Friday, February 17, 2023

DC 37 SETS WAGE PATTERN FOR CITY WORKERS FOR THIS ROUND OF BARGAINING; IT DOES NOT COME CLOSE TO KEEPING UP WITH INFLATION

It's all over except for the voting. DC 37 has a tentative pattern-setting contract agreement with the City for five and a half years at 15.25% and a $3,000 ratification bonus. Because of pattern bargaining where one City union settles, which sets a pattern, then other unions basically receive financial terms that adhere to the pattern, this is basically what the next UFT contract will be like.

This is from City.gov:

The tentative agreement is retroactive, beginning on May 26, 2021, and expiring Nov. 6, 2026. It includes wage increases of 3 percent for each of the first four years of the contract, and 3.25 percent in the final year. The agreement also includes a lump sum ratification bonus for all DC 37 members, a major investment in a child care trust fund established and administered by DC 37, dedicated funding for improved retention and recruitment efforts, and a committee to explore flexible work options — including remote work. The parties have also agreed that as of July 1, 2023, every employee covered by this contract will earn at least $18 per hour — a rate which exceeds the minimum wage.

The salary increases:

May 26, 2021: 3.00%

May 26, 2022: 3.00%

May 26, 2023: 3.00%

May 26, 2024: 3.00%

May 26, 2025: 3.25%

May 26, 2026: 0%

The contract ends on November 5, 2026.

More on the DC 37 agreement from The City:

While far below the pace of inflation, which was 6% in 2022, the annual increase is more than double the 1.25% yearly Adams provided in his preliminary budget. 

Workers are also slated to receive a one-time bonus of $3,000 upon ratification of the contract.

City employees still owe those $1.1 billion in healthcare savings we wrote about Wednesday.

Back to The City piece:

The deal was a major test for Adams, a retired NYPD officer who won his election in 2021 in part because of his endorsements from labor and his rank-and-file bona fides. For months, negotiations for anticipated pay raises were tied up in a protracted battle over a cost-saving scheme to change retirees’ free health care coverage to a controversial Medicare Advantage plan. 

The planned Medicare Advantage shift originated in deals struck by former Mayor Bill de Blasio and the unions to pay for raises by finding health care savings.

As the largest public sector union, DC37 sets the pattern for wages and other benefits that other unions follow in their own negotiations. Nearly all of the city’s roughly 300,000 unionized staff are working under expired collective bargaining agreements.

The United Federation of Teachers is expected to bargain with the city next. The UFT and DC37 jointly represent 60% of the city’s workforce.

UFT reaction in Chapter Leader Update:

DC 37 reaches a tentative contract agreement

DC 37 reached a tentative five-year contract agreement yesterday after its members have been working without a contract since May 2021. Their tentative contract offers 3% increases in each of the first four years, and a 3.25% raise in the fifth year, plus additional money for salary adjustments, a child care trust fund and a ratification bonus. W

While we know the financials of DC 37’s tentative agreement will have implications for all municipal unions because of pattern bargaining, the fight must continue in our own negotiations. We will be closely analyzing the tentative agreement, which must be ratified by DC 37 members before taking effect, to determine its full value and see how we can maximize that financial package to get the most for our members in our own negotiations. We will also continue to push at the bargaining table on our noneconomic working-condition demands. Among our priorities are paperwork reduction, health and safety, time and autonomy, and special education.

For those who would like to see how City employees are doing compared to inflation, take a look at the chart below that compares DC 37 salaries in their last two contracts with inflation. 2017-22 uses actual inflation data. 2023-26 use these projected inflation rates:  5.8% for 2023, 2.5 for next year, and 2.0 for each year after. 2017 is the base year and the base salary is $50,000. Thanks to my nephew for doing this.

41 comments:

Unknown said...

Is this one-time bonus of $3,000 pensionable for people retiring soon?

James Eterno said...

Ask DC 37.

unknown said...

James I'm curious what are your thoughts here. Would you vote yes on that?

Johnny Change said...

I doubt a similar deal will be accepted by UFT membership. Maybe returning 8.25% fixed TDA and plus 10 vacation days per year will make it close.

TJL said...

We are going to get less as the DC37 contract expired back in May '21. So, I would love to be wrong, but we're looking at a settlement bonus, 3% in May, 3% in May '24, 3.25% in May '25, then a 0 in May '26 for 6 months. That's a shade over 9.5% for slightly over 4 years. This is assuming the contract expires at the same time and we get the same raises, i.e. following the pattern. About 2.25% per year compounded over the life of the deal.

Joe said...

So we should be expecting
Sept 2022 - 3%
Sept 2023 - 3%
Sept 2024 - 3 %
Sept 2025 - 3.25%
Sept 2026 - 0

Pencilsdown said...

Our contract would not go back to 2021, correct? Didn't ours just expire in September? Or are they going back to the last raise and we would get retro all the way back? I'm surprised how good that is honestly. I'm sure Mulgrew will somehow screw this up. They'll probably try to make us work til 5pm everyday just to make sure we all burn out.

Joe said...

The compounded increase comes to 16.21% for the duration of the contract. It also includes a sweetener to woo rank-and-file members to approve the deal — a $3,000 “ratification” bonus that is pensionable.

Pencilsdown said...

I should clarify and say it's still a terrible deal, but I'm surprised by how good it is.

Unknown said...

Doesn't match Cola and come near the rate of inflation. It's a slap in the face! These are scraps and teachers need to work additional other jobs to support a family!! Mulgrew is a spineless hack for allowing a union of employees who require significantly less formal education, licensing, and professional development to set the pattern for our union. I'm sure it'll be approved.

JR said...

Are you crazy Johnny Change? This would never get rejected. If 2014 didn’t…This is far better. Uft members aren’t smart.

liberals=ccp2323 said...

Inflation was close to 1% with Trump, the deal would seem pretty pretty good. Now with inflation out of control, like the price of eggs. Any deal we get will look terrible and never match up to the reality we have to live in because people thought electing a 50-year lying, racist, plagiariing scum over Trumpo would help this country and the world , when it's quite possibly the opposite. Never felt more scared, under Trump, we were always safe.

James Eterno said...

You got in your plug for Trump now please back on topic.

JR said...

You all keep complaining that the deal doesn’t meet inflation. If this were 5 or 10 years ago, 5.5 years for 15.25% plus $3K would be a good deal. The guy above makes a good point about Biden inflation.

Johnny Change said...

DC37 is far less paid than UFT. Before this debate, I didn't know many their members are paid $15 per hour. Going up to $18 this June is 20% increase on the spot. $3000 is handsome to those people. The above arguments don't apply to UFT. There need to be something else. The city created "vacation day" to pay us 3 years ago. I imagine "vacation day" can be used this time.
I also hope we get back 8.25% fixed TDA. I will vote yes if we get back 8.25% fixed TDA.

BxT said...

Let's move on from the political inflation talk. It's global. The contract DC 37 presented is not good. Now, Mulgew will get his hands in it and do what he always does, f* it up.

More worried about the (always) backroom deal to get DC 37 this *wonderful* raise. What did they give away? What will Mulgew offer you when he opens his sell out mouth.

James Eterno said...

The bonus is pensionable. Sources saying UFT not looking for ratification bonus.

James Eterno said...

BxT, The same people blame Biden for everything here. Their logic is impeccable.

Inflation is high. Salary increases are going to be below inflation. If Biden wasn't president, we would get the same increase but without the inflation. Not likely.

The extreme right here does not mention where that money would have come from as the federal government under Biden and the Democrats provided NYC with plenty of stimulus-recovery funds. Do you think a Republican Congress and president would have provided that funding to NYC?

JR said...

Isn’t this all a waste of breathe? Wait to see what it is…No way it gets voted down. Not sure why they wouldn’t want that up front immediate $3K.

Stop with the right wing and far right stuff. All the leaders in ny are dem. Uft is dem. Randi, Biden, Adams, Schumer…And look where we are.

James Eterno said...

We didn't do better under Trump or GW Bush. Trump tried to make Eva Moskowitz Ed Secy and chose Betsy DeVos, the voucher queen. Trump's NLRB not worker friendly either. That said, Obama was worse than Bush for education. I remember Race to the Top and Common Core.
Back to DC37 pattern, please.

Unknown said...

On the train derailing:

Ohio has a GOP Governor.
GOP Senate
GOP HOUSE
Train derails in GOP County
Train CEO is a GOP donor
GOP Gov burns chems causing disaster.
GOP Gov initially refuses to declare disaster.

Republicans: It's all Democrats fault.

Kind of describes the commenters here.

To stay on topic, you really think the republicans would have given NY all that COVID recovery money so we would get good contracts for public workers in NYC?

Jeff said...

James: Stay on topic, the DC37 contract.

Next post: All GOP bashing.

Cool.

liberals=ccp2323 said...

Train incidents we have an incompetent mayor for transportation. Weird all water and explosions happen in red states. Biden wont help Ohio because they are republican so not giving money to ny to waste means nothing.

Wars did not happen under trump, Biden blew up nordstream pipeline. Not a plug when its facts. Part of the dc37 raise comes down to the state of our country, which sucks. You want to improve schools, give parents control, and money follows the child. If schools want to continue, CRT and other crap parents can send child elsewhere which will create competition for students and better education.

Why should they give covid money when we recklessly spend it and we play by dem politics which have been proven to be detrimental.

ed notes online said...

Never felt more scared, under Trump, we were always safe.

What a joke. Check the deficit under Trump - the biggest jump in history. And inflation mostly a result of covid. They blame Biden for the stimulus but ignore the stimulii and checks sent out under Trump signature.
China major supplier -- and supply lines.
Plus the Trumpies argue out of both sides of their mouths. Bring back jobs to America but ignore fact we don't pay Chinese wages so of course prices will go up. In fact the low inflation over the past 20 years is due to outsourcing jobs to low waged workers. I can go on but for these jokers facts are useless.

anonmyous said...

@ Johnny Change--
while i will vote no if the contract is presented as is, the reality is the city will never agree to the 8.25% TDA - - as for vacation days- that costs the city money in substitutes -etc- i would just rather have the increased pay at this point.

JR said...

So inflation went from 1.8 to 10 for no reason.

Trump did covid relief at the beginning. Both sides of the aisle voted for that.

Biden made them continued welfare payments.

Now do the border.

Now tell me why 6% of the population commits 54% of the murder.

And, back to the contract, everybody, or 80%, will vote for whatever shit sandwich Mulgrew puts in front of us. It says a lot about the intelligence of teachers

JR said...

I’m confused. The Dems gave so much money. That’s what several people said. Why are all the contracts so bad? Why is everyone saying this is going to be bad? Which is it?

James Eterno said...

Simple answer: We won't come together and fight for our fair share.

JR said...

Who is we? Mulgrew decides. No way anywhere close to 50%+ vote no. Perhaps you should start criticizing the uft members for voting that way.

If the Dems gave so much money, why are the same Dems offering in us so little? And why is dem uft and dem teachers voting for it?

People just said GOP wouldn’t have then us money. What’s the difference?

JR said...

I remember. You told people not to opt out just so they could vote. They all vote Mulgrew by a landslide. Same goes for every contract. Next one will be no different.

See why someone might give up and opt out?

James Eterno said...

Basically, we get lousy treatment either way. It is much worse for public school teachers in red states generally. That is reality.

Yes, if members keep voting for subpar contracts, why should the leadership feel any pressure to produce anything better?

It ultimately is up to the members to say no more.

James Eterno said...

So opt out then and then would you promise to leave this pro union blog in peace?

By the way, opposition won the high schools by just about the widest margin ever last year. We need more help organizing, not less.

Justaregularteacher said...

We obviously been abandoned by both political parties. Instead of demanding better treatment and waged we squabble here.

Anti-UFT Teacher said...

Your chart shows clearly that DC37 members are expected to suffer an a projected 10% loss of real income between 2018 and 2026. However, we do not know for sure what the inflation will look like between 2023 and 2026 so this is a projected loss of income.

I think this is a bad deal for organized labor since it serves as a pattern for the other unions. However their minimum hourly rate is being increased from $15 per hour to $18 per hour.

Other unions can look at this and make an effort to negotiate for much better starting pay, working conditions and pension benefits.

This is not a fair contract. What does a fair contract look like?
The contract negotiated by the Montefiore and Mount Sinai nurses is
a fair contract: " “We are pleased to offer a 19% wage increase, benefits that match or exceed those of our peer institutions, more than 170 new nursing positions and a generous plan to address recruitment and retention." (The City)

We deserve and need a 19% increase right now and not in little pieces going out to 2026. The 19% immediate increase should then be followed by annual increases matching the previous years' inflation rates.

The DC 37 contract is crap and you all should know it.

In order for organized labor to get a fair salary adjustment for the high inflation of the last two years, we would need to join together and go out on strike. Shut down NY city. The Taylor Law is a Human Rights violation. We have a right to strike because we are being economically strangled by NY city. Without the will to organize together and the will to go out and strike we will suffer a permanent 10% pay cut.

Unknown said...

Enough of this Left/Right, Dem/Repub nonsense!!! This thread is about thoughts on the pattern that has apparently been set by DC37 and how members of the UFT feel about it!! Holy crap- stay on point! I want to hear thoughtful comments about how people feel about this apparent deal.

James Eterno said...

Stay on topic for sure.

James Eterno said...

Collective action needs to be organized. Will you be there helping 7:25?

BxT said...

I'll say again, horrible precident. DC and UFT r afraid to push for a reasonable deal. Why... Not left or eight, but the BS* politics that regardless of the party in power keep the cogs in the wheel in check.

I am fearful of the UFT shaft coming once Mulgew gets his corrupt sell out hands on this $hit pattern.

Johnny Change said...

When is the DC37 contract ratified? I guess UFT agreement will be announced after DC37 ratification to avoid distractions. Any chance UFT contract being ratified before 06/30/2023?
I really want to retire before 07/01/2023. Enough is enough.

Justaregularteacher said...

His post helps. Do our members know how much Social Security has been raised in the last two years? Well, I'll tell you 5.9 in 2021 and 8.7 in 2022. Basic COLA increase starts there. 14.6 off the jump or are real wages are down.

Pencilsdown said...

I believe Feb 28