Photo courtesy of District Council 37
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the commissioner of the New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR), Renee Campion, hailed District Council (DC) 37 for voting to ratify its contract with the City on March 31 — passing with 97 percent of all members voting in favor.
The five-plus year contract is the first reached under the Adams administration, according to government officials and will cover roughly one-quarter of the city’s total unionized workforce, providing annual raises of 3 percent in the first four years, and 3.25 percent in the fifth year, as well as a one-time bonus of $3,000 immediately to eligible members.
Adams said the agreement will put thousands of dollars into the pockets of the men and women of DC 37, who he said work tirelessly each and every day to keep the city running. “It is a victory for people like my late mother, Dorothy Adams, herself a former member of this union, who raised six children on her own thanks to the good pay and decent benefits she got from DC 37,” the mayor said.
He added, “I am a blue-collar mayor who will always stand with the working people of this city — fighting for fairer wages, better benefits, and a better quality of life — and this contract not only provides our blue-collar workers a great deal, but it is also fair to our city’s taxpayers. It would not have been possible without the dogged efforts of OLR Commissioner Renee Campion, the steadfast partnership of Henry Garrido, and the dedication of the great members of DC 37.”
For her part, Campion congratulated DC 37 on the new contract, adding in part, “The overwhelming vote in favor is a testament to this administration’s strong partnership with our labor unions and a reminder that our city is stronger when labor and management work together to uplift our city and its employees.”
DC 37 members will receive the following compounded and retroactive wage increases, representing a 16.21-percent increase across the life of the contract, according to City officials:
- May 26, 2021: 3 percent
- May 26, 2022: 3 percent
- May 26, 2023: 3 percent
- May 26, 2024: 3 percent
- May 26, 2025: 3.25 percent
In a separate statement, members of the DC 37 union said, “The 2021-2026 Citywide Economic Agreement has been approved by 97.7% of the 45,936 DC 37 members who voted in the ratification process!”
Other details of the contract include the following:
- Ratification bonus: Upon contract ratification by DC 37 membership, eligible members will receive a one-time bonus of $3,000.
- Flexible Work Committee: The city and DC 37 will establish a committee to discuss options to provide greater flexibility to employees and to enhance employee morale, including remote work, compressed and flexible work schedules, and improved transit benefits. The parties’ goal is to begin a pilot program that includes remote work no later than June 1, 2023.
- Child Care Trust Fund: DC 37 will establish a child care trust fund to provide support for its members with child care needs. As part of this agreement, the city will contribute $3 million per year to the fund.
- Equity Fund: The parties have set aside $70 million to make salary adjustments to help fill hard-to-recruit positions and will work collaboratively to address those issues. The fund will be administered by a committee including city and DC 37 representatives.
- Pandemic Response Committee: The city and DC 37 will establish a joint committee to discuss issues related to pandemic response, to best prepare the city and its workers for the next pandemic.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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Yeah the so-call blue collar mayor agreed to the raises but he screwed them on their future health care when they retire… The members were too busy looking at the money but don’t realize how much the health care is going to cost them when they retire…
I agree with one hundred percent. The mayor talked about his mother working for the city, well when she retired she was not forced into a health plan she didn’t want. The mayor and union bosses were in agreement with changing the retirees health plan
When we are going to be pay the bonus??
Where is our hazard pay?! All city workers who came to work during the pandemic ( not the ones working from home) need hazard pay!!! (Not the $3000 bonus they gave to everyone that was really $2000 after taxes.) I’m talking about the Workers such as myself who braved coming in everyday not knowing what we were about to face or what we were bringing back to our loved ones. We deserve something extra!!! WHERE IS OUR HAZARD PAY!
16.21 Percent increase goes:
May 26, 2021: 3 Percent
May 26, 2022: 3%
May 26, 2023: 3%
May 26, 2024: 3%
May 26, 2025: 3.25%
However which way i add that up, it is ONLY TOTALLING to 15.25% so, where did they get the additional 1%?
If you do the math and break it down, that still is not enough to keep up with the cost of living. Remember; the city giveth and take it away. They would skim the interest off the top and combine the total amount to your regular check and tax the hell out of your check. People have to read between the lines. They would say that we’re disgruntled and not grateful. It’s a slap in the face when they insult people’s intelligence especially well educated people.
If you compound it, it is 16.21%. Someone making $100,000 would end up with a salary of $116,210.
Not saying it’s a great deal or anything, just clarifying about the percentage.
Oops, meant to reply to Eric.
You’re not compounding the interest. Type this into a google search bar:
(1.03^4) * 1.0325
That is 1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.0325 which represents a 3.25% raise
Phew! I’m spent!
I totally agree
Thanks
You’re not compounding the interest. Type this into a google search bar:
(1.03^4) * 1.0325
That is 1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.03 which represents a 3% raise
times
1.0325 which represents a 3.25% raise
Phew! I’m spent!
Where is our hazard pay?! All city workers who came to work during the pandemic ( not the ones working from home) need hazard pay!!! (Not the $3000 bonus they gave to everyone that was really $2000 after taxes.) I’m talking about the Workers such as myself who braved coming in everyday not knowing what we were about to face or what we were bringing back to our loved ones. We deserve something extra!!! WHERE IS OUR HAZARD PAY!