Housing Division members make a motion for a full membership vote.

At press time, Local 237 members employed by the New York City Housing Authority are in the process of voting on a tentative contract agreement that was reached with the New York City Housing Authority on May 5. The contract conforms to the citywide pattern, and the negotiation committee voted unanimously to accept the offer. Members’ ratification votes were to be counted on May 22.

After long and difficult negotiations we reached a fair contract for the period 12/15/10 to 5/29/18, and resisted the key concessions sought by NYCHA, which demanded that new employees give up premium pay for work performed on weekends. NYCHA also wanted a flexible workday with no overtime, but Local 237’s negotiating team remained firm and the city backed away from these demands. Additionally, the contract includes retroactive pay, and members will not be asked to make contributions for their health insurance, a victory announced by Local 237 earlier when the city completed negotiations with the Municipal Labor Coalition.

President Gregory Floyd explains terms of the tentative contract to Housing Division members.

“We asked for fairness and were willing to wait for the best deal, one that respects our members and the hard work they do. I believe this contract accomplishes that,” said President Gregory Floyd.

The key points of the contract are:

• A $1,000 pensionable bonus to be paid pro rata to all members on payroll at the time of ratification

• Wage increases totaling 10.41 percent (after compounding over the life of the agreement) with increases as follows:
June 15, 2012: 1.00 percent
June 15, 2013: 1.00 percent
June 15, 2014: 1.00 percent
June 15, 2015: 1.50 percent
June 15, 2016: 2.50 percent
June 15, 2017: 3.00 percent

Thus members will receive a 4.5 percent increase in wages shortly after ratification.

• Additionally, Local 237 negotiated a $280 per member increase in NYCHA’s contribution to our welfare fund. This increase enables the fund to meet the mandates of Obamacare without reduction in benefits. For example, our fund now pays the full price for life-saving new drug treatments for Hepatitis C, which can cost an uninsured person up to $90,000.We also negotiated an increase in the shoe allowance.

Local 237, the city and NYCHA agreed to continue discussions, along with other unions representing workers at NYCHA, on topics such as cost savings and more effective practices, better services for residents, insourcing and health and safety. Separately, negotiations for skilled trades, 220 titles, including workers employed by NYCHA, have begun.