By GREGORY N. HEIRES

The union is pressing the city Law Dept. to stop locking employees into dead-end jobs and contracting out their work.

On Sept. 5, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts headed a union delegation that met with Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo to raise the concerns of Claims Specialists, who are demoralized by the lack of promotional opportunities.

“Management has been giving more complex work to our members without recognizing them,” said Juan Fernandez, president of NYC Amalgamated Professional Employees Local 154, which represents Claims Specialists. “That is intolerable.”

Ms. Roberts said the Sept. 5 meeting provided a forum for pressing the union’s issues. But she charged that the department is dragging its feet in addressing members’ concerns.

“We’re going to keep the pressure on,” she said.

In a follow-up letter on Sept. 24, the Law Dept. provided some information requested by the union but made no commitment about future promotions and didn’t deal with the wasteful contracting out.

“In recent years, we have had many similar discussions with the Law Department and the Office of Labor Relations, but it does not seem that we are any closer to a resolution,” replied DC 37 Professional Division Director Stephanie Velez. “Our members remain frustrated, and morale has certainly suffered.

Claims Specialists investigate, negotiate and adjust claims against the city. They save millions of dollars by protecting the city from excessive settlements and uncovering fraudulent charges.

At the Sept. 5 meeting, Local 154 Law Dept. Chapter Chair Morris Johnson described the career roadblocks. Earlier this year, his out-of-title grievance won him $20,000, but not a well deserved promotion. Recently, he filed another grievance, charging that the agency still assigns him to out-of-title work.

In the Law Dept., he said, the vast majority of Claims Specialists are at Level 1, which pays about $32,000. In other agencies, such as the Comptroller’s Office and MTA New York Transit, a significantly higher percentage of the workers are at Level 2 and Level 3, which pays some $47,000. The Local 154 team at the meeting also included Vice President Pauline Murray.

Ms. Roberts criticized the agency’s growing reliance on the anti-union and wasteful practice of contracting out. The practice began during the Giuliani administration, but the trend has continued.

She urged Mr. Cardozo to beef up the agency’s civil service workforce instead. At Local 154’s request, DC 37 sued the city in May to force it to schedule a promotional exam, which will be held next year.

Up until two years ago, Claims Specialists did many of the so-called 50-H hearings. Between February and June, the Law Dept. paid nearly a half-million dollars to outside contractors for the 50-H hearings, according to research recently conducted by Local 154.