Local 237 Pact: 7% Over 2 Years;

Conforms to City Pattern
Local 237 Pact: 7% Over 2 Years


Teamsters Local 237 reached a tentative deal last week that would give 8,300 security officers and other civilian members of the union a 7-percent raise over two years and increase the city's payments to the union's welfare fund.

GREGORY FLOYD: 'Best deal in a while.' The contract covers the period from Sept. 23, 2006 through Sept. 12, 2008, and grants a 2-percent wage increase retroactive to last Oct. 23. Another 5-percent raise will be effective as of April 23.

Who's Covered

School Safety Agents, security personnel in city hospitals and employees in other agencies from Cooks to Attorneys are covered by the pact. The deal follows the pattern set by the United Federation of Teachers and District Council 37 last year. "Good things happen when unions come to the table and make a good-faith effort at reaching an agreement," said Mayor Bloomberg in a statement.

On April 1, full-time workers will receive a $750 bonus and part-time workers will get $375. Employees who work fewer than 17-1/2 hours per week will not receive the payment. The bonus will not be added to workers' base salary, but it will be used to calculate pension allowances.

"I think it is a fair and equitable deal," said Gregory Floyd, who was elected March 30 by Local 237's executive board to fill out Carl Haynes's term as president. "It's one of the better contracts we've seen in quite a while. It's by far the best we've seen with Mayor Bloomberg."

Other titles covered by the deal include Inspectors at the Taxi and Limousine Commission, food-service employees at the Department of Correction, X-Ray Technicians and other positions in health services, building maintenance and public information services.

Could Lead to HA Deal

Local 237 represents a total of 24,000 workers in the city and Long Island. Housing Authority employees are not covered by this contract, but deals for one group have in the past been followed by similar pacts for other members.

Mr. Floyd said that the bargaining process had been delayed by a few months because of the city's opposition to having School Safety Agents designated as a separate bargaining unit. The union decided to move forward in order to get a contract, and push forward with the legislation for future negotiating rounds.

He said that the union would look to sit down with Housing Authority negotiators as soon as possible now that this deal is in place.

The contract's welfare plan provisions are a variation on DC 37's deal. The city will contribute a one-time cash payment of $166.67 on behalf of each retiree and active member to the union's welfare fund, as it did for DC 37 members, retroactive to Jan. 23.

Beginning June 23, the city will increase its contribution per retiree by $200. In DC 37's deal, the city increased its annual welfare fund contribution by $100 for each retiree and active member.

Mr. Floyd said that retiree costs had been increasing steadily over the past few years. "The retirees use prescriptions more than active members," he said. "We needed to offset those rising costs, and not knowing when we were going to get another increase, we needed to do it in this round."

Also similar to DC 37, the city will add up to .34 percent in "equity money" to adjust benefits and salaries in certain titles.

Ballots for members to vote on the deal will go out next week, and the union expects to know the result by late April.