Public Employee Press

Grievance victory
Computer pro wins $45,000 in back pay

Administration for Children’s Services Tunde Agboola improved his professional credentials by taking computer courses in his time off. When he learned of a Computer Associate 1 (software) opening at ACS in 1999, he jumped at the opportunity and got the job.

During the next few years, Agboola earned certification in networking and other computer skills. As he took on more responsibilities administering the agency’s computer network, Agboola felt he deserved better pay and recognition. He took a close look at the job descriptions of computer titles. Convinced that he was working out-of-title and underpaid, Agboola appealed to his supervisors for a promotion and consulted Shop Steward Peter Jablin.

“We concluded that his responsibilities were substantially higher than his job title,” Jablin said. The grievance argued that he should receive the pay of a certified Local Area Network Administrator 1, which has a salary $14,000 higher than Computer Associate (software) 1.

The union took the grievance to impartial arbitration, which took three years. In March, the arbitrator awarded Agboola $45,000 in back pay. “There is no word to describe my sincere gratitude to the union,” he said. He also appreciated the support of his colleagues, who encouraged him throughout the grievance process.

“This case showed the power of the union, and the value of having a persistent team dedicated to correcting an injustice,” said Ed Hysyk, president of Electronic Data Processing Personnel Local 2627.

After the initial grievance hearing, 2nd Vice President Gary Goff and DC 37 Rep Tyler Hemingway worked with Agboola on hearings and the arbitration, which was handled by DC 37 lawyer Steve Sykes.

“Tunde was determined to win this case and provided the union team with the documentation and the work history we needed to prove our case,” Goff said.

Arbiters can order back pay, but they don’t have the power to promote workers.

“In the end, the agency recognized his responsibility and achievements,” Jablin said, by promoting Agboola to certified Local Area Network Administrator 1.