Public Employee Press

DC 37 pressures city for more civil service exams, hires

On Nov. 19, DC 37 leaders and activists called upon the City Council to pressure the city to hold more civil service exams, reduce the hiring of temps and to move provisional workers into permanent positions. Several DC 37 members attended a joint hearing of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor and the Committee on Non government Operations.

Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983 President Joe Puleo, decried the downsizing that has occurred in the last 15 years. Many parks workers are provisional and a lot of exams need to be scheduled to fill vacancies, he said.

Michelle Keller-Ng, the 1st vice president of Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375, told the committee the city gave management too much discretion over promotions. Increasing the frequency of exams would restore greater fairness and transparency to the city's employment practices.

Second Vice President Ralph Palladino of Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 complained about the widespread use of temp workers, including 400 at the Health and Hospitals Corp., and the overuse of non-competitive titles performing civil service title jobs.

Local 3621 Uniformed EMS Officers Union President Vincent A. Variale submitted written testimony calling on the city to comply better with civil service standards. Other DC 37 members who testified included Local 983 Treasurer Marlena Giga, Local 983 Shop Steward Benjamin McCloud and Local 983 member Henry Irizary.