CONTRACTS

Despite Pandemic, Union Members Votes, Wins New Contract

June 4, 2020 // 0 Comments

By MIKE LEE While COVID-19 raged throughout New York City, the union continued its vital mission in serving the members. An example was the successful negotiation by the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Department with the ADAPT Community Network in April, which includes members of the union’s Social Service Employees Local 215. After a series of intense negotiations with the union and a strong campaign under difficult conditions, ADAPT workers voted unanimously to ratify the contract.  Winning this battle during the lockdown was due in part to grassroots organizing when safety was a key component in informing Local 215 members of the proposed contract, and getting out the vote. At ADAPT, workers are dispersed in 26 different facilities, also known as houses, along with a daycare center. “What we did was go to the main house, and there we got a member to contact the other house that [More...]

Meet DC 37’s New Chief Negotiator

October 2, 2019 // 1 Comment

By GREGORY N. HEIRES Rose Lovaglio-Miller, the union’s new director of research and negotiations, is a union baby. And having grown up in a union family, she brings a deep passion to her job as the chief enforcer of DC 37’s many contracts. “I feel a great responsibility to the membership of the union and want to do the best job I can to help all members,” Lovaglio-Miller said. “Whether we are looking to increase our wages or improve our benefits, the bottom line is, that this is all about fighting for dignity and respect.” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido appointed Lovaglio-Miller to her new position after her predecessor, David Paskin, retired this summer. “We are confident that Rose will be a key force in strengthening our voice at the bargaining table and strengthening the contractual protections members have,” Garrido said. Lovaglio-Miller joined the DC 37 [More...]

Long-time Urban Park Rangers Win Big Raises in New Contract

September 13, 2019 // 1 Comment

By GREGORY N. HEIRES Urban Park Rangers and Associate Urban Park Rangers overwhelmingly approved a new contract that will boost their salaries by nearly 7.5 percent over 49 months. For veteran workers with at least 20 years of experience in the covered titles represented by Local 983, the increase will ultimately bring home more than $9,000 over the duration of the contract. Significantly, the contract also adds three new recurring increment payments (RIPs) to the local’s contract. The old contract included such hikes at the fifth, tenth and fifteenth year of employment. The new agreement calls for additional hikes at three years ($241), seven years ($603) and 20 years ($5,529). “With these RIPs, we are essentially creating a step-pay plan that guarantees our members receive pay increases outside of our regular salary hikes,” Local 983 President Joe Puleo said. “The RIPs are a [More...]

Union, City Settles Preschool Teachers Pay Gap

July 12, 2019 // 0 Comments

After long marches, huge demonstrations and weeks of intense negotiations, the City of New York and the NYC Day Care Council have reached a tentative contract agreement that will benefit more than 4,000 members of Day Care Employees Local 205. At issue is the wide pay gap between teachers who work in community-run preschools — which enroll the bulk of students in the city’s free, universal pre-K program — and those who teach in public school classrooms overseen by the education department. The new agreement would steadily boost salaries for pre-K teachers over three years, eventually matching what starting teachers in public schools make. Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called the agreement historic, and noted the past difficulties of recruiting and retaining educators at community-based centers. DC 1707 Executive Director Kim Medina praised the Mayor [More...]

David Paskin, Union’s Long-Time Negotiator, Retires

June 30, 2019 // 0 Comments

By GREGORY N. HEIRES David Paskin, the union’s director of research and negotiations, has retired after working as a negotiator at DC 37 for 32 years. Paskin received a warm sendoff at union headquarters on June 17. Speakers praised Paskin for his honesty at the bargaining table and profound commitment to the fight for the dignity of workers. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido appointed Paskin to head the department after the passing of Paskin’s predecessor Evelyn Seinfeld in 2016. Garrido said Paskin “stepped up like the hero he is” to help preserve the union’s bargaining strength. Over the past four years, Garrido and Paskin teamed up to usher the union through a deal for a new 44-month master contract with no givebacks, a multi-billion dollar agreement with the city that preserves the premium-free health-care of members, and a breakthrough of a seven-year logjam in an [More...]

Union to CUNY: Do the Right Thing, Pay Workers Now!

May 8, 2019 // 0 Comments

By MIKE LEE Workers at City University of New York are outraged that, despite having reached a quick economic agreement with the city in November 2018 and voting overwhelmingly to ratify that contract the following month, they have yet to receive their pay increase and retroactive pay. Citing unforeseen technical problems in their accounting systems, the university system has failed to issue checks that reflect the new terms of the contract. The union is pushing the university hard to resolve this issue, and union activists joined local presidents to speak out before CUNY’s Board of Trustees at LaGuardia Community College on April 30. “Our members our loyal employees who work hard. Way back in December we ratified a contract with you,” Local 2627 President Laura Morand told the trustees. “You have failed to keep up your end of the contract. Why must we wait so long to get what [More...]

CUNY Workers! Send in Your Mail Ballot to Vote for Your Proposed Contract.

December 13, 2018 // 0 Comments

CUNY workers! Time is running out to vote on your proposed contract. Please vote YES to ratify this agreement and mail in your ballot today. DC 37 and the City University of New York agreed on Nov. 1 to a tentative 52-month contract that provides an 8.24 percent raise with no givebacks. The pact covers 10,000 CUNY employees represented by DC 37 in locals 375, 384, 983, 1407, 1597, 2054 and 2627. A few weeks ago, an informational packet and a ballot was mailed to DC 37 workers who work in the city’s public university system. Anyone who did not receive the mailing should call the independent American Arbitration Association at 800-529-5218 in order to be able to vote on the contract. Please mail in your ballot today! Your mail-in ballot must be received by 9 a.m. on Dec. 18. Walk-ins are not permitted. For more information, please contact your local president or union rep, or check [More...]

Union Holds Information Sessions about the Tentative CUNY Contract

November 21, 2018 // 0 Comments

District Council 37 will hold lunch-time meetings about the proposed 52-month contract for 10,000 CUNY workers around the city. “We want to make sure our members at the City University of New York are well-versed on the terms of the contract so they can make an informed vote on it,” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said. The union expects to send out an informational packet on the contract that includes a mail-ballot, a summary of the deal and a letter from Garrido, who urges members to vote, “Yes,” by the end of the month. The independent American Arbitration Association will release the vote count on Dec. 18. Here are the scheduled meetings: Queeensborough Community College 222-05 56th Avenue, A-412, Bayside, Queens, New York Medical Arts Building Room 136 (Lecture Room) Tuesday, Dec. 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Baruch College 55 Lexington Ave., New York, New [More...]

DC 37 and City University of New York Announce Tentative Labor Pact

November 3, 2018 // 0 Comments

Nov 2, 2018 – District Council 37, the city’s largest union of municipal employees, and the City University of New York have agreed to a tentative 52-month contract that provides 8.24 percent in raises for the union’s 10,000 members who work in the public university system. The agreement, which is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees and ratification by the CUNY members of DC 37, preserves the premium-free health-care coverage of members, and will include back pay. It also protects the health benefits of CUNY retirees. The agreement also calls for CUNY to increase its annual contribution for education and professional development, and provides extra funds to boost benefits and address pay inequities. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said: “We promised members that we would work to reach an agreement that was fair and negotiated expeditiously. Both sides wanted [More...]

The Contract Vote’s Message

September 6, 2018 // 0 Comments

By HENRY GARRIDO Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO I was happy, to say the least, that our new economic agreement was overwhelmingly approved. A lot of work went into this contract. Many union locals encouraged members to share their ideas about negotiations. We reported on our progress in the union newspaper and blog. DC 37 carried out an on-line survey. Our bargaining team stuck together. And our staffers provided important background to back up our case. The contract provides for a decent wage increase; protects our prescription drug and other benefits; maintains our premium-free health-care plan; significantly boosts funding for our education program — which helps members advance their skills and enrich their lives — and includes our new employer-provided paid family leave benefit — something only about 15 percent of the U.S. workers enjoy. [More...]

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