Public Employee Press

Union pushes to speed talks on economic pact

The union is pressing the city to pick up the pace of the bargaining for a new economic agreement.

During her report to the Delegates Council on Jan. 22, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts said she urged Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in January to accelerate the talks.

The union and city last met on Dec. 4. At that session, the city increased its initial wage offer and indicated that it would respond more substantively to the union’s demands in future meetings.

Roberts told delegates that DC 37 anticipated that the city would soon agree to a new bargaining session to get the negotiations back on the fast track both sides had agreed on last year.

The pace of the talks had slowed because of the holidays at the end of the year, the Bloomberg administration’s work on the proposed new city budget, which was unveiled Jan. 24, and the mayor’s out-of-town travel as he explored a run for the White House.

The current economic agreement — which covers nearly 100,000 DC 37 members — expires on March 2. The union continues to hope it will be able to wrap up talks before then. Roberts told delegates that she was angry the pace of bargaining had slowed.

The union seeks a fair, equitable and livable wage.

Other demands include preserving health benefits, increasing the city’s welfare fund contribution rate for workers and retirees, restoring benefits modified in the 2002-05 economic agreement, increasing the 15-year longevity increment and adding a recurring annuity payment and an employer-provided transit benefit.

The DC 37 Negotiating Committee, which is made up of the council’s 56 local union presidents, came up with the demands after meeting over several months last year.

The economic agreement covers members at mayoral agencies, cultural institutions, libraries, the Health and Hospitals Corp., the Housing Authority, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Off-Track Betting Corp.

The terms of the current agreement remain in effect while the negotiations continue.