Public Employee Press

Four Local 2627 members at HHC win arbitrations

Three Local 2627 members at the Health and Hospitals Corp. recently won arbitration cases because they were assigned to supervisory responsibilities without the proper pay. The impartial arbitrator also concluded that HHC was not paying a fourth member correctly.

The separate arbitration decisions issued Sept. 19 call for the four members of Electronic Data Processing Employees Local 2627 to receive awards such as a title change, additional compensation for working out of title and the salary adjustment.

The grievance winners were computer workers James Gerst and Les Hurd of Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx and Donald Gregory and Rudolph Francis of Metropolitan Hospital in Manhattan.

“Our members worked closely with the union to document their experiences so we could develop strong arguments to back their cases,” Local 2627 President Edward W. Hysyk said.

“Their persistence paid off,” said Rep Marianela Santana, who crafted the members’ grievances. Assistant General Counsel Alan Brown argued the cases.

Gregory said his arbitration decision, which changes his title from Computer Associate Level 2 (Software) to Computer Associate Level 2 (Operations), means a pay increase of about $7,000. He expects to receive about $15,000 in back pay, including a night differential, to cover nearly two years of out-of-title work. Francis, will have his salary corrected to over $50,000, his proper minimum as a Computer Associate Level 2 (Operations), retroactive to Dec. 31, 2003.

The arbitrator ordered HHC to pay Hurd the difference between Computer Associate Level 2 (Operations), and Level 3 from Dec. 1, 2003, through Oct. 12, 2004. Hurd estimates the amount at $10,000. Gerst was awarded the difference between the two titles from Dec. 1, 2003, to the present.

In interviews, the members expressed their frustration about management’s failure to recognize the importance of their work. They felt that only through the grievance process could they vindicate their contention that the complexity of their computer work deserved better compensation.

“If it wasn’t for the union, we wouldn’t have been able to do this,” Gregory said. “Without the union, a lot of employees would be exploited.”