Public Employee Press

Union tells CUNY: get serious

The union is pressing the City University of New York to get serious about negotiating a new economic agreement.

The union and CUNY haven't met about the economic contract since late last year, and workers are struggling to get by after going more than six years without a raise.

Activists have sent CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken more than 1,000 email messages and letters, demanding that management return to the bargaining table.

But while economic talks remain stalled, both sides have recently met to discuss working conditions contracts.

On April 20, the union's blue collar committee met with the CUNY administration, and the white collar committee met with management on May 20.

"We are keeping the pressure on the university to make an economic offer," said David Paskin, associate director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept. But he noted that contract talks are also stalled with two other unions - the Professional Staff Congress and Teamsters Local 237 - that represent workers at CUNY.

DC 37 represents 10,000 workers at CUNY. DC 37 locals with members at CUNY include Accountants Statisticians & Actuaries Local 1407, Electronic Data Processing Employees Local 2627, City University of New York and Educational Opportunity Centers Local 384, Custodial Supervisors Local 1797, Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983, Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375, College Assistants Local 2504 and Custodial Assistant Employees Local 1597.

"These are very difficult negotiations," Local 2627 President Robert Ajaye said. "They are more challenging than we anticipated."

In May, Chancellor Milliken responded by email to the union's email and letter-writing campaign.

"Please be assured that the University shares your commitment to successfully completing collective bargaining with its unions," he said. He took issue with the union's contention that the university isn't cash-strapped and can afford raises thanks to a $3.4 billion health-care savings plan negotiated last year by municipal unions and the city to settle outstanding contracts.

"All CUNY employees are covered by the city health-care policy, so we believe CUNY will receive the savings that would significantly help fund the contract," Paskin said.

"The resources and money are there," DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said. "There's no justification for dragging along these negotiations."

The public university system's funding comes from the state, city and tuition. Union officials also believe that the Cuomo administration is holding up a settlement by insisting that the new contract follow the pattern of the economic contract of state workers. That contract includes a two-year wage freeze and health-care givebacks.

— Gregory N. Heires