Public Employee Press

Salary Review Panel
Locals push for extra pay

DC 37 is working with locals on proposals to improve salaries of undercompensated job titles. The 2005-08 economic agreement established a panel to consider the proposals of the union, which must identify funding.

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Several union leaders made presentations in July to a panel that is studying whether certain job titles should receive additional compensation.

The Salary Review Panel, established under the 2005-08 economic agreement, will decide on the merits of the proposals before the pact expires on March 2, 2008. The parties must agree upon funding sources for any improved compensation.

In a marathon session July 17, teams representing 10 union locals appeared before the panel to make their cases for improvements in compensation. Other hearings were held earlier this year.

The three-member panel includes representatives of the city and the union, as well as a third member chosen by both parties. The panelists include Dennis Sullivan, director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept.; Pamela Silverblatt, 1st deputy labor commissioner; and Marlene Gold, head of the impartial Office of Collective Bargaining.

Dr. Leonard Davidman, president of Psychologists Local 1189, appeared with Dr. Michael Marshall, who spoke of the increased responsibilities of members at the Police Dept. since 9/11. Davidman said the disparity between city Psychologists and others worsens with years on the job, leading members to seek employment elsewhere.

Local 1930 President Carol Thomas, Local 1321 President Margalit Susser and Local 1482 President Eileen Muller argued for pay hikes for clericals, Custodians, Librarians and other workers in the city’s three library systems. The union also pressed for better compensation for certain blue-collar titles represented by Local 374 at the New York Public Library; the New York, Queens and Brooklyn botanical gardens; and the Wave Hill garden and cultural center.

Computer Specialist (software) Dana Hudes, speaking for a group of Local 2627 researchers at the Human Resources Administration, addressed pay concerns of his title. Local 2627 President Edward W. Hysyk spoke about pay for other computer titles. President Fred Ricci and Vice President Al Ambrosino of Local 1322 discussed how their members are paid less than the workers they supervise.

Local 768’s team, which included President Darryl Ramsey and members Charlotte Hanrahan and Caroline Hilton, discussed the need to hike the pay of pest control workers. The union pressed for an end to pay disparity among Social Workers at the Health and Hospitals Corp. and throughout the city.

Extensive research
Pressing to improve Chaplains’ salaries were Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, the Rev. Mike Ross, Rabbi Boruch Leibowitz and Local 299 President Lou Sbar. Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez gave an overview of the findings of a study about how the salaries of city clerical workers fall short of the pay of their counterparts elsewhere.

Local leaders told PEP they received critical help from staffers of the union. Important contributions came from Associate Director Evelyn Seinfeld of the Research and Negotiations Dept. and several assistant directors, including David Paskin, Vilma A. Ebanks, Frank Burns, Barbara Terrelonge, Nola R. Brooker, and Michele M. Trester. Other staffers included Clerical-Administrative Division Director Ronnie Harris, Blue Collar Division Rep Wilson Fenty and Dan Persons, assistant to the president of Local 1549.

As PEP went to press, several other locals were wrapping up work to bring proposals to the Research and Negotiations Dept. by Sept. 1 for speedy presentation to the panel.

The economic agreement calls for the panel to consider proposals for titles and occupational groups in four categories:

• workers in revenue-producing titles
• employees in groups that were previously contracted out but now in positions filled by union members
• workers whose duties have evolved to require significant improvements in their skills and responsibilities
• workers whose compensation falls significantly below their counterparts with similar responsibilities in the private sector or comparable state, county or municipal jobs.