-
Union Pushes Administration on Budget Cuts Saves Job Training Program A new group of JTPs walking the grounds of Flushing Meadows Park in Queens DC 37 Field Rep Viviana Elivo collects a signed union card from a new JTP worker during orientation, Fatima Batchelor in standard uniform at the Workforce Development Hiring Center in Queens Story and Photos by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN District Council 37 made headline news in December 2023 after taking the difficult steps of suing the City over proposed budget cuts that jeopardized the Job Training Participant (JTP) Program. The JTP program began as a temporary employment solution to help welfare recipients transition back into the workforce. Those accepted into the program work four days a week at either the Parks Department, Sanitation Department, or within the Human Resources Administration. JTP job responsibilities vary depending on the agency. For example, JTPs in Parks perform daily operations from custodial maintenance and clerical work to customer service, including seasonal responsibilities like snow or leaf removal. JTP workers are hired by the City as full-time equivalent staff. Participants who are referred to the six-month program meet with a career coach, receive job training, and have access to continuing education courses like security training, driver’s education, OSHA certification, and preparation to pass [...] — Mar 27
-
Union Gets Pay Increase, Bonus for City Lifeguards By MIKE LEE As negotiations for a unit contract continue, the City’s Lifeguards agreed to a deal on salary increases and retention bonuses for seasonal and chief lifeguards beginning this summer. The Feb. 1 agreement between the Parks and Recreation Department and DC 37 is a lifesaver for the frontline workers who keep the City’s beaches and swimming pools safe. In the last decade, City Lifeguards have performed many rescues, particularly at beaches like Rockaway Beach in Queens, known for dangerous riptides. Last fall, the DC 37 members celebrated a significant milestone of 10 consecutive seasons without a drowning while on duty. Many incoming lifeguards are just out of high school but quickly adapt to the responsibilities of staying alert for long hours, at times called on to save lives at the City’s eight public beaches and 53 outdoor pools. Lifeguards are well-trained in CPR, first aid, and rescue techniques. Faced with the after effects of the pandemic and historically uncompetitive pay, the City realized help was needed to retain these young workers in the face of a national lifeguard shortage. With swim season approaching, the union pressed forward with the Parks Department to negotiate on behalf of the Lifeguards [...] — Mar 27
-
New Law Guarantees Pension for City Workers in Board of Education System By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN One of the many perks of being a City employee is a competitive benefits package, including a pension plan to mitigate living expenses after retirement. Those employed by the New York City Board of Education also have access to disability insurance, death benefits, deferred vested benefits, and a tax-deferred annuity program through their enrollment in the retirement plan. Krystyna Naprawa, a dedicated school crossing guard and member of Local 372 NYC Board of Education Employees, tragically lost her life last October while on duty at a busy intersection in Queens. Shortly after her passing, her family discovered she had no City pension. Although state law requires employers to notify workers of their optional eligibility at the time of employment, many do not take the extra step to enroll in the retirement plan. As a result, these workers miss out on years’ worth of time-earned benefits and the financial security those benefits would have provided in retirement. Many employees fail to join the retirement system not deliberately, but because they did not realize an action on their part was required. “Imagine dedicating your entire working life to serving the city, and when you can’t work anymore you have [...] — Mar 27
-
New Contract for CUNY Members Secure Wage Increases, Retro Pay Photo above: CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido shake hands upon reaching a tentative agreement. Photo: CUNY / Marcus Beasley By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN The start of 2024 brings good news to the members of eight locals whose members are employed by the City University of New York (CUNY). The District Council 37 Bargaining Committee secured a strong five-plus-year contract for Locals 375, 384, 983, 1407, 1597, 1797, 2054, and 2627, whose members voted to ratify by 98.4% on Feb. 12, 2024. The agreement was presented before the CUNY Board of Trustees and approved on Feb. 20, 2024. The new agreement is from June 1, 2021, to Jan. 9, 2027, for a total contract term of 67 months and nine days. The contract secures long-overdue wage increases, retroactive pay, and a ratification bonus while continuing members’ premium-free health benefits. “Our members in the CUNY system demonstrated their unwavering resilience during the pandemic and deserve a contract that reflects their efforts,” said Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director. “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 Gov. [...] — Mar 27
-
Your Union Leadership at Work: Trustees Achieve Enhanced Member Benefits Story and photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ With the start of the new year, DC 37’s Health & Security team is rolling out new benefits to eligible members, thanks to union leaders who serve as trustees for the Health & Security Plan, Cultural Trust Institutions, and New York Public Library (NYPL) funds. Members covered by both the Cultural Institutions and Health & Security Plan trusts are now eligible to receive $300 per week for short-term disability benefits and a $250 optical benefit through a voucher or reimbursement. As of Jan. 1, members at DC 37’s Cultural Institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Bronx Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, Wave Hill, Brooklyn, Queens and NY Botanical Gardens, New York Aquarium, also regained access to the DC 37 Dental Center at 115 Chambers St. NYPL members will be eligible for the $300 short-term disability benefit on April 1 and the $250 optical benefit on May 1. “As trustees, we have two important duties. One is to protect existing benefits for members and the second is to make sure they have benefits in the years to come,” said Local 154 President Juan Fernandez, who serves as [...] — Mar 27
District Council 37
- Union Pushes Administration on Budget Cuts Saves Job Training Program
- Union Gets Pay Increase, Bonus for City Lifeguards
- New Law Guarantees Pension for City Workers in Board of Education System
- New Contract for CUNY Members Secure Wage Increases, Retro Pay
- Your Union Leadership at Work: Trustees Achieve Enhanced Member Benefits