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New York’s District Council 37 And The City Agree On Contract

Press release from the District Council 37 Web site

“We achieved a contract that provides a sound and significant raise, a major infusion of funding into our welfare fund and the easing of residency requirements,” says DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts

• Highlights of DC 37 Economic Agreement (PDF)*

• DC 37 Fact Sheet on Residency Requirements (PDF)*

District Council 37, the city’s largest public employee union, reached a tentative agreement on July 12 with the City of New York on a new 32-month-2-day wage pact that provides a total of over 10% in wage increases and other benefits, and eases the residency requirements for covered city workers. The agreement covers the period from July 1, 2005 through March 2, 2008.

“We have achieved significant raises for our members, a major infusion of funding for our welfare fund, as well as the easing of the residency requirement,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, who chaired the union’s bargaining committee. “This gives our members the clarity and economic certainty for the future that they require. The lifting of the residency requirement is an historic breakthrough. By getting the City to agree to support legislation that would ease the residency requirements to allow our members to reside in suburban counties of Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland and Putnam counties, we have achieved a goal this union has been seeking for over 20 years.

“I am pleased that we have achieved all this for our hardworking, dedicated workers without givebacks or changes to pension plans or health care coverage.”

Among the highlights of the 32-month-2-day contract are:

• 3.15% increase on base salary on July 1, 2005

• 2% compounded increase on Aug. 1, 2006

• 4% compounded increase on Feb. 1, 2007

• Residency requirement to be expanded to include Nassau, Westchester, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland and Putnam counties.

• The City will increase its contribution to the DC 37 welfare fund.

The ratification process for the contract began with the July 12 vote by the DC 37 bargaining committee, made up of the union’s 56 local presidents. The contract will then be submitted to a special meeting of the Council’s delegate body later this month for a recommendation to the locals on whether to accept or reject the pact. Finally, the American Arbitration Association will conduct a mail ballot of the membership covered by the contract.

District Council 37 represents 121,000 members in more than 1,000 job titles [including library workers] from 56 local unions.

Contact: Donna Silberberg, Molly Charboneau, Rudy Orozco, 212-815-1535

New York City Mayor’s Concerns with Agreement

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, according to a New York Times article, is concerned about the impact of the agreement on the costs of pension and health coverage. He also hopes that the fact that the agreement was made without concessions will be a pattern followed with other unions.

Greenhouse, Steven. "Mayor Vows to Keep Trying for Concessions by Unions." New York Times, July 18, 2006: B6.

National Library Workers Day Stars Recognized At ALA Annual Conference

The 223 National Library Workers Day Stars were listed on a large poster in the Morial Convention Center. Three Stars or Star Supporters stopped by to be photographed with the poster. www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstars.html.

Copyright 2004–2008 ALA-APA. Contact Jenifer Grady, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611, 312-280-2424, jgrady@ala.org for more information.