Public Employee Press

Marine workers, others win new agreements

Marine workers approved a contract that generally mirrors the 2010-17 economic agreement that covers most DC 37 members, and High Pressure Plant Tenders in Local 983 reached a settlement with the city that also roughly follows the pattern.

Members of Marine Workers Local 2906 voted overwhelmingly in favor of their new contract on Nov. 5. The mail-ballot vote of the High Pressure Plant Tenders will be counted on Dec. 9.

The union's blue-collar locals negotiate separately from DC 37's other locals. DC 37's general economic agreement usually sets a blueprint for blue-collar workers, though they also have the option of pursuing their wage increases through a complicated survey process overseen by the Office of the Comptroller.

Local 2906's contract provides for a 10.41 percent in wage increase. The contract lasts from Feb. 23, 2010, to June 22, 2017. It includes a pensionable $1,000 signing bonus.

The contract covers Captains, Chief Marine Engineers (Diesel), Chief Maters, First Assistant Marine Engineers (Diesel), Second Mate, Third Assistant Marine Engineer (Diesel), Third Mates, Mariners and Marine Oilers. The workers operate the Dept. of Environmental Protection's sludge boats.

Local 2906 President Jon Bailey said members would have liked to achieve more in the contract. Nevertheless, most members are pleased to be receiving a pay boost at a time when the economy is out of balance for working families, he said.

The proposed contract of Local 983's 200 High Pressure Plant Tenders (known as Plant Maintainer Tenders at Health + Hospitals) calls for an 11.53 percent wage increase from July 1, 2010, to Jan. 31, 2018.

Over the term of the contract, the workers' pay will increase from $31.35 to $35 an hour, which amounts to $73,080 a year. The local agreed to extend the contract in order to round out the hourly pay increase to $35.

"We are happy the contract has no givebacks," Local 983 President Joe Puleo said.

"It's a fair contract," HPPT Chapter Chair Thomas DiNardo Jr. said. "We did the best we could, and we will work hard to get the compensation we deserve in the next round of negotiations."

DC 37's general economic agreement sets what's available for pay increases for blue-collar workers, but the negotiations process is flexible enough to allow for some variation on the pattern. Locals are also free to negotiate on certain non-economic matters.

Local 983, for instance, extended the term of the HPPT agreement and used provisions of the general contract - the $1,000 bonus, extra payments (additions to gross) and funds for additional compensation) - to boost the workers' pay rate.

Local 2906 funded automatic annuity increases in future contracts by agreeing to a contract extension.

— Gregory N. Heires