Public Employee Press

Local 375 members win big bucks
At DEP, where DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Local President Claude Fort recently met with the commissioner, promotions and pay increases are resolving hundreds of longstanding grievances.

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Morale is picking up at the Dept. of Environmental Protection. Hundreds of Local 375 members are getting promotions and pay increases ranging from more than $5,000 to over $20,000.

"It is really like a dream come true," said Steve Awad, president of Local 375's Chapter 8 at DEP.

For years, Local 375 battled the agency over a backlog of more than 300 outstanding grievance cases. If members won, the agency would give them back pay but then reassign them to the out-of-title work, creating scores of "revolving door" grievances.

But in September a breakthrough occurred. DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts joined Local 375 President Claude Fort at a meeting with Commissioner Christopher O. Ward to resolve the logjam. "I am moving from agency to agency, putting the full power of DC 37 behind our locals as they press to improve conditions for members," said Ms. Roberts.

At the meeting, Mr. Ward agreed to direct his staff to address the backlog. So far, the agency says it is willing to promote or provide salary increases for 210 members who have the support of their immediate supervisors and bureau chief. DEP has also pledged to take a closer look and try to resolve the other 100 outstanding cases.

"Every day now, we are able to discuss promotions, grievances and disciplinary issues with management and make progress," said Mr. Awad, who is working closely with Local 375 Rep Karl Toth to process the grievances. "It's a total change."

"We are very pleased with the progress since our September meeting with the commissioner," said DC 37 Professional Division Director Stephanie Velez.

"Apart from just being the proper thing to do, resolving these grievances helps morale and productivity," said Mr. Fort. "It doesn't make sense for any employer to have an undercurrent of resentment and disillusionment because employees feel they are inadequately compensated and unappreciated."

Assistant Civil Engineer Juan Parets won a $7,000 salary hike and $38,000 in back pay for a grievance that stretches back four years. He plans to put the money into his 457 deferred compensation account.

In 1997, the agency increased his responsibilities, putting him in charge of $200 million worth of contracts.
When he initiated the grievance, said Mr. Perets, "I was nervous at first. I feared it wouldn't help my career. But once I saw how structured the process was, I felt more confident."

Mona Abdelmessih, now a City Planner 2, said that before she filed her grievance she had very little contact with the union. She saw DC 37 as an insurance company of sorts, the provider of her prescription card and other benefits.

Now she understands firsthand how the union can use workers' contractual rights to make a real material difference in their lives.

Ms. Abdelmessih won a promotion and a pay increase of about $8,000. She plans to devote her $24,000 in back pay to college education for her two daughters.

Paul Faublas decided to file a grievance because he felt he was being treated unfairly after he was assigned to the position of engineer-in-charge, an in-house (non-civil service) title. Mr. Faublas has now received a promotion with a salary increase of about $9,000 and 15 months of back pay.

"I will use it for some savings, of course, but most of it will go to paying off credit card bills," he said with a smile.