Public Employee Press

Tow drivers bust NYPD on snow pay

Snow problems melted fast for six Brooklyn Traffic Enforcement Agents when the union forced the Police Dept. to pay them each $385 for working 18 hours, including overtime, the day of the great Christmas 2010 blizzard.

As the storm swallowed New York, managers waffled on whether the TEA-3s should report to work - a big problem with the city buried under two feet of snow in its sixth worst snowstorm ever.

The tow-truck drivers waited hours on standby for police vans dispatched to bring them to the Brooklyn tow pound, an 8-hour trip. "When we saw our paychecks were short that day's pay and the overtime, we called the union and decided to fight," said TEA-3 Clarence Hines, a 25-year veteran from Staten Island.

With Robin Roach of the DC37 Legal Dept., Local 983 Grievance Rep Marvin Robbins filed a group grievance demanding pay from the time the members entered the van. "It felt like we were robbed of our time and money until DC37 stepped in," said TEA-3 Joel Fernandez of Far Rockaway. By issuing summonses and towing illegally parked vehicles, TEA-3s generate over $600 million for the city every year. At Step 3, the hearing officer and Police Dept. brass agreed to pay the six TEA-3s named in the grievance.

Meanwhile at the Bronx tow pound, the Integrity Control Sergeant ordered three TEA-3s to shovel snow. Local 983 filed an out-of-title grievance that won them Laborer wages. "Workers can be asked to volunteer to remove snow or perform other out-of-title work, but the agency cannot make them do it," explained Robbins.

"Members should not be afraid to sign a grievance. If more members had come forward, more would have gotten paid," said Local 983 President Mark Rosenthal. "No member should be afraid of retaliation. We will always fight to protect our members."