Public Employee Press

Members ratify contract by 96% vote
$1,000 and retroactive raises in October

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Most DC 37 members will see several thousand extra dollars in their October paychecks as the union's new economic agreement with the city takes effect for 100,000 municipal workers.

The union's membership ratified the contract in mail balloting tallied Aug. 5, with an overwhelming 96 percent voting yes. Of the 88,000 eligible voters, 45,561 said yes and just 1,673 voted no.

"I want to thank our members for their overwhelming support for this contract," said Roberts. "This shows what is possible, even in a difficult economic climate, when you have a union that does its research and finds real savings for the city and an administration willing to listen and treat employees with respect."

The 88-month pact provides a $1,000 ratification bonus for full-time workers and pro-rated for part-timers, plus compounded pay increases totaling 10.4 percent, including retroactive 1 percent raises for 2011, 2012, 2013, a 1.5 percent pay hike due Sept. 3, 2014, a 2.5 percent raise as of Sept. 3, 2015, and a 3 percent increase on Sept. 3, 2016. It maintains members' health and welfare benefits with no added out-of-pocket expenses.

A special feature of the new contract is the trailblazing union-city committee to increase promotional opportunities for women and minorities, who have historically been underrepresented in higher-paid positions. Under this first-ever agreement by the city to work with a union to end unfair barriers to career advancement, the committee will recommend training and upgrading programs to the city and the DC 37 Education Fund and could address management's use of the one-in-three rule to block members' promotions.

Roberts called the measure "civil rights for civil service workers."

Money due in October

The October payments will total about $3,600 for an average full-time DC 37 member, whose pay will rise from $42,581 in March 2010 to $47,011 in September 2016. Details of the October payments will vary among employers, but regular gross pay will increase by 4.58 percent for all covered employees once the 2014 increase is implemented.

Mayoral agencies (including Dept. of Education): The Oct. 10 paycheck will include the $1,000 bonus and the two 1 percent raises retroactive to Sept. 3, 2011, and Sept. 3, 2012. The Oct. 24 check will include the 1 percent increase retroactive to Sept. 3, 2013, and the 1.5 percent hike effective Sept. 3, 2014.

At the Health and Hospitals Corp., the Oct. 10 check will include the $1,000 and all four retroactive raises will come in the Oct. 24 check.

The Housing Authority will pay the $1,000 and implement the 2011 and 2012 increases in the Oct. 16 check and implement the 2013 and 2014 increases and include all retroactive payments on Oct. 30.

Cultural institutions and libraries: Schedules will vary, but payments are expected in or by October.

Tax savings: The city and DC 37 considered paying the $1,000 ratification bonus in a separate check, but U.S. Internal Revenue Service regulations would have required tax deductions of 39.6 percent from this - which is much higher than most members will pay with the money included in their regular biweekly paychecks.

Intense negotiations

The contract was settled July 1 after three days of intense bargaining between city Labor Relations Commissioner Robert Linn and the union's Negotiating Committee, made up of DC 37's 53 local presidents, capped by a final phone conversation between Roberts and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The union bargaining team was led by Roberts, Research and Negotiations Director Evelyn Seinfeld and Associate Directors Henry Garrido and Oliver Gray.

The DC 37 Executive Board approved the pact the next day, and the Delegates voted July 8 in favor of the pact. Members discussed the agreement and had their questions answered in July at meetings held at work locations citywide by local presidents and DC 37 field and Research Dept. staff.

Ballots were mailed out July 21 and counted Aug. 5 by the American Arbitration Association under the DC 37 Constitution's mandate that union-wide contract votes be conducted by an independent third party.

"We are very proud of this contract. It's a fair deal in a tough economic climate," said Roberts. "After four years without pay increases, our members will finally see their pay rising so they can start catching up with the cost of living."

Additional contract provisions

The pact covers the period from March 3, 2010, to July 2, 2017. It sets aside additional funds for individual bargaining unit negotiations and allows units to negotiate "gainsharing" agreements where workplace savings would further increase workers' pay.

The final 3 percent pay increase will apply to various additions to gross pay, such as uniform allowances, longevity increases, service increments and assignment and other differentials. Recurring Increment Payments will continue to rise automatically with pay increases.

The city also agreed to address due process rights for provisional workers in the Health and Hospitals Corp., Housing Authority and Dept. of Education, and unfinished salary review discussions were resolved during the negotiations.

This agreement does not apply to prevailing rate workers, City University of New York employees, Urban Park Rangers, Traffic Enforcement Agents, uniformed Emergency Medical Service employees or Fire Protection Inspectors.

The city agreed to offer prevailing rate employees the same wage increases as groups that settled the 2008-2010 round of bargaining and to meet quickly with prevailing rate groups that did not receive the previous two 4 percent increases, and the union is pressing to start CUNY negotiations.