Public Employee Press

CUNY Workers: Contract Now!

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

The union is pumping up the volume on contract talks with CUNY, where DC 37 members have gone six-and-a-half years without a raise.

"Our members are very frustrated," said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. "The last contract expired six years ago. We want to work with the CUNY administration to get a settlement as soon as possible."

Contract talks stalled during the administration of former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

Last summer's settlement of the union's contract affecting 100,000 municipal employees should have opened the way for talks with the City University of New York, but negotiations are moving slowly.

"Months have gone by, but we have yet to see an offer from CUNY," said Associate Director David Paskin of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept., who is the union's chief negotiator for the 10,000 members working for the public university system.

The DC 37 CUNY negotiating committee presented its demands in November. Subsequently, the union's CUNY white collar and blue collar units (which deal with working conditions) held bargaining sessions with management.

Cuomo's influence

The union's demands call for a fair, reasonable and substantial wage increase; the replacement of a reduced hiring rate with a new minimum; extra funding for specific unit and title needs and the flexibility to reallocate part of the general collective bargaining increase to address specific needs other than the contractual rate increases.

Historically, the CUNY contract follows a blended pattern of the DC 37's major economic agreement with the city and New York State's model contract. Accounting for more than 45 percent of the CUNY budget, the state strongly influences negotiations. The city accounts for 10 percent of the budget, and tuition makes up the remaining portion.

The union believes Gov. Andrew Cuomo is insisting that CUNY follow the pattern established by the 2011-2016 contract of the Civil Service Employees Association. That five-year agreement calls for a three-year wage freeze, a $1,000 lump-sum payment, increased health-care premiums and 2 percent pay increases in 2014 and 2015.

DC 37 officials point out that the economic climate has improved since that contract was negotiated. Furthermore, CUNY cannot scream poverty since it will benefit from a $3.4 billion health-savings plan that municipal unions negotiated with the city last year to help fund pay increases.

"It is unfair to force the state pattern on us since we are negotiating under different circumstances," said Uma Kutwal, who is the president of Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375's chapter at CUNY.

"State workers have a step-pay plan that guarantees them a raise even if their contractual pay rates are frozen. We don't have a step-pay plan," said Local 375 President Claude Fort.

Incensed workers

"Members are angry because they have gone more than six years without a contract and without a raise," said Robert Ajaye, president of Data Processing Employees Local 2627.

"This has occurred while the economy has picked up, CUNY is starting to save on its medical expenses and the administration has supposedly imposed a 'pause' in hiring to save money. But if you look at this situation objectively, you can only conclude that the money is there for a fair wage increase right now."

"It's time for these people to settle the contract," said Joe Puleo, president of Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983. "Our members' expenses have increased while they've struggled to get by on stagnate wages. We would hope they will get pay increases above the cost of living after being forced to live on frozen salaries for so long."

Besides locals 983, 2627 and 375, the union locals with members at CUNY include City University of New York and Educational Opportunity Centers Local 384, Custodial Supervisors Local 1797, College Assistants Local 2054, Accounts, Actuaries and Statisticians Local 1407 and Custodial Assistant Employees Local 1597.

For many members, the particulars of the negotiations process are beside the point. After being financially squeezed for nearly seven years, they simply would like to have a salary boost.

"Morale is down," said Terry Dunn, who works at Borough of Manhattan Community and is Local 2627's treasurer. "The cost of food, transportation and rent has gone up. People are struggling with mortgages. But our pay has remained the same."

"Unfortunately the governor wants to impose a triple-zero contract without considering the fate of the working people," said Local 1407 President and DC 37 Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin. "We must continue to fight until are offered a fair and equitable contract."