By GREGORY N. HEIRES
The union is pressing the city Law Dept. to stop locking employees
into dead-end jobs and contracting out their work.
On Sept. 5, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts headed a union
delegation that met with Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo to
raise the concerns of Claims Specialists, who are demoralized by
the lack of promotional opportunities.
“Management has been giving more complex work to our members
without recognizing them,” said Juan Fernandez, president of
NYC Amalgamated Professional Employees Local 154, which represents
Claims Specialists. “That is intolerable.”
Ms. Roberts said the Sept. 5 meeting provided a forum for pressing
the union’s issues. But she charged that the department is
dragging its feet in addressing members’ concerns.
“We’re going to keep the pressure on,” she said.
In a follow-up letter on Sept. 24, the Law Dept. provided some information
requested by the union but made no commitment about future promotions
and didn’t deal with the wasteful contracting out.
“In recent years, we have had many similar discussions with
the Law Department and the Office of Labor Relations, but it does
not seem that we are any closer to a resolution,” replied DC
37 Professional Division Director Stephanie Velez. “Our members
remain frustrated, and morale has certainly suffered.
Claims Specialists investigate, negotiate and adjust claims against
the city. They save millions of dollars by protecting the city from
excessive settlements and uncovering fraudulent charges.
At the Sept. 5 meeting, Local 154 Law Dept. Chapter Chair Morris
Johnson described the career roadblocks. Earlier this year, his
out-of-title grievance won him $20,000, but not a well deserved
promotion. Recently, he filed another grievance, charging that the
agency still assigns him to out-of-title work.
In the Law Dept., he said, the vast majority of Claims Specialists
are at Level 1, which pays about $32,000. In other agencies, such
as the Comptroller’s Office and MTA New York Transit, a significantly
higher percentage of the workers are at Level 2 and Level 3, which
pays some $47,000. The Local 154 team at the meeting also included
Vice President Pauline Murray.
Ms. Roberts criticized the agency’s growing reliance on the
anti-union and wasteful practice of contracting out. The practice
began during the Giuliani administration, but the trend has continued.
She urged Mr. Cardozo to beef up the agency’s civil service
workforce instead. At Local 154’s request, DC 37 sued the city
in May to force it to schedule a promotional exam, which will be
held next year.
Up until two years ago, Claims Specialists did many of the so-called
50-H hearings. Between February and June, the Law Dept. paid nearly
a half-million dollars to outside contractors for the 50-H hearings,
according to research recently conducted by Local 154.