5/29/2003

Negotiators met on Wednesday, May 28. Richard Martin, GOER’s Research Director and their Worker’s Compensation expert, was on hand to hear and question the Union’s contract proposals in this complex area.

To date the Union has provided the State with specific contract language proposals in over a dozen Articles and they have given us nothing. Even worse, they have not yet offered any substantive response to our proposals other than “we’re looking at it” – an activity that has been going for more than a month.

The next session is slated for June 11 at which time the State is scheduled will give an in-depth economic forecast. In addition, Articles 18, 20, 30 and 41, originally scheduled for 5.28, are on tap. Future sessions are targeted for Articles 33 and 34 and Roswell.

Why don’t negotiations occur more frequently? From the mouth of Rebecca Caudle, the NYS lead negotiator: “We’re taking a look at it. We are comfortable with just Wednesdays.” 5.28.03

Q- I’ve heard that negotiations may go on for a year or more. Why should it take so long to negotiate a new contract?

A: You can see from the above quote that the State is in no hurry. Their reluctance to move ahead is somewhat understandable given the State’s fiscal climate, but their unwillingness to discuss PEF’s proposals that are ‘cost free’ suggests that their position is more complicated. Each negotiation has its own complexities, but the standard adopted by your negotiating team is very simple: we are dedicated to fighting for what is right at (and away from) the contract table until we have achieved a tentative agreement that best meets our members’ needs.

Our best assessment of the current economic climate suggests that the State would only agree to a contract if there were no increases, or worse, wage cuts and significant costs shifts in the health insurance area. With that reality, along with the very real need of our members to have a base wage increase in each year of the contract and maintain affordable health insurance, we may well have to wait until the economic outlook improves before we can achieve the contract our members deserve. Experience has taught us the wisdom of patience, and the team will persevere until they can bring the member a contract that meets their needs.

- NY TIMES, Michael Cooper reports: MANHATTAN CITY AND DETECTIVES REACH AGREEMENT – 5.23.03 - The city reached a tentative contract agreement yesterday with the union representing New York City's detectives that raises their pay and benefits by 11.5 percent over two and a half years. The deal, which is retroactive to 2001 and expires next February, would raise the salaries of third-grade detectives to $61,670 from $55,936 and first-grade detectives to $79,547 from $72,151, officials said. Thomas J. Scotto, the president of the union, the Detectives' Endowment Association, said he expected the union's membership to ratify the contract. Michael Cooper (NYT) 5/23/03

- THE JOURNAL NEWS reports “Mayor Joseph Delfino and the White Plains Common Council plan to give themselves a 3.75 percent raise in fiscal 2003-04.” May 16, 2003

- SEIU NEWS, April 30, 2003, reports that 28,000 NYC apartment workers settle their contact with wage gains in each year of the multi year agreement. The contract was reached 70 minutes after the strike deadline following a marathon bargaining session. Under terms of the new three-year pact, union members will receive salary increases of about 2.8 percent per year above the cost of living as well as increased employer contributions to their health and pension funds. In the first year, residential building workers will see wage increases of $18 to $21 per week, depending on job classification.

- The U.S. Labor Department reported Tuesday, April 29, that U.S. workers' wages and benefits rose by a surprising 1.3 percent in the first three months of 2003, the biggest increase in nearly 13 years. The increase in the employment cost index for the January to March quarter was nearly twice as big as the 0.7 rise posted in the fourth quarter of 2002. USDOL reported that wages and benefits in the first quarter were growing more quickly than the 0.8 percent advance that economists expected.

The 1.3 percent rise registered in the first quarter was the largest increase since the second quarter of 1990, when compensation went up by the same amount. The costs of benefits, such as health insurance and vacations, continued to outpace wage gains. Benefit costs rose by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2003, following a 1.3 percent advance in the prior quarter. The increase in benefit costs in the first quarter was the largest in 15 years.

A more comprehensive list is available here.

Possible pattern setters in this negotiations including NYSCOPBA representing 24,000 correction officers had their binding arbitration provisions extended for two years effective July, 1, 2003. (Learn about the power of the “pattern” and other negotiations related issues at www.PEF.org, click on the CONTRACT ’03 button and then FAQ.)

The provisions of the Civil Service Law that provides for compulsory binding arbitration when an impasse has been declared in collective bargaining negotiations between a governmental employer and employee organizations representing local police and fire personnel, members of the State Police, detective-investigators or criminal investigators employed in offices of district attorneys and certain members of State negotiating units designated Security Services and Security Supervisors. Absent this legislation, the provisions requiring binding arbitration in such cases would have expired on July 1, 2003.

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