Nurses' Unions Agree to Weak Contract, Following UFT's Precedent

Now the city has weak contracts three and four after, as unions of nurse and health care aides agreed to contracts that feature payments stretched years into the future, with raises that will most likely not keep pace with inflation. As Richard Steier reported in The Chief in newspaer's July 4, 2014 edition, the New York State Nurses Association has its contract stretched four and one-half months beyond the length of the United Federation of Teachers contract. The SIEU 1199 contract also settled its contract.

In both contracts full implementation of pay increases will be postponed to the latter years of the contract. Both contracts include two four percent increases in 2009 and 2010.

1199 supported Bill de Blasio early in his mayoral election last year. They represent 2,500 members working for the city, as licensed practical nurses, pharmacists and dieticians. The NYSNA represents 8,000 registered nurses working for New York City's Health and Hospital Corporation.

Anne Bove, executive council president of the NYSNA argued that one provision of the NYSNA contract was popular. It includes a child-care and elder-care fund; these features are aspects in the 1199 fund also. The NYSNA pact also includes Nursing Practice Councils, to improve patient care, nurse recruitment and retention.

Here are the delayed payments to the health care unions, paralleling the UFT contract, as reported by "The Chief:"

In addition to the two 4-percent raises, with their large retroactive balances, that are being paid out in four increments beginning in July 2015, the schedule for subsequent raises under the contract for NYSNA is as follows:

• 1 percent effective retroactive to July 21, 2013, and then the same percentage on July 21, 2014 and 2015;
• A 1.5-percent hike as of July 21, 2016;
• A 2.5 percent increase effective Jan. 21, 2018;
• A 3-percent wage boost as of Jan. 21, 2019.

1199 Payouts
For 1199, the schedule is somewhat different, starting with the implementation of the two 4-percent raises occurring in February of four consecutive years beginning in 2015. The other increases will occur as follows:

• A 0.35-percent hike retroactive to Feb. 5, 2013;
• 1-percent raises effective on both Feb. 5, 2014 and 2015;
• A 1.5-percent increase as of Feb. 5, 2016; • A 2.5-percent raise starting Feb. 5, 2017; • A 3-percent salary boost effective Feb. 5, 2018.

DC 37 agrees to weak contract similar to UFT's contract

This spring many NYC municipal union leaders were upset with the United Federation of Teachers president Michael Mulgrew for his weak contract with the city. Yesterday District Council 37 leaders agreed to a contract with New York City that repeats many of those weaknesses. Principal among those weaknesses is a 10.52 wage increase spread over the seven years and four months, increases that probably will not keep pace with inflation. Additionally, payments postponed to the future mean monies that of course cannot earn interest during that delay.

The agreement at this stage is tentative and would need rank and file approval as a few bargaining units have not yet signed off on it. It covers approximately 100,000 workers. DC 37 members include hospital staff, social service workers, child care workers, maintenance workers and others. Like the UFT contract, it includes a con device, the "signing bonus" of $1,000. For DC 37 who earn significantly less than UFT members this will be a significant enticement.

Cryptically, news coverage of the tentative pact includes mention of "changes to their medical benefits." New York City teachers are already wincing with anticipation of what givebacks they face with the contract. As NY1 notes, it is not yet indicated how the $795 million in givebacks (which the media euphemistically call "savings") due to be implemented by 2019 will be accomplished.

Still remaining to be settled with the city are several uniformed worker unions, such as police, firefighter and sanitation workers. Let's hope that they have stronger spines than the UFT and do not follow on the UFT's precedence as DC 37 did and do not settle for another sucker's contract. One can presume that Mayor de Blasio expects similar giveback contracts from other unions. As reported on NY1, he said, "Every union has its own reality, but I'm confident we're going to keep up a lot of momentum." 


For more, read Gloria Pazmino and Sally Goldenberg's "De Blasio Announces Tentative Contract with D.C. 37," and Grace Rauh from NY1, "City Reaches Tentative Deal With DC 37 Labor Union."

As the ICEUFT blog notes, this contract is not as bad as the UFT contract. It does not mention postponed payment of backpay, otherwise called retroactive, retro or arrears payments. The UFT contract puts these payments off until 2020. And those resigning between now and then forfeit repayment of that back pay.