Public Employee Press

Big raises for Local 1322 members
Economic justice for DEP supervisors

More than 120 Supervisors and District Supervisors at the Dept. of Environmental Protection will get 23 percent pay hikes under a salary adjustment agreement they ratified Jan. 4 by a 77 to 32 vote.

The pact resolves a wage dispute that began in 2002, when Construction Laborers in Local 376 won huge raises after a long fight to force the city to pay them the prevailing rate of comparable private-sector workers. Overnight, the Construction Laborers were earning $10,000 more than their supervisors in Local 1322.

Local 1322 tried unsuccessfully to correct the pay disparity through negotiations, salary review proceedings and arbitration. A breakthrough occurred after former DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway was named 1st deputy mayor in August.

"The agreement shows that labor and management can get things accomplished when we sit down and talk with a commitment to finding a solution," said Local 1322 President Fred Ricci.

Under the agreement, the Supervisors' salary will increase from $66,706 to $81,272, and the pay of District Supervisors will go from $72,794 to $85,336.

"It was a long fight and we are very happy about the outcome," Local 1322 Treasurer Tom Pagliuca said. "From a common-sense standpoint, it was crazy to have people earning less than the workers they supervise."

As the dispute dragged on, the pay difference between the members of the two locals became a problem for the DEP, which found itself unable to fill vacancies by promoting Construction Laborers to the Supervisor position.

Ricci, Pagliuca and the other elected officers and board members served on the negotiating team with assistance from Associate Director David Paskin of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept., the Legal Dept. and DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, who stepped in at crucial moments.

In the agreement, Local 1322 agreed to some givebacks, cutting the annual leave days workers may accrue from 27 to 22 and limiting personal days to two.

"I am glad that DEP and the city finally saw the value of the service we provide," Ricci said. Local 1322 members are responsible for the maintenance of the city's vast sewer and water systems. "Increases this large are unheard of in these tough times, but by paying a fair wage, the city guarantees that the public receives proper services.

"Local 1322 now aims to include the memo of understanding on the salary adjustment in its contract," Ricci said.