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Queens Library Workers, Management Settle Contract By MIKE LEE After nearly two years of negotiations, partially due to the third wave of COVID-19 in late 2021, Queens Library Guild Local 1321 and the Queens Public Library agreed to a contract that members ratified by a record 99.9% in November. Unlike DC 37 members working for City agencies, other bargaining units must negotiate a separate contract with their employers for different items, including those at the three New York City public library systems. Local 1321’s contract also covers working conditions, vacation time, and sick leave. Some of the highlights of the new terms include: Library employees now will have off the Saturday before Memorial Day, and Juneteenth will be added as a holiday. The one-hour waiting period for staff to accrue comp time when the temperature is either above or below the contractual thresholds begins when the first person enters the building. Travel reimbursement involving work now includes involuntary assignments for up to 25 work days. Along with the delay due to the pandemic surge and many bargaining sessions canceled and rescheduled, the local and Queens Library representatives worked hard to negotiate a new contract. Finally, in September, they agreed on a tentative deal. “This was a [...] — Dec 20
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Motor Vehicle Operators Win Big in Improper Practice Case By MIKE LEE Cutting budgets has unforeseen and emotionally damaging consequences, as was the case for several Local 983 Motor Vehicle Operators (MVOs) and Traffic Enforcement Agents Level IIIs (TEA IIIs) working at the New York City Police Department. After the NYPD budget was cut by $1 billion in June 2020 to make up for lost expenses, management made numerous changes, including shifting job responsibilities for members of NYPD’s civilian workforce. One of the “solutions” was to do away with overtime for Motor Vehicle Operators. In July 2020, the Department instructed its Fleet Services Divisions that MVOs would no longer be assigned to evidence tows — removing of vehicles from crime and emergency scenes — historically their responsibility. The first consequence of the NYPD’s action was a loss of overtime and pay differentials for the MVOs, who have special training, equipment, and experience working at accident and crime sites. “If you look at the specs of the Motor Vehicle Operators, it’s their responsibility to respond to any situation that involves the NYPD,” said Marvin Robbins, First Vice President of NYC Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983. “That’s their job.” Robbins explained the difficulties inherent in the job. “In their work, they [...] — Dec 20
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Met Art Techs Win Back Hours By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN In a testament to the strength of collective bargaining, Local 1503 and District Council 37 successfully pursued four grievances under the bargaining agreement between The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Union. The grievances were filed on behalf of Departmental Technicians who were not appropriately granted time off upon completion of extended shifts. The museum violated a long-standing practice of including a one-hour, unpaid lunch toward the required hourly threshold to be granted paid time off for working long shifts. This victory highlights the importance of the grievance process and the material wins that result from members exercising their voice on the job by working with their Union representatives. A total of four members whose primary responsibility is to preserve the museum's artwork are due to have any previously deducted paid time off restored as listed in the grievances. The Met denied the grievance at the first two steps but granted the grievance at Step 3. In support of the technicians, the Union produced more than 30 years of precedent that proved to the General Counsel that the practice had been honored by both museum staff and management. When asked, the management team was unable to justify [...] — Dec 20
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Snapshots SSEU 371’s Hatcher Honored as a Hero of Labor At a ceremony in downtown Manhattan on Oct. 11, Labor Press and EmblemHealth honored Tanya Hatcher (center), SSEU Local 371’s Vice President for Publicity and Community Relations, as a Hero of Labor. In 2002, Hatcher began her public service career as a Child Evaluation Specialist at the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). A strong advocate for the children and families she served, she later served as a local delegate. In August 2014, Hatcher joined the local as an organizer, and was later promoted to Associate Director in the local’s Department of Negotiations and Research, before her present job handling press and public relations. Since her promotion to Vice President in 2020, Hatcher has overseen the publishing of SSEU 371’s magazine, The Unionist. Hatcher holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the historically Black Clark Atlanta University and a Master’s in Social Work from Yeshiva University. She is a proud member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Union Leaders Attend Somos Conference DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke at the [...] — Dec 20
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A Dynamic Vision: Meet Fareed Michelen DC 37’s Organizing Director By MIKE LEE As part of the ongoing effort to expand the union’s power base, District Council 37 hired long-time union leader and activist Fareed Michelen in September to head the union’s Organizing Department.Michelen brings more than two decades of experience and dynamic leadership in labor to the department, which has recently secured new waves of membership from New York non-profits, the private sector, and cultural institutions. Before arriving at DC 37, Michelen served as an organizer for 1199SEIU, Special Assistant to the Secretary-Treasurer for the New York State AFL-CIO, and Director of Organizing at the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). His family was a strong inspiration and influence early on. “My mom was a teacher and later an administrator, active in pro-union and other causes,” Michelen said. “Dad is a doctor and now the Chief Medical Director of Arch Care. While at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, he supported the formation of the Committee of Interns and Residents. The interns who graduated med school were working 18-hour days, several days a week. He helped them organize and got the doctors to support their strike actions. “My grandfather was always politically involved,” Michelen continued. “He was actually the first commissioner of [...] — Dec 20