Bargaining units are making headway in their negotiations over how to allocate the 1 percent additional compensation provided by the 27-month 2000-2002 economic agreement.

"We are in the final stages of unit bargaining," DC 37 Research and Negotiations Director Dennis Sullivan said. "The units are crafting their plans for using the additional compensation."

The 2000-2002 agreement calls for two 4 percent raises and, effective at the end of the contract (June 30), additional compensation equivalent to 1 percent of the Dec. 31, 1999 payroll.

On Aug. 13, School Crossing Guards in Local 372 voted for a creative plan to fund four additional paid holidays: Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving and Veterans Day.

A first for DC 37
The Crossing Guards, who work for the Police Dept., are the first DC 37 group to use a unique provision of the economic agreement that lets units devote all or part of the second 4 percent hike to a payment other than the wage increase. To fund the holidays, the SCGs decided on a second raise just under 3 percent and combined the extra money with the additional compensation.

"Sometimes we would lose three days of pay because Veterans Day and Thanksgiving would occur in the same pay period. It wasn't fair," said School Crossing Guard Mary Ann Napolitano.

"I started in 1974, and we never had those holidays," said Roma Jean Brown, a member of the bargaining committee. "Now that I am going to retire, I feel proud that I have accomplished something this important for my coworkers."

With the additional compensation, the bargaining units may consider options such as across-the-board salary increases, annuities, assignment differentials and recurring increment payments (RIPs).
The Local 372 units at the Board of Education decided to use the additional compensation for across-the-board raises.

On Aug. 14, the Cultural Institutions and Libraries Tripartite unit concluded negotiations in which they decided to use the additional compensation for longevity payments: $251 on the seventh anniversary on the job, an additional $502 at 10 years and an extra $693 at 15 years.

Progress in many areas
On Aug. 21, Local 375 had scheduled a special delegates meeting to consider two additional compensation packages recommended by the executive board. Both include increases for the under-compensated titles of Inspectors and Technicians plus a longevity for Criminalists. The delegates will make the final recommendation to the general membership.

Other units also report progress: