Public Employee Press

Local 1505 members win two grievances

Two City Parks Workers got what they long deserved when the union settled their out-of-title work grievances and they received a total of $2,800 in back pay.

“We had a supervisor who thought he could make us do whatever he wanted,” said CPW Irene DiGiovanni.

But the union showed him the value of treating members with respect and obeying the contract as Ms. DiGiovanni and CPW Angel Flores won out-of-title work grievances against the Parks Dept. Fighting with them were Local 1505 President Michael Hood, Chief Steward Arthur Elmore and DC 37 lawyer Leonard Polletta.

For seven months, Ms. DiGiovanni was made to supervise a crew of six welfare recipients in a jobs opportunity program. “I had to make sure these women got to the job site and cleaned the parks,” she said. “They had no driver’s licenses and no work ethic. Many times, I wound up doing the work myself. All the responsibility was on me.”

When management paid two male CPWs the $7,000 crew chief differential but gave her nothing extra, “It was the last straw,” she said. At step 3, the parties agreed on a settlement of $2,100.

In the same Astoria district, CPW Angel Flores was ordered to paint 10 park houses. Instead of higher-paid Painters, management often uses CPWs to paint, said Mr. Elmore. “We do patch work,” he continued, “but when you’re painting all day, eight hours a day for six weeks, it’s clear that you’re no longer a CPW.”

His grievance won Mr. Flores $720 in back pay. “I am grateful to the shop steward, President Hood and DC 37,” he said. “I am happy with the outcome.”

“Members have the right to file a grievance if they are doing work beyond their job specs,” said Mr. Hood. “No one has the right to tell a member not to file a grievance. You should be compensated for all the work you’ve done. That’s the way you get respect,” he added.