percent and $40 million more for union benefits.

Union officials are working with the city to craft legislation to ease the residency requirement so city workers can live in Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, Suffolk and Nassau counties.

Recently, Roberts wrote Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to request a moratorium on disciplinary action against members who live outside the city in violation of the residency requirement. Nevertheless, the union cautions members to adhere to the requirement until the legislation is enacted.

The DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept. has begun working sessions with the city to set the goals and guidelines for the new labor-management Salary Review Panel, said Director Dennis Sullivan. The panel will review selected title and occupational groups to determine whether salary adjustments or other compensation modifications should be adopted.

The union is also working with the city to expand the TransitChek program to cover the Long Island Rail Road, Long Island MTA buses and MetroNorth Railroad. They are also examining the possibility of expanding the program to other regional carriers.

Pay dates
Beginning in October, members’ paychecks will be adjusted to reflect the new contract, which includes a 3.15 percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2005, a 2 percent hike effective Aug. 1, 2006, and a 4 percent increase Feb. 1, 2007. Following are the pay dates:

• Employees at mayoral agencies and administrative employees at the Dept. of Education will receive the 3.15 percent raise and retroactive pay Oct. 6 and the 2 percent raise with retroactive pay on Oct. 20.
  On Nov. 3, “additions to gross” (extra compensation such as assignment differentials, longevities and recurring increment payments) will be increased by 3.15 percent Nov. 3 and by 2 percent Nov. 7.
  
  
• At the Health and Hospitals Corp., DC 37 members will receive both pay increases with the back pay Oct. 6 and additions to gross Oct. 20.
  
  
• Housing Authority employees will get the 3.15 percent increase and retro pay Oct. 2 and the 2 percent with retro on Oct. 26. The increases in additions to gross based on the 3.15 percent will be paid Nov. 9 and the 2 percent additions to gross on Nov. 22.
  
  
• At the Dept. of Education, Local 372 members will receive the 3.15 and 2 percent increases and retro Oct. 5. The union is working with the DOE to establish implement increase additions to gross as soon as possible.
  
  
• The Off-Track Betting Corp. will implement the 3.15 increase and raise the additions to gross Oct. 3. The 2 percent increase in pay and additions to gross will be in employees’ Oct. 27 paychecks. OTB will pay the retroactive money in November.
  
  
• At New York City Transit, the 3.15 percent and 2 percent increases will be implemented Nov. 2, with retro pay due Nov. 6.
  
  
• Cultural institutions and the Brooklyn and Queens library systems anticipate implementing the raises in October and November. Local 1930 has requested the New York Public Library to pay the raises as soon as possible rather than continue its long-standing practice of delaying implementation until after the local approves its working conditions contract.