Local 154 Opposes DCAS Proposal
Broad Impact on Local 154 Titles
Civil Service System Endangered

      The City Department of Citywide Administrative Service (DCAS) has presented a proposal with deep implications for the future of the Civil Service System in the City of New York. The proposal will impact hundreds of titles throughout the City of New York. According to the plan, many titles will be consolidated, broadbanded, reclassified or removed from DCAS's Civil Service jurisdiction, including several Local 154 titles. DCAS made its plan known to the State Civil Service Commission at the end of March 2008.
      In May 2007, the State of New York reformed the Civil Service Law and mandated the City of New York to present a plan for the reduction of 36,000 provisional workers. The mandate was signed by then Governor Elliot Spitzer. The change to the Law was an aftermath and a relief response to the Long Beach decision which had denied tenure rights for provisional workers in the State.
Read more.

The Finances of Local 154:
Asking the questions

      Several years ago, we presented members with a three-page report entitled "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Local 154 Finances." We attempted to answer some of the common questions about union dues and union expenditures commonly asked by our members. We wanted to establish with you a dialogue that would allow everybody to understand the Local's financial conditions and the manner by which we would work to improve them.
Read more.

Contract Agreement with Transit Authority

      On January 18, 2008 DC 37 reached a contract agreement with Transit Authority. The contract covers all Local 154 Claim Specialists at TA. Among its most important aspects, the agreement removes the salary cap, increases the supper allowance from $7 to $8.25 after two hours of overtime...
Read more.

Local 154 Presents at Salary Review Panel

      We are underpaid. We create revenues for the City. We demand salary equity, salary step plans and career development.
      Using these concepts, Local 154 presented 6 proposals, covering 13 titles, to the Salary Review Panel. The two days of presentations, one in March and another one in September, were the result of several months of intense preparations including researching and writing these proposals. All the proposals were prepared in-house by Local 154 members.
Read more.

Salary Review Report Special Consultant Level II
(Mental Health Standards and Services)

Leadership Training

      Local 154 conducted its 4th Annual Leadership Training and Certification Program on November 13th and 15th at District Council 37. The Training was organized by Vice-President Mark Heron along with Larry Kelly of the Education Department of DC37 and Marianella Santana, our distinguished Council Representative. The training covered roles of Shop Stewards, and union representatives, it also reviewed specific issues within our various contracts, and themes related to concerns frequently raised by union members.

State Legislature Support Plan for Provisional Workers

      A great victory for the rights of workers was obtained in the halls of the New York State Legislature when both houses passed a bill providing relief for provisional workers in New York in mid January.
      In May of 2007, the NY State Appeals Court had delivered a devastating blow to tenure rights for all Provisional workers in the State, including the 35,000 Provisional workers employed by the City of New York. The Long Beach decision removed all tenure rights, including existing due process rights that Unions had managed to obtain through collective bargaining. The decision pointed out that since the State Civil Service Law did not provide any tenure rights for Provisional workers then those workers could be terminated from their jobs at managers' discretion, at any point in time. Also the decision reminded Local governments that the State Civil Service Law mandated that provisional workers could only be appointed for up to nine months.
Read more.

Local 154 Holiday Party

      Almost 240 union members showed up for the 2008 Holiday Celebration on December 15 at Union headquarters. As in past years, members joined together to celebrate another year of work and union activities. Local 154 Secretary Sheera Glass opened the event by recognizing each one the departments and agencies where Local 154 members work. After the long list was read, many members realized, for the first time, the reach and diversity of Local 154 members' duties. Transportation, Education, Children Services, Corporation Counsel, Transit, Police Department, Fire Department, New York Law School, Comptrollers, DORIS, Human Rights, just to name a few, would say "here" or "present" when their agency's name was read. Read more.

Contract !!

DC 37 and City Reached Economic Agreement

      On October 30, DC 37 and the City of New York agreed on the terms for a new Economic Agreement. These terms are:

• A 2-year contract starting on March 3, 2008.
• A 4% increase on the first day of the contract (Retroactive to March 3, 2008)
• A 4% increase, compounded, on the thirteen day of the contract (March 3, 2009)
• A 0.10% will be available on last day of the contract (March 2, 2010) to be used for additions to gross.

Local 154 Calendar

January 7, 2009
Protest Albany's Budget Cut

      DC 37 Goes to Albany, NY.
Join our Union in protesting budget cuts and the attacks on the Pension.
Buses will leave from DC 37.
For information call Political Action Department at 212-815-1550
Read more.

AFSCME International Convention

      Over 5,000 delegates from all 50 U.S. States and Puerto Rico attended AFSCME 38th International Convention held in San Francisco on July 2008. Local 154 was represented by President Juan Fernández, Vice-President Mark Heron, Secretary Sheera Glass and Treasurer Tom Orawiec. During the five days of work, our delegation presented four resolutions to deal with the issues of Social Security, Public Housing, Alternative Work Schedules and Tele-Commuting, and National Health Coverage. All Local 154 resolutions were adopted by the Convention.

• Social Security Resolution
• Alternative Work Schedule Resolution
• National Health Coverage Resolution
• Public Housing Resolution

Negotiations at New York Law School

      At a first meeting held on June 2, the Local 154 Negotiations Committee at NYLS presented a list of demands for a new Economic Contract to managers and other representatives of New York Law School.
      The list of demands includes a request for just and fair wage increases and other items such as modifications of health care cost and longevity adjustments. These demands were developed after extensive meeting with the members at the Law School and after several sessions of preparation by the Committee members.
Read more.

Research Assistant Test:

Gaining Civil Service Protections for our Members

One Hundred and Seventy Research Assistants Appointed From the List
Local 154: a Watchdog for Members' Rights

      Local 154 has been strong on demanding Civil Service status for our members. Since 2003, we have managed to get the City to schedule five Civil Service examinations for titles that in some cases had Provisional workers languishing in the system for years, if not decades. In 2003, after suing or threatening to sue the City, DCAS put the Claims Specialist, the Human Rights Specialist and the Public Records Aide test in the calendar of examinations. In 2004, DCAS agreed to include a promotional examination for the title of Associate Human Rights Specialist. In 2005, after a year of pressures, the City agreed to include the Research Assistant test in its calendar. Today we are proud to report that Local 154 has one of the highest proportions of members with Civil Service status. Since 2003, hundreds of Local 154 members have been appointed from the Civil Service test list. During the past month of November alone, during a two-days hiring pool, nearly 100 members were appointed to the title of Research Assistant, for a total of 170 since the establishment of the list in 2006.
Read more.

Health Equity for Claim Specialists at Transit Authority

Our benefits are under attack

      Governor Pataki just vetoed your bill. That was the message from Albany. We were upset but not surprised. During year 2006, Local 154 had spearheaded a coalition with several other Locals to lobby for a bill that would give health coverage to our retirees at Transit Authority in same terms and conditions as in the rest of the City. The current rule provides health coverage for retirees with at least 25 years of service at TA. However, the City of New York provides health coverage after retirement to vested members with 10 years of service.
Read more.

AFSCME Health Care Reform Blueprint

Local 154 Helped to Develop National Policy

      We are proud to report that AFSCME Blueprint on Health Care Reform is based on a Resolution presented by Local 154 together with the work of other three Local Unions through the country.
Read more.

Human Rights Victory

      On January 18, 2008 the City's Human Rights Agency and Local 154 settled a grievance presented by Local 154 after the failure of the Agency to post one of its vacancies. The Agency agreed to follow the contractual agreement and to post the announcement for the position of Executive Director in the Community Relations Bureau, and its job description.
Read more.