Six Local 2627 members won a total of $7,000 after CUNY admitted changing their schedules to avoid paying overtime during college registration periods.

Ordinarily, the workers at the College Computer Center of Borough of Manhattan Community College could count on extra money during registration weeks. But in the fall of 2001, the administration imposed new schedules so the workers wouldn’t have to stay late.

“Ordinarily we have extended days during registration,” said Local 2627 Trustee Robert Ajaye, the shop steward and an Information Systems Specialist. “But in this case, management did things like forcing people who usually came to work at 9 in the morning to arrive at 12 instead and stay to 8. They changed my hours from 9 to 5 to 6 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon.”

The scheduling changes imposed hardships. Workers had to scramble to arrange for child care, and they missed nighttime classes. In some instances, the new schedule made their commute longer.

The Local 2627 members filed a grievance last April to demand compensation for the lost overtime pay. CUNY and the union settled the dispute in November.

“Management just callously moved ahead with a scheduling change without considering that it could disrupt the lives of our members,” said Local 2627 President Edward W. Hysyk, who is also secretary of District Council 37.

“Thankfully, we have a contractual protection against such abuse,” he said, pointing out that the white collar contract at CUNY prohibits the administration from altering workers’ schedules to avoid paying overtime.

The six Local 2627 members play an important support role during registration, which occurs in the spring, summer and fall. If the computers go down, clerical workers are unable to sign students up for courses.

Mr. Ajaye handled the grievance with help from DC 37 Rep Tyler Hemingway. Besides Mr. Ajaye, the other grievants were Sandy Breeden, Mohammed Chowhury, Terrence Dunne, Kenneth Kemp and Victor Mahatheva. The individual awards ranged from $343.78 to $3,299.17.