CARSON CITY, Nev. — Public service workers across the country lauded the passage of Nevada Senate Bill 135, which expands collective bargaining rights to over 20,000 Nevada state employees – the la
Last year, after nearly 25 years of working hard at her job at the University of Michigan, Deborah Van Horn was forced out of work by health issues and soon found herself in need of financial assis
By GREGORY N. HEIRES The City University of New York has set pay dates for its new contract with the union, for 2 percent increases effective Feb. 1, 2017, Feb. 1, 2018 and Feb. 1, 2019. The tentative pay date for full-time and part-time employees at CUNY’s senior colleges is Aug. 1. Full- and part-time employees working in CUNY’s community colleges will receive their pay rate increases and retroactive pay on Aug. 23. College Assistants represented by Local 2054 in Community Colleges will be paid on Aug. 23. The pay dates for College Assistants in senior colleges had not been finalized as PEPtalk went to press. CUNY’s recent announcement of the pay dates for the 2017-21 economic agreement came after the union pressed the city’s university system to implement the increases. DC 37 and CUNY settled the new contract in November 2018. Members overwhelmingly approved the agreement the following month. But the CUNY Board of Trustees didn’t approve the accord until April 30. As the administration failed to implement the contract, members grew angry and the union stepped up its pressure on CUNY. “Members were quite understandably upset about the delay on the implementation of the contract,” DC 37 Executive [...]— Jun 26
By GREGORY N. HEIRES Where else but in New York City could you expect a college graduation ceremony to open with the singing of the historic labor song “Solidarity Forever,” along with the country’s national anthem? That occurred at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, which recently celebrated the graduation of the new public university’s first graduating class. Nearly 30 DC 37 members were among the proud graduates. “Our mission is directed toward the public good and social justice,” Gregory Mantsios, the founding dean, said at the opening of the ceremony. The university aims to serve as an incubator of labor ideals, a vehicle for career advancement and advocate for the labor movement and greater community.” Nicholas Pineda, a Data Processing Employees Local 2627 member, was the undergraduate student speaker at the June 14 ceremony. “Fellow graduates, we are ambassadors for change in our communities,” said Pineda, who earned a bachelor’s degree in urban and community studies and plans to pursue his master’s in labor studies. After working six years in the safety education and outreach program at the Dept. of Transportation, Pineda is taking on a new position in an information technology unit at the Dept. of [...]— Jun 25
DC 37 members scored a major victory earlier this week when the State legislature passed legislation that protects patients from excessive hospital emergency room charges. Passage comes after intense lobbying by a coalition of patient advocates, consumer health and business organizations, and unions, including DC 37. The legislation would strengthen our state’s current Surprise Hospital Bills Law and shield patients from price gouging by hospitals, an issue that threatens to bankrupt working families. When emergencies have caused city employees – and DC 37 members – to go to hospitals out of their network, insurance companies eventually pass on the cost of care to patients – either in higher rates or reduced benefits. This legislation helps establish a process to negotiate fair payments for excessive emergency care charges. In a letter to lawmakers signed by leaders of the state’s four largest public sector unions, including DC 37’s Henry Garrido, lawmakers were reminded that failure to pass the legislation could “hurt our members’ ability to fight for strong contracts. Every time union members go to the table to bargain a new contract, rising health care costs force them to bargain more money just to maintain their health care benefits, leaving less for [...]— Jun 22
By RUDY OROZCO The state Legislature on Tuesday approved union-backed legislation that seeks to speed up the approval of disability pension applications of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers. The bill, sponsored by Assembly member Stacey Pheffer Amato and state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would increase the number of physicians who review the applications for the York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS). “Today our heroic 9/11 rescue and recovery workers breathe a sigh of relief because of this important step taken by the state Legislature,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, shortly after legislators voted on the bill. “The increase in the number of physicians will help end the long waiting periods that these workers had to endure while their cases were under review.” Oren Barzilay, president of Uniformed EMT’s, Paramedics and Fire Inspectors Local 2507, said the bill was long overdue. Like Garrido, Barzilay expressed his hope that the appointment of the new physicians will soon resolve the delays that plague the review process. Both Garrido and Barzilay expressed their appreciation to Albany legislators for crafting the legislation and ensuring its passage. Garrido represents the union on the NYCERS Board of Trustees. Union leaders are urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to [...]— Jun 21
BY MIKE LEE Overcoming staunch political opposition from the real estate industry, New York City has embarked on an unprecedented effort to reduce greenhouse emissions citywide. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Environmental Protection Committee Chair Costa Constantinides and other Council members and community leaders in announcing OneNYC2050, an ambitious green initiative that comes on the heels of the passage of the Climate Mobilization Act. The Climate Mobilization Act, spearheaded by Constantinides and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, provides $14 billion in investments to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030. DC 37’s involvement was key in lobbying the City Council, working with community and environmental groups to rally support for the legislation. “Climate justice is the moral imperative of our generation,” said Garrido. “We will not be cowed by fear, rather we will be leading the way.” Part of the pioneering green agenda commits the city to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting buildings over 25,000 square feet. Meeting the city’s targets will require good-paying new jobs. Garrido said meeting the city’s targets will require new, good-paying jobs – including inspectors and building engineers – [...]— Jun 19
