DC 37, CUNY Reach a Tentative Contract Agreement (Updated)

DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido shakes hands on tentative agreement with Pam Silverblatt of CUNY. Photo: Clarence Elie-Rivera

City University of New York Chancellor James B. Milliken and Henry Garrido, the Executive Director of District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, and its affiliated locals, today announced that a tentative contract settlement has been reached on a collective bargaining agreement covering more than seven years.

The proposed contract covers the period from November 1, 2009 through January 31, 2017 and provides 10.41% in compounded wage increases.  A $1,000 bonus upon ratification of the contract is also part of the terms of the agreement.  The agreement also includes an annual $200 increase to the welfare fund for all active and retired employees.

The deal covers 12,000 members of Locals 2054, 384, 2627, 983, 1597, 1407, 375 and 1797 who work at the university’s 24 campuses citywide.

The agreement, which is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees and ratification by the CUNY members of DC 37, provides much deserved raises for the staff at CUNY and is consistent with the union’s contract with the city that covers 100,000 members who work in city agencies, NYC Health + Hospitals, libraries, museums and other cultural institutions.

“We thank Gov. Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Heastie and Chancellor Milliken for the hard work and leadership that helped secure this agreement, and we thank the members of DC 37, who provide the vital support services that help make CUNY one of the finest public institutions of higher learning in the country,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido.  “Today, their patience and commitment bore fruit with an agreement that truly helps provide them with the economic certainty that had been elusive for too long.”

“Our dedicated CUNY employees represented by District Council 37 provide invaluable service to the entire University community.  Through the negotiating process, we successfully reached an equitable settlement that delivers increased compensation and benefits for our outstanding workforce,” said Chancellor Milliken. “We join Henry Garrido in commending our state and city funding partners, and we recognize Henry’s leadership and resolve in his vigorous representation that led to this fair and balanced economic agreement. We look forward to reaching an agreement with PSC and the other unions that represent additional CUNY faculty and staff soon.”

Leaders for SEIU Local 300 and the New York State Nurses Association also reached settlement with CUNY under similar terms.

Update: June 13, 10:30 a.m.

The term of the CUNY contract is from Nov. 1, 2009, to Jan. 31, 2017. That means the workers will receive virtually all of the pay increase in a lump-sum payment since their expired contract extended back to 2009.

DC 37 and CUNY also agreed to extend the contract by three months in order to add $200 per member to the union’s welfare fund, which covers such benefits as prescription drugs, tuition reimbursement, legal services, dental work and personal services.

CUNY also made the commitment to extend the state’s new $15 an hour minimum wage to its workers during recently concluded contract talks with the union.

For a summary of the CUNY Economic Agreement,  click here. Check back at the DC 37 blog and the CUNY contract website page for more details about the tentative agreement and ratification information.