Public Employee Press

Arbitration protects job opportunities for Clerical Associates in Local 1549

Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 won a reverse out-of-title arbitration in November involving 104 positions at the Dept. of Buildings.

“This started out at a chapter meeting where rank-and-file activists told me that other employees were doing the work of our members,” said Ronnie Harris, director of the DC 37 Clerical-Administrative Division.

The problem was that management was routinely assigning employees in other titles not in the bargaining unit to do clerical jobs in all their work locations.

Council Reps Eileen Heaton and Jestina Roberts participated in the team that prepared the paperwork and testimony for the arbitration. Attorney Alan M. Brown from the DC 37 Legal Dept., representing Local 1549, presented clear evidence that individual employees in various nonclerical titles were performing the work of Local 1549 members on a regular basis.

Now, according to the arbitrator’s decision, when the positions become available through attrition, they will be filled by Clerical Associates — members of Local 1549.

“This arbitration decision is a victory for the civil service system, and it shows why it’s important for members to pay careful attention to who is doing our jobs, to let us know at the union and to come to meetings and help map out strategy for protecting our rights,” said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.