By GREGORY N. HEIRES

New members will no longer face a 90-day waiting period before they become eligible for benefits provided by the DC 37 Health and Security Plan.

The change will be effective July 1.

In addition, said DC 37 Administrator Lee Saunders, “The union is working toward providing coverage for every new member effective on their hiring date.”

Currently, new members qualify for benefits on the first of the month following 90 days of employment. With the July 1 change, the 90-day period is eliminated.

Deputy Administrator Eliot Seide, who chairs the Trustees of the Health and Security Plan, announced the new policy at the June 12 meeting of the District Council 37 Executive Board.

The trustees voted in May to eliminate the waiting period in response to long-standing complaints from local union leaders and new members about the delay.

“We have put an important change into effect, and we are eager to move ahead toward covering new members as soon as they become part of the DC 37 family,” Mr. Seide said.

The trustees established the 90 day waiting period about 30 years ago, in part because it coincided with the city’s delay in notifying the union about new hires. With improved technology and more aggressive leadership at the union, the Board of Trustees felt it is now appropriate to offer the benefits sooner.

“This is a monumental improvement,” said Peter Stein, president of New York City Lifeguard Supervisors Local 508, at the board meeting. Mr. Stein is among a number of local union presidents who over the years have pushed for the elimination of the waiting period.

As of July 1, new members will be eligible for the drug, optical, disability, and dental benefits of the Health and Security Plan without the 90-day waiting period. By working closely with the city and fine-tuning computer operations and procedures within the union, the DC 37 Health and Security Plan expects to ensure that new members are registered for benefits as quickly as possible.

The change does not now affect members who are covered by either the New York Public Library Trust or the trust for cultural institutions represented by DC 37; however, these two trusts usually follow the lead of the DC 37 Health and Security Plan.