State court workers in Local 1070 voted overwhelmingly May 10 to ratify a new 4-year contract that includes an $800 signing bonus and a total wage increase of 8.25 percent.

“We are excited about the new contract because it is consistent with the pattern for other state workers while it also addresses several important needs of our members,” said Cliff Koppleman, president of Court, County and Dept. of Probation Employees Local 1070 and secretary of DC 37.

“We spent over a year at the bargaining table, and we are proud to say that we came up with an agreement that has no givebacks,” Vice President Fausto Sabatino said. “There are modest co-pay increases. But many members will be able to offset their medical expenses through other provisions of the contract.”

A new “Health Option Program,” for instance, lets employees at grade 16 or below with an annual leave accrual balance of eight days exchange three sick days for $400 toward their health-care premium.

Local 1070 also won a substantial increase in funding for the “Quality Through Participation” program, which provides compensation for unreimbursed medical and other personal expenses. Besides covering medical, child-care and elder-care expenses, the program is expanding to include education, training, eye care and corrective lenses. It will now reimburse members for work-related items, including flashlights and office equipment and guns for security guards.

The pact covers about 1,400 Local 1070 members from April 1, 2003, to March 31, 2007. The $800 bonus is pensionable and will go into base salaries on the pact’s last day. Other gains include new longevity money for 25-year workers, two days of bereavement leave for stepchildren, immediate leave credit for new employees, higher death benefits, and improved compensation for personal property damaged on the job. Workers will no longer be forced to take vacation during the end-of-year court recess; instead they may take training classes.

Besides Mr. Koppelman and Mr. Sabatino, the members of the unit bargaining team included Assistant Director Michelle H. Green and intern Jennifer Schecter of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept.; Grievance Rep Steve Schwartz of the Laborers Chapter; Treasurer Janice Swift; Denise Figueroa and Lionel Bajana of the Interpreters Chapter; Christopher Butters and Diane Tylor of the Court Reporters Chapter; Saul Feder and Thomas DeRosa of the Clerical Chapter; and Charmaine Johnson of the Stenographers Chapter.