Public Employee Press

Salary Panel wraps up hearings, moves ahead to deliberations

A panel formed to study the salaries of specific job titles is beginning the lengthy process of considering proposals from DC 37 locals. The DC 37/City Salary Review Panel wrapped up its hearings on Sept. 24. In the next several months, the panel will study the union’s salary proposals.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts described the panel as a vehicle to deal with salary inequities that cannot be addressed through across-the-board pay increases in the union’s economic agreements.

That is why, she noted, DC 37 pressed to create the Salary Review Panel during negotiations for its 2005-08 economic agreement. Leaders of six union locals made proposals at the final hearing on Sept. 24. A number of other locals made presentations at hearings earlier this year. In addition, the union has submitted written proposals on behalf of several locals.

Panel hears proposals from locals
The local presidents who presented proposals on Sept. 24 included Veronica Montgomery-Costa, president of Board of Education Employees Local 372 and of DC 37; Maf Misbah Uddin, president of Accountants, Actuaries and Statisticians Local 1407 and treasurer of DC 37; United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists Local 436 President Judith Arroyo, and Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375 President Claude Fort.

In addition, Local 371 Vice President Anthony Wells made a presentation. And a team of leaders — President Juan Fernandez, Vice President Mark Heron, chapter chairs Ginna Cooper and Ted Manessis, and William Garfinkel — spoke on behalf of Amalgamated Professional Employees Local 154.

The members of the Salary Review Panel are Dennis Sullivan, director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept.; Pamela Silverblatt, 1st deputy labor commissioner; and Marlene Gold, head of the impartial Office of Collective Bargaining, who was chosen by the union and city as the neutral party. The parties must identify funding sources for any increased compensation.