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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2024

Governor Hochul announces tentative labor agreement covering over 10,000 CUNY employees

Agreement covers employees from District Council 37, Teamsters Local 237, and SEIU Local 300

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a tentative labor agreement lasting over five years between The City University of New York and District Council 37, Teamsters Local 237, and SEIU Local 300 covering over 10,000 employees, including custodial staff, college assistants, IT and public safety officers. The proposed retroactive contract is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees and ratification by the union membership.

“This tentative agreement will help to ensure that these hard-working employees of The City University of New York are fairly compensated for the work they do every day to support New York’s college students,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is committed to standing up for workers and ensuring they get the wages and benefits they deserve, and we look forward to seeing the full ratification of this agreement very soon.”

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “From public safety officers and nurses keeping our campuses safe and our students healthy to the custodial staff, clerical workers, and IT experts that keep our facilities running, staff employees are part of the backbone of the CUNY system. This contract speaks to the essential role that our DC 37 employees play in maintaining CUNY as a preeminent institution of higher learning. We thank our state and city funding partners and Executive Director Henry Garrido and look forward to building on this momentum to finalize all our pending labor contracts.”

District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said, “Our members in the CUNY system demonstrated their unwavering resiliency during the pandemic and deserve a contract that reflects their efforts. We answered that call through a difficult series of negotiations with CUNY in the face of funding challenges from both the City and State. We thank Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams for helping put a deal together that fairly compensates our members and responds to the new world of work.”

Teamsters Local 237 President Gregory Floyd said, “This was a difficult negotiation, but with the collective efforts of Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams and CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodríguez, we have reached an agreement to bring to our members.”

SEIU Local 300 President Jim Golden said, “Local 300 is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement for all of our members at CUNY. New York City is nothing without its workers. With this contract, they will be able to withstand inflation and the rising cost of living. We’d like to extend our deepest and sincerest appreciations to CUNY, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Mayor Eric Adams for their efforts in ensuring the members of Local 300 get a fair deal.”

The tentative agreement dates differ slightly by union. For DC 37 and its eight locals it begins on June 1, 2021, and expires on January 9, 2027. For the Teamsters, it goes from September 19, 2021, to July 15, 2027. And for SEIU Local 300, from March 1, 2021, to June 19, 2026.