Protest Current System

The union representing School Safety Agents has urged the city to hold civil service exams for the different positions within that title, arguing that competitive tests will boost morale, help retain skilled officers, and reduce arbitrary promotions.

GREGORY FLOYD: Wants competitive tests. Currently, individuals interested in becoming School Safety Agents must apply directly to the Police Department's personnel bureau. Also, promotions to the two higher levels within the title are made at the discretion of management. 'Need Equal Opportunity'

"We don't want to hand-pick people to promote them to supervisors," said Gregory Floyd, the Teamsters Local 237 secretary-treasurer, after he testified before the City Council Civil Service and Labor Committee hearing concerning the matter. "We want a competitive exam to establish a list where there is equal opportunity for promotions."

It is unclear where the city stands on the testing issue. A representative from the Bloomberg administration attended the hearing across from City Hall at 250 Broadway, but did not testify. Mark Daly, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services spokesman, declined to comment.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: Need Taylor Law balance. In April 2003, Mr. Floyd said, the union broached the subject with Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. "He said he was not opposed to the civil service status," Mr. Floyd remarked. "What he wanted was the information on why Governor Pataki vetoed the [1997] legislation."

That bill would have granted civil service status for the title, but Mayor Giuliani lobbied against the move at the time. School Safety Agents then were working for the old Board of Education. In December 1998, the title was taken over by the NYPD.

'Hope Kelly Supports Us'

"He's had a long time to think, and we hope that with the result of these hearings he'll take action and support us on this," said George Geller, Local 237's legal counsel, referring to Mr. Kelly.

The issue, which would involve changing the city's Administrative Code, may be handled on the local level. "We don't need legislation done by Albany; it could be done by the city," contended Tania Lambert, Local 237's recording secretary. "I think underneath lies the fear in their minds that this might mean they would have to pay more. I believe that's the bottom line."

Labor Committee Chair Joseph P. Addabbo added, "Obviously, if they want it done, they can probably do it."

Mr. Floyd noted that civil service status is not a collective-bargaining issue, because it does not directly involve wages. According to Mr. Floyd, several officers from each new class of safety agents are typically promoted within days to the higher-paying Level II and Level III jobs, arbitrarily leapfrogging colleagues who have worked in the entry-level position for years. "The School Safety Agents that have been here for a long time do not have any advancement, and they don't see the value of staying," he testified.

An Exodus to CO Jobs

Many of the agents have become Correction Officers, he said. "I went to a Corrections graduation, and I had more members graduating that class than I have in similar agencies," he added. Local 237 represents approximately 3,900 School Safety Agents.

More than 100 of them attended the hearing. A group of approximately 30 agents, however, waited in the building's lobby because there wasn't enough space inside the 16th floor hearing room.

Mr. Floyd and other union representatives charged that the NYPD was trying to prevent its members from attending the hearing. School Safety Supervisor Lindsey Martinez stood at the building's entrance writing down the names of the officers who showed up, according to Mr. Floyd. Many of the officers, he added, were denied leave time.

"You can't give everyone off," he observed. "However, there should be a percentage of agents that you can give off without disrupting operations."

Fears Retaliation

He continued, "There are some people who may get demoted because of today; that's unfair. It's just a blatant abuse of authority by management."

Mr. Addabbo also voiced his dismay that agents were being discouraged from coming to the hearing. "I'm of the belief that if somebody wants to take off from work for whatever reason ... they should not be given a problem for being here today."

Inside the hearing room, several officers sat attentively on wall ledges, while many spilled out of the committee room's open doors. The large turnout, Mr. Floyd asserted, demonstrated the officers' frustration with the job.

School Safety Agents are peace officers who undergo eight weeks of instruction and must meet training and physical qualifications. Since switching to the NYPD, agents' job duties have been expanded to include patrolling synagogues, outside of schools, and gas stations. "I don't think anyone would disagree about the risk taken by School Safety Agents in their job performance duties," Mr. Addabbo remarked.

Only Title Lacking

Local 237 officials pointed out that the title is the only city peace officer position that does not have full civil service status.

Mr. Geller commented that he is "guardedly optimistic" the city would confer that status on School Safety Agents. "I don't see that anybody could legitimately oppose this," he observed.

Mr. Addabbo said that he would "get to the root" of where the administration stands on issue. "It's promising to hear that Commissioner Kelly didn't oppose it right off the bat. Obviously, that gives us a little green light."