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Public
Employee Press Union preps for
contract talks By GREGORY N. HEIRES
Union
leaders met Feb. 16 to begin planning strategy and demands for negotiations on
a new economic agreement.
DC 37 negotiators anticipate that the new round
of contract talks will be particularly challenging in light of the poor economy
and the bleak city and state fiscal pictures. But even in this tough negotiating
climate, union leaders said they will be fighting hard for a fair contract.
We
are facing a very interesting and difficult situation, said DC 37 Executive
Director Lillian Roberts, addressing the DC 37 Negotiating Committee, which is
made up of the unions 55 local union presidents.
After additional
meetings, the committee hopes to present the demands to the Delegates Council
in March.
The current economic agreement expires March 2, but its terms
will remain in effect while negotiations proceed.
The pact covers about
100,000 DC 37 members who work in city agencies, the Health and Hospitals Corp.,
the Housing Authority, cultural institutions and libraries.
Roberts led
the meeting with DC 37 Research and Negotiations Director Dennis Sullivan, who
gave an overview of the fiscal and bargaining climate.
The budget
backdrop is not the best weve had, but its not the worst we have coped
with, said Sullivan, pointing out that the city has not put funds for new
contracts in the budgets labor reserve and noting the mayors continuing
pressure for cost reductions of $357 million in health care and $200 million in
pensions.
However, said Roberts, With the citys $9 billion
of wasteful spending on outside contractors and consultants, we are confident
that the money is there for a decent economic agreement for our members, who continue
to deliver great services even as the city cuts its staff to the bone.
Negotiating
Committee members offered suggestions for the unions priorities and strategy
during the upcoming talks. The first thing we are going to be hit with is
the city saying there is no money, said Veronica Montgomery-Costa, president
of DC 37 and Local 372. We have to be prepared to dispute the citys
contention that layoffs and draconian spending cuts are necessary.
The
city is abusing the contracting system, said Local 1087 President Manual
A. Roman, paying contractors far more than members.
The issue is
not to cut expenses but to raise revenues, said Treasurer and Local 1407
President Maf Misbah Uddin. Curbing contracting could fund a good raise.
He also argued that it is disingenuous of the city to scream poverty when it has
up to $4 billion in uncollected taxes.
SSEU Local 371 President Faye Moore
said the union should bargain hard to restore givebacks that the union agreed
to in previous contracts.
Local 154 President Juan Fernandez said the contract
should provide decent pay increases for all workers with extra compensation for
veteran employees.
The public sector has been under attack, and we
have to say we are not going to take this any more, said Neal Frumpkin of
the Retirees Association.
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