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Battery Park City Workers Win First Contract After 24 sessions beginning in November of 2021, Battery Park City Authority members won their first-ever contract in May by 86%. The agreement includes 3% pay increases from 2022 through 2025 and longevity bonuses after five years and every five years thereafter. DC 37 represents 51 members in multiple Battery Park City Horticulture and Maintenance titles. The campaign to represent the workers included demonstrations, t-shirt and button days, letters to legislators, and many meetings with the membership to keep their spirits up during the protracted negotiations. The contract provides the security of knowing their increases, benefits, and protections for the next several years. Previously the workers were at-will employees and didn’t know whether they would get any annual increases. DC 37 continues to organize workers across the city. If you know interested workers, please have them contact the DC 37 Organizing Department at 212.815.1095. — Jun 20
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City Budget Update: Jobs, Funding on the Line By MIKE LEE As the City moves closer to finalizing a budget, several critical areas of New York City’s public services remain at risk of significant cuts in funding. At a May 24 hearing of the New York City Council’s Finance Committee, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke of dire consequences if budget cuts on the table move forward. “We ask for your help. As of last week, we have 25,000 vacancies in the City’s civil service, many in critical positions touted as ‘essential.’ I was notified the New York City Police Department intends to eliminate (nearly) 500 School Crossing Guard positions from the budget out of 2,000 full strength,” said Garrido, who later commented that losing 25% of the workforce is a potential safety risk. “The evidence is clear that in the absence of a school crossing guard in high-volume intersections, you have the most accidents.” Garrido pointed to the city workforce vacancies as adding more stress to an already overburdened workforce. “Three days ago, I went to an agency where folks are being unfairly impacted by overtime mandates. A young woman told me, ‘I haven’t seen my child in a week.’ Mandatory overtime is rampant,” Garrido said. [...] — Jun 20
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State Passes Budget, Raises Minimum Wage for Working New Yorkers By MIKE LEE In a sharp break from typical timelines, the New York State Legislature passed a $229 billion Fiscal Year 2023-2024 State budget in the late hours of May 3, more than a month after the April 1 deadline. After Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her Executive Budget in January, she clashed with legislators over several of her proposals, including the State minimum wage and bail reform, extending the process much further than past budgets. Although several of DC 37’s highest priorities made it into the final compromise, other demands fell short of the union’s expectations. Minimum Wage, Home Care Workers After intense negotiation and lobbying by a cohort of unions, the minimum wage was raised to $16 an hour in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, with annual 50-cent increases until it reaches $17 in 2026. In upstate New York, the minimum wage will rise to $16 an hour by 2026. After 2027, the minimum wage will be indexed to inflation. Home Care workers were initially promised a $1-an-hour increase beginning this October. Instead, NYC-area Home Care workers will receive a $1.55-an-hour raise in January 2024, with workers in the rest of the state receiving $1.35 an [...] — Jun 20
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U.S. Department of Labor Lauds DC 37 Green Jobs Initiative By MIKE LEE The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported on the DC 37 Green Jobs Training Initiative in late April, citing the union’s efforts to “support environmental literacy for public workers,” and discussing DC 37’s commitment to education through the program. “In order to ensure current public workers are qualified to support New York’s public standards as well as attract new workers to the field, the District Council 37 training fund program instructs participants on the implementation of energy operations and measures in large buildings, including commercial, institutional, and residential spaces,” the report stated. The DC 37 Education Fund developed the training program and held its first classes in 2021, training qualified workers to become part of a frontline green workforce. The investment is part of the union’s commitment to creating a sustainable New York City. The program trained 107 students in its first year, including 58 DC 37 members. Students received certifications in Green-oriented subjects, including Environmental Fundamentals, Electric, Mechanical, and Operations & Maintenance — tools central to upgrading buildings and maintenance practices to become more energy efficient. The program received nearly a half-million-dollar grant from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), according to [...] — Jun 20
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Maintaining Wellness at Work and Home By MIKE LEE Members of the six locals in the DC 37 Non-Profit Public Sector Division participated in a March 23 webinar titled Wellness, Healthy Coping, and Resilience during Challenging Times, the first of four mental health and wellness webinars set up in conjunction with the DC 37 Safety and Health Department. The event, presented by Amy Cushing-Savvi, LCSW, an Assistant Director of Social Work at the World Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital, gave the presentation. Cushing-Savvi highlighted the importance of maintaining wellness and emphasized the challenges posed by workplace stress in environments devoted to servicing clients in need. “The webinar gave our members a toolbox for dealing with the incredible stress they face each and every day while providing vital care for the clients they serve with dedication,” said Margaret Glover, President of Local 389 Home Care Employees. “We’re looking forward to attending future webinars on this important topic.” Many members in the Non-Profit Private Sector Division locals work with at-risk communities, developmentally challenged individuals, and adults and young people in congregant care settings. They work in day care, Head Start centers, in private homes and group homes — professions that are among the most stressful [...] — Jun 20