Public Employee Press

City Park Worker wins out-of-title pay and gets a promotion

An impartial arbitrator awarded a Local 1505 member $7,800 for the out-of-title work he did supervising Job Training Participants in the Parks Dept.

From March 2005 through January 2006, management assigned City Park Worker Julien Beresford to supervise JTP workers and drive crews of them to and from their work assignments throughout Manhattan.

But when management failed to give Beresford the assignment differential or bump him up to the higher title and pay of an Associate Park Service Worker, he contacted his local. Beresford was assigned to open various parks, make sure the JTPs in his crew were trained to use Parks equipment and see that they completed their assignments.

For 10 months Beresford traveled from park to park to review the work, report the progress and problems he encountered as a crew chief, and decide how many JTPs were needed to complete assignments, while Parks Supervisors made out the time sheets and schedules.

“It was obvious to the member and to us that he was doing out-of-title work,” said Local 1505 President Michael Hood. “Any and all out-of title work should be brought to the union’s attention,” he said.

The local filed a grievance for Beresford and took it to arbitration, with DC 37 lawyer Alan M. Brown handling the case. In February 2006 the Parks Dept. promoted Beresford to the APSW title for the 2006 season.

The arbitrator found in January 2007 that Beresford had been “assigned duties substantially different than the job for his title.” She awarded Beresford the difference in salaries between CPW and APSW, which amounted to $7,800.

“I feel great because I got additional money for the work I did,” said Beresford. “The union played an important role in protecting me and getting the pay I deserved.”