By GREGORY N. HEIRES

DC 37 called for job security, annual wage increases and other contractual improvements Dec. 4 as union and city negotiators opened bargaining on a new economic agreement.

“We are very much aware of the fiscal situation, but we have been very stretched out,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“Our members have performed very loyally and faithfully and deserve a decent raise,” she said. The DC 37 Negotiating Committee, made up of the presidents of the council’s 56 locals, met with city officials at union headquarters. At the 45-minute meeting, DC 37 Director of Research and Negotiations Dennis Sullivan presented the union’s 39 demands to the city (see Demands).

Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley said management would present demands at the next session.

No apologies
“This may be the most challenging time that the city faces in many years, given the recession, the impact of 9/11 and the current budget situation,” said Mr. Sullivan. “Our members expect and deserve contract improvements. But the union doesn’t apologize for being at the table at this time or any other time.”

The talks began with the city facing its greatest fiscal crisis since the 1970s. With a $1 billion gap in the current budget and a $6 billion shortfall predicted for next year, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg several weeks ago convinced the City Council to adopt an 18 percent property tax increase. To address the remaining gap, he is seeking federal and state aid,
additional taxes, and $600 million in union concessions for fiscal year 2004.

Mr. Sullivan described a fair wage increase as the city’s “cost of doing business.” He emphasized that it is not the responsibility of the union “to identify all of the funds for its members’ raises,” though he pointed out that the union does have suggestions for savings.

In May, for instance, Ms. Roberts released a White Paper that discussed how the city could save $600 million without cutting services by making greater use of civilian workers at uniformed agencies, reducing contracting out and reinstating a commuter tax.

Last month, the union released a second study showing that the Dept. of Education could save up to $260 million by eliminating outside contracts and doing the work in-house. (See Contract city, USA, Truck fleet idle, Cyber Waste land and School building heist.)

Besides wage increases and job security, other demands include preserving heath benefits, increasing city welfare fund contributions, an employer match for employee contributions to the 401(k) plan, employer-provided TransitCheks, a child care benefit, and greater protections for provisional employees.

As is customary on the first day of talks, Mr. Hanley responded briefly to the union’s demands. “We take these demands extremely seriously. Even in the darkest hours, we have managed to resolve this process,” Mr. Hanley said.

The 2000—2002 economic pact expired June 30, but Mr. Hanley pointed out that the mayor opposes retroactive pay increases and has indicated that any increases must be funded by productivity improvements.

“Our books are open to you,” said Mr. Hanley. He said a close inspection of the city’s financial records would show how severe its fiscal crisis is.

The union’s demands were proposed by the Negotiating Committee, recommended by the DC 37 Executive Board and adopted in October by the DC 37 Delegates Council.