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DC 37 contract is a sham

Posted

To the editor:

Two weeks ago DC37 and the City reached a tentative agreement on one of the worst municipal contracts in the last 30 years. Instead of hanging their heads in shame, DC37 leadership assembled on the steps of City Hall surrounding Mayor Eric Adams and declared him "the middle-class" mayor. What a disgrace. How little respect does the leadership have for their own members? Do they think their members can't add? Inflation has already eaten up 2/3 of the total value of the contract and there's still four years left to run.

This contract is a huge (and unearned) gift to the city. It's been mentioned that "at least there are no givebacks.” Baloney. With inflation running 5 percent, 6 percent, 7 percent as it is and has been, every DC37 member stands to lose tens of thousands of dollars over their careers because of this contract. That's some giveback.

Here are two tip-offs that this contract is bad for members. 1) $3,000 signing bonus. Leadership has highlighted this as a major benefit of the contract. But by the time this contract ends even the lowest paid members will have given back thousands more than if they demand a contract that simply keeps up with inflation. Put that $3,000 pay-off into salary Mr. "Middle-Class" Mayor. 2.) In the Q&A published on the DC37 website there's an erstwhile query asking, "Will there be layoffs because this contract is so expensive?" If the contract is worth the ink it’s printed with, why throw this classic "scare-tactic" around? Shameful.

What's happened to DC37 leadership? This contract is reminiscent of the bad old Stanley Hill days of hawking turkeys and steaming open ballots in the basement, not the union that Victor Gotbaum built. Members of DC37 are smarter and worth more than this contract gives them credit for. They should reject it.

Josh Lomask

Comments

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  • Admin

    Excellent. Also, how many DC37 workers actually make even close to a middle class salary?

    Thursday, March 23, 2023 Report this

  • SLiatto01

    Perfectly said, I have been a DC37 member for the last 3 years and have had to hold a second job to make ends meet. The mortgage and rental rates are astronomical here in the city. It’s unfortunate that we can barely afford to reside in the city we serve.

    Friday, March 24, 2023 Report this

  • Watch for the side letters to show up. The 2018 MLC agreement that the unions citywide have agreed to requires them to come up with $600 million a year in perpetuity in healthcare savings without telling them how or what will happen if they don’t. Unless that’s another secret side letter we haven’t seen. How are they attempting to do it? By selling off retiree health benefits. Adding co-pays to active worker benefits and Retiree healthbenefits. Narrowing your choices of plans and forcing you into managed Medicare when you are older or disabled. Passing the burden onto those no longer in the union. That’s right, retired union labor. Because what you don’t know is when you’re retired, your union can no longer legally represent you, but unfortunately, ours are sticking their hands in our pockets to take our choices of health plans and force us into subsidized managed Medicare, this time with for-profit aetna, who, unlike emblem health is not a union nonprofit organization. Thank the MLC leader ship for not standing up for you. That is your biggest, give back, and you won’t even realize it until after you’re retired and your former union leader has a mansion in the Dominican republic. The healthcare rally is at City Hall April 11th noon. Be there

    Friday, April 7, 2023 Report this