Public Employee Press

Local 1549 grievance wins extra money for clerical worker

"There is no reason you should be taken advantage of when you are contributing to the success of your agency."
—Michelle Robles, Clerical Associate II

Filing a grievance over out-of-title work put money in the pocket of Local 1549 member Michelle Robles - the difference between her Clerical Associate I salary and the base pay of the Clerical Associate III title.

For more than two years before she understood that she was working out-of-title and deserved higher pay, Robles had essentially given away her valuable technical computer skills to the Health Dept.

Her job title was Clerical Associate I, but management had her doing technical support, training and troubleshooting, maintaining and testing applications and helping contractors and business analysts make changes to the agency's applications - tasks in the job description of a CA III.

"I put off filing a grievance because I was worried about rocking the boat and backlash," Robles said. Management promised a promotion but kept changing her supervisor and re-evaluating her until she "got sick and tired of being taken advantage of by this 'bait and switch' routine."

Robles went to the union and Clerical Division Grievance Rep Donna McDuffie filed her grievance, which at first got no response. The day before the case was going to be heard at Step 3, management "agreed to give her the difference between her CA I salary and the CA III pay," McDuffie said. "This is important because people should be compensated for the work they do."

"Donna McDuffie listened to me and was committed to getting what I deserved. She was thorough and dedicated," said Robles, who offered some advice to other members: "Too many people are working out-of-title. Don't be afraid to fight for what you deserve. You work hard every day."

Clerical Division Director Ronnie Harris said the case underscores the importance of the union contract, which provides for grievance rights and out-of-title work cases.

Update: As Robles pursued her grievance, she also took the competitive exam for Clerical Associate. She was called from the list and is now a CA II in the Human Resources Administration.