Public Employee Press

Arbitrator orders back pay at DCAS

In the 1970s, women joined together to fight wage and sex discrimination. AFSCME, DC 37’s parent union, led some of the most militant organizing drives to win equal pay for equal work. In 1977, clerks at the Citizens National Bank had to organize a union and go on strike in the middle of a Minnesota winter to get economic justice. The documentary film, “The Wilmar 8,” tells their story.

When Clerical Aide Sandra Ray Leston fought for equal treatment, she, too, needed a union. The Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services directed her to train a male co-worker and then promoted him to a position as her direct supervisor and gave him a huge pay increase. This sparked Leston to take action. DCAS had also been requiring her to perform duties beyond the scope of her title, such as auditing accounts receivable.

Leston did not suffer in silence. She turned to Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 for help.

The union took her February 2004 out-of-title-work grievance up the steps of the grievance process to arbitration. Grievance Rep Eileen Heaton and union attorney Steven Sykes represented her throughout the three-year process.

A check and an upgrade
On Feb. 28, arbitrator Martin E. Henner ruled that Leston was in fact doing out-of-title work more appropriate for a Bookkeeper I. As a result, she will get a check for the pay differential between the two titles.

While the dispute was unfolding, Leston received an upgrade to the Bookkeeper I title.

“It’s satisfying to see that she is about to receive some just compensation,”said Heaton. Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez advised members to follow Leston’s example: “Just because the supervisor says something is part of your job, that doesn’t make it true. Members need to inform themselves,” he said.

Clerical Division Director Ronnie Harris pointed out that knowing the job specifications is an important first step.

“Members who believe they are working out-of-title should consult their shop steward or rep and use the rights we’ve won through collective bargaining by filing a grievance.”

“It seems like it was fair. I’m glad I got it because I know I deserved it. I did the work!” said Leston, whose fight for fair pay could serve as a fit subject for some contemporary filmmaker in search of a story.