Local 237 Sues City for Unpaid 1% Increase

By HOWARD MEGDAL

Teamsters Local 237 has filed an improper practice charge against the Bloomberg administration, saying it has not negotiated in good faith on a possible 1-percent productivity raise from the union's 2002-2005 contract.

The agreement between the city and Local 237 called for an additional salary increase if the union produced the savings to fund it.

'Members Deserve It'

"Our members have worked hard for this and certainly deserve the 1-percent productivity increase that is called for in the contract," union President Carl Haynes said in a statement.

The union believes that such savings were possible in a number of ways, including replacing some private employees doing city work with members of Local 237. According to the union, the city refused to consider those proposals.

District Council 37, the first union to negotiate the productivity deal in that bargaining round, had the hike implemented for its members 16 months ago.

Calls to Commissioner of Labor Relations James F. Hanley seeking comment were not returned.