Budget Includes Mgr. Raises, But Mayor Hasn't Signed Off Yet

STEPHEN M. FERRER: Delays have caused agita.

Mayor Bloomberg is considering awarding raises to the city's managers after reports of unionized subordinates out-earning their bosses in city agencies because of pay hikes from negotiated contracts.

Mayoral officials indicated in January that managers' pay was being frozen because of the city's fiscal woes. The Mayor's Office would not confirm reports that this decision will be reversed, but spokesman Jason Post pointed out in an e-mail that "the total cost of implementing the raises is $52 million, which is budgeted in the city's financial plan."

Uniformed Job Leapfrogging

Wage disparities between unionized employees and their superiors have grown because of collective bargaining deals. In the Police Department, a Deputy Chief makes $180,749 a year under the contract of the union representing that title, the Captains Endowment Association, but a higherranked, nonunionized Assistant Chief makes only $166,106 a year and a Bureau Chief makes $170,310 a year.

In the Fire Department, a Deputy Chief can earn up to $183,510 per year but would have to take a pay cut to $174,560 per year if promoted to the lowest staff chief position, Deputy Assistant Chief.

Managerial Employees Association President Stephen M. Ferrer said in a phone interview that while he couldn't confirm the raises were happening, "it's a pretty strong rumor. . . I have been in contact on a regular basis with Deputy Mayor [for Operations Edward] Skyler. He had indicated to me that the money was in the budget, and it was just a case of the Mayor authorizing it."

Mr. Ferrer, whose organization advocates for managerial employees but does not have bargaining rights, had protested the pay freeze and has lobbied the Mayor's office for the raises for the past year.

"My assumption was, they're waiting for the right time to do it," he said. "That's what I know about it. I was going to call the Deputy Mayor this week, but to be honest with you I'm a little nervous to call him right now in terms of what's happening with Albany. I'd like that settled before I call them."

Sales-Tax Hike in Limbo

Mr. Bloomberg has said that the city is facing $60 million in lost revenue because of Albany's failure to enact the sales tax increase before July 1. The State Senate deadlock has prevented any bills from being sent to Governor Paterson's desk, and a disputed legislative session of Senate Democrats June 30 rejected the bill outright.

Mr. Ferrer said it was "obvious" that city managers, who number almost 9,200 in the city's workforce, deserved a raise. "Not only could anyone use a raise, but the union folks got them, and [our] people supervise [them], and the salary compression is getting smaller and smaller," he said. "Tack on overtime, and the people that they're supervising are making more money than them."

He said that members also found their lower rates of pay demoralizing, and diminished the authority of their offices. "They feel it in the pocketbook, but they feel it in terms of their recognition. I get calls all the time about it," he said.

"We're sure the Mayor will do the right thing with the raises," he continued. "We're confident, but it's in the Mayor's hands now."