Public Employee Press

School Construction units implement raises

SCA implements 4 percent raises

Members in two DC 37 bargaining units at the School Construction Authority got the two 4 percent raises of their new economic agreement in June.

The SCA provided the raises for the Local 375 members in Unit A, the largest DC 37 bargaining unit there, earlier this year.

But the authority had refused to implement the raises for Unit B (Locals 2627, 1407 and 154) and Unit C (Local 375) because of uncertainty over the school budget.

SCA employees are not covered by the general economic agreement negotiated by DC 37 for nearly 100,000 members at mayoral and other agencies.

But members at the employers such as the SCA, City University, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority typically get the same terms in separate agreements.

Negotiations stalled at TBTA . . .

The union has filed charges of refusing to bargain in good faith against the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, where management has refused to sign off on a new contract for members of Metropolitan Transportation Authority Clerical-Administrative Local 1655.

TBTA negotiators had agreed to the two 4 percent raises in DC 37’s pattern-setting 2008-10 economic agreement, but the agency will not finalize an agreement without the approval of the MTA board.

. . . and at Transit

Contract negotiations at New York City Transit have hit a snag, and the union has charged the Transit Authority with refusing to engage in good faith bargaining.

The TA has paid the first of the two 4 percent raises, but is refusing to agree to a new contract including the second 4 percent for members in Locals 1655, 375, 2627, 1407, 154 and 983.

Union presses for prevailing-rate wage hikes

The independent Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings will hold hearings on proposed wage increases for Locksmiths and Supervising Locksmiths in Local 1087 and Laborers in Local 924.

The hearings will deal with the recommended wage hikes, known as “preliminary determinations,” which the comptroller issued earlier this year at the request of the locals. The recommendations are based on studies of the pay of other workers in the city who do work similar to the DC 37 members.

The comptroller sought the OATH hearings because the city refused to accept the findings. Unless both sides accept the results of the hearings, the matter will ultimately wind up in court. Sewage Treatment Workers and Sr. STWs Local 1320 received a favorable court decision on its prevailing-rate case and awaits a final determination from Comptroller William Thompson.

More locals in cyberspace

As part of their battle against layoffs, Social Service Employees Union Local 371 and Wildlife Conservation Society Local 1501 have posted videos on YouTube.

In the Local 371 video, Local President Faye Moore and members describe the ruinous impact the hundreds of layoffs at the Administration for Children’s Services will have on city programs to prevent child abuse. To view the video, go to www.youtube.com/500jobs.

The video depicting Local 1501’s struggle against nearly 50 layoffs at the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium was the second produced by the Public Employee Press for DC 37 locals.

Filmed by PEP Photographer Clarence Elie-Rivera, with interviews by Sr. Associate Editor Gregory N. Heires, the video features commentary by Local 1501 President Robert Herkommer and members about the devastating effects of the layoffs and budget cuts. View the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pbMmXfCBWM.

PEP’s first video, produced by Elie-Rivera and narrated by Local 1320 President James Tucciarelli, shows the struggle of Sewage Treatment Workers and Sr. STWs for a new contract. You can see it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWXlbeeRLr4.