Public Employee Press

Demolition Inspectors blast pay, file grievance and win

Four Demolition Inspectors received pay increases of about $10,000 each and back pay totaling some $40,000 under an arbitration award.

Arbitrator Mattye M. Gandel ordered the Dept. of Housing, Preservation and Development to boost the salaries of the four members of Real Estate Employees Local 1219 in a ruling on June 1. Gandel also ordered the department to compensate them for out-of-title work dating from the filing of a grievance in May 2006.

“Our members stuck with the case and provided all the information that the union needed to win,” said Local 1219 President Shirley Williams. “We are proud of everyone involved in this victory.”

The grievants — Glen Lewis, Ronald Hayward, Balford Davis and Richard Lotito — are now being paid the difference between the salary of Supervising Demolition Inspector and their job title, Demolition Inspector.

In the ruling, Gandel supported the union’s position that the grievants perform duties substantially different from the responsibilities of their job classification. The crux of the union’s argument was that the grievants generally work on their own without much direct supervision in the office or in the field.

Years ago, the department had nearly 15 Inspectors. But as the city sold off and razed real estate — abandoned and other buildings — the ranks of the Inspectors dwindled while the responsibilities of the workers increased. These days, the Inspectors work closely with contractors throughout the five boroughs, overseeing building demolitions from the planning to the actual dismantling of the edifices.

They oversee complex emergency projects in which buildings face imminent collapse, ensuring that the work is carried out safely. They act as liaisons to the Police Dept., Fire Dept., Dept. of Buildings and other agencies, and they work with community groups as well. They regularly testify on behalf of the department in court proceedings.

“The Inspectors provide the city with very important emergency services outside of the public eye, and it’s nice that they are now getting the greater recognition that they deserve,” Professional Division Director Stephanie Velez said. Williams noted that over the years, Inspectors helped the city respond to several major fires and building collapses, including the St. George Hotel fire in 1995 and the destruction caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Grievant Davis said one of the reasons the workers decided to pursue a grievance was because the agency sought to get them to agree to changes of their job duties and responsibilities without a corresponding pay increase. The workers refused, and then decided to consult with the union, including Williams, who was the local’s vice president and chief shop steward. (Williams became president in September, following the resignation of Mark Breiner.)

Besides praising the grievants for their persistence, Williams also credited Assistant General Counsel Diana York, DC 37 Rep Cynthia Keys-Padilla and Assistant Director Nola Brooker for their contributions to the arbitration victory.