Public Employee Press

Bargaining News
Union presses prevailing rate struggles,
gets pay dates for HPPTs and CUNY employees

The union continues to press for new contracts for blue-collar locals whose members have opted to pursue their rights under Section 220 of the labor law, a process that involves using a survey by the Comptroller’s Office to determine their salaries.

On Sept. 24, after this article went to press, the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings was scheduled to hold hearings on DC 37’s request that a judge order the Comptroller to issue a final “determination” on the pay of Radio Repair Mechanics in Local 1087. The union and the city would then need to agree to a new contract — or the matter could wind up in court.

DC 37 has also petitioned OATH to require the Comptroller to issue a finaldetermination dealing with Sewage Treatment Workers and Sr. STWs in Local 1320.

Associate General Counsel Mary J. O’Connell and Sr. Assistant General Counsel Steven Sykes are working with the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept. on the prevailing-rate cases. O’Connell said the union is also pressing the Comptroller to release the findings of its surveys on Laborers in Local 924 and Locksmiths in Local 1087.

New pay dates for CUNY workers
Workers at CUNY’s senior colleges will receive raises and retroactive pay under their new contract Nov. 6.

The community colleges provided the back pay and the contract’s first two rate increases in September. They will implement the contract’s third salary increase on Oct. 17; the senior colleges will provide for all increases in November.

DC 37 has eight local unions in thecity university system: 384, 375, 983, 1407, 1597, 1797, 2054 and 2627.

$24,000 retro pay and raises for HPPTs in October
On Oct. 31, High Pressure Plant Tenders in mayoral agencies and the Health and Hospitals Corp. will each get about $24,000 in retroactive pay.

The HPPTs will also receive the salary increases due under their new contract in October.

Pay increases total over 16 percent under the pact, which runs from July 2, 2002, to June 30, 2008.