Helping members get the results they demand and deserve

“I believe that the most important thing that I can do as President of Local 237 is to focus on the issues that trouble our members and work to get them the results they deserve. I also think that keeping our members informed on matters that can jeopardize their rights and well-being is critical to helping members make wise choices to protect themselves and their families,” said Gregory Floyd, President of Teamsters Local 237.

HERE ARE SOME RECENT EXAMPLES OF ACTIONS AND INFORMATION TO BENEFIT OUR MEMBERS:

School Safety Agents Victims of Ticket Blitz. Floyd Gets Action.

For decades, School Safety Agents at Curtis High School on Staten Island were allowed to park on the street in areas designated “no standing school days” using NYPD issued placards. That tradition recently ended when 8 Agents received $115 parking tickets. Teachers have been allowed to park in the school lot and on the sidewalk. With the Mayor issuing 50,000 new parking permits for teachers and principals without identifying new parking spots, the Agents felt they were targeted. Local 237 President Gregory Floyd alerted CBSTV reporter Marcia Kramer to the double standard and she spoke on camera to an Agent–whose identity was concealed. The parking tickets were ultimately rescinded. To view the entire interview go to: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/06/12/de-blasio-parking-placards

Communicating With the Communicators

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) held a two-day seminar to train the communications staffs of Locals throughout the nation on ways to effectively communicate with their members. Local 237 was the host. Gregory Floyd (pictured), Teamsters Local 237 President and Vice President-at Large on the Executive Board, kicked-off the event by addressing the audience with some timely advice: “In this time of elaborate Websites, Twitter, Facebook, SNAPCHAT and much more, it’s important not to lose the personal touch with our members. You also need to see and talk to the members. Nothing replaces human contact. Successful connectivity is just a handshake away.” Floyd then proceeded to shake the hands of all participants in the room.

 

DOE Food Service Members Win Final Raise, Retirees Get Full 237 Benefits.

President Gregory Floyd said, ”When Food Service Members approached us about joining 237, we told them that we would fight for them, but that it would take time to get them up to the same standards as other 237 members. A year ago, the DOE told us it would take two weeks to close contract agreements. And even though ‘two weeks’ should not take almost a year, and we had to file a complaint with the state Public Employees Relations Board, we were finally able to achieve a contract that preserves all benefits, with no additional costs to members. Our school food service workers deserve nothing less.” The terms follow the pattern established by the Citywide contract and include wage increases of 10.41% (compounded), increases in employer Welfare Fund contributions, a $1,000 bonus and retro pay. This is the food service workers second contract since joining Local 237 in March of 2009. And for the first time, they now have parity with Local 237 Citywide members. Significantly, retirees will now have all the same benefits as Local 237 retirees in other Citywide titles. Food Service retirees can now take advantage of union benefits, including prescription drugs, optical and dental benefits, as well as a life insurance policy and participation in the Local 237 Legal Plan. The contract applies to members working in the titles of Supervisor of School Lunch, Associate School Food Service Manager, Chief School Lunch Manager, School Lunch Manager, School Food Services Manager, Supervisor of Stock Workers, Stock Worker, and Education Facilities Officer.

For Local 237 Members, It’s Safety First

“Safety is not an option. Safety is not an occasional thing. Safety should be a constant in your workplace. Coming home to your family at the end of the workday in the same condition you started it, is your right and should be a guarantee.” said Local 237 President Gregory Floyd at a June Safety Congress, a venture Local 237 began in 2013 with a single safety symposium in the Bronx. To date, there are seven Safety Congresses, representing each borough and also NGO1 and Mixed Finance. An eighth Congress is being created to focus on Heat Plant Technicians. President Floyd assured members that “providing a safe environment for all is our goal. It’s our commitment. That is why we are here today and that is why, for example, when our members were faced with the FlexOps program, we took legal action to forestall the program’s start until safety concerns were addressed first. We then hired safety experts to hold safety training classes, and produced a brochure with safety tips and a video of the lessons. At Local 237, the safety of our members is a priority.”

Local 237 hosted an OSHA training seminar focused on information that Inspectors, HA workers from several titles including Caretakers J, Storeroom Keepers, Heat Plant Technicians, Maintenance Workers and Elevator Mechanics, need to know to help ensure safety at their work stations. Carl Giles, Safety Coordinator and Assistant to the President, noted: “Usually, this type of training session is held at the Housing Authority. It is the first time it took place at Local 237 headquarters. In so doing, we hope to reiterate a commitment to our members to keep them knowledgeable and up-to-date on ways to maintain a safe work environment.”

Vote NO to the Con Con Con 

Local 237 President Gregory Floyd recently held a meeting of all Business Agents and Shop Stewards to urge them to spread the word: “On Election Day, November 7, the most important item on the ballot is not on the top, but instead, on the back at the bottom. It’s a question regarding a New York State Constitutional Convention….to hold it or not. It may not seem like such an important question, but it really is THE MOST IMPORTANT question voters have to face every 20 years. Simply, you need to vote NO. Your job security and benefits are hanging in the balance.” At the meeting was labor lawyer, Martin Glennon, who gave an informative power point presentation to members, outlining the safeguards in our current Constitution that are in jeopardy if a Convention takes place. It is feared that union bashers and union busters will use this opportunity to do away with Constitutional guarantees. The only way to stop them: VOTE NO on November 7.

To learn more about the Constitutional Convention, see the information outlined on page 16 and in President Floyd’s column on page 2.