Public Employee Press

Local 154 members win pay hikes

Local 154 member Thomas Martins just received a boost for his plan to purchase a home.

Thanks to an out-of-title grievance settlement, Martins will be promoted from Research Assistant to Assistant Chemist, with a $5,500 pay raise.

His new salary will make his future mortgage payments more manageable, and his award of nearly a year’s back pay will help with the down payment.

Last month, the Dept. of Environmental Protection settled a similar grievance with Research Assistant Leonid Tsvitman. Martins and Tsvitman work in Valhalla, where they test water in the upstate reservoir system.

“They make sure the water we drink in the city is safe,” Local 154 President Juan Fernández said. “But they are under-compensated for their work.”

Their grievances, handled by Rep Marianela Santana, are the latest in a series Local 154 has filed in recent years to win better pay and upgrades for the many upstate Research Assistants who are doing out-of-title work.

The local believes DEP has used the Research Assistant title — with its broad responsibilities for conducting studies and collecting information for analysis — to fill many positions that should be paid more.

All together, more than 25 members — including one who got $80,000 — have won an estimated quarter-million dollars, said Assistant General Counsel Leonard D. Polletta, the lead attorney on the cases.

Under their stipulation, Martins and Tsvitman must complete four four-credit college courses related to their work to qualify for the promotions. Both already have college degrees — Martins majored in environmental science and Tsvitman studied oceanography.

But rather than viewing the educational requirement as a burden, they see it as an excellent opportunity to enhance their professional credentials, Martins said.

When they become Assistant Chemists, Martins and Tsvitman will be represented by Local 375. They said they were pleased DEP decided to resolve the grievances rather than to dig in its heels.