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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2018

District Council 37 and City of New York reach tentative contract agreement

Pact includes fair wage increases; vital benefits protected

District Council 37, the city’s largest public employee union, has reached a tentative agreement with the City of New York on a new, 44-month wage pact that provides a total of 7.42 percent in pay hikes; back pay; plus additional resources to boost employee education and training and to address issues of worker recruitment and retention. Approximately 100,000 city employees are covered by the agreement.

“This agreement is a clear example of the importance of collective bargaining and what can be achieved when the employer and employees negotiate in good faith,” said District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “This administration has shown that, at a time when forces across the country are trying to degrade the value of the collective bargaining process, you can tackle big problems when you approach workers with respect.”

“I’m thankful to DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido for his continued partnership and to my Labor Relations Commissioner Robert Linn for ensuring we continue to be a city that strikes the balance between being fair to our workers and fair to our taxpayers,” said Mayor de Blasio.

Key Points:

• In cooperation with the Municipal Labor Committee, crucial health care benefits have been preserved.
• The union and the city agreed to work together to opt-in to the New York State Paid Family Leave program by January, 2019. Paid family leave enables employees to bond with a newly born, adopted or foster child; care for a close relative with a serious health condition; or assist loved ones when a family member is deployed abroad on active military service.
• The agreement also buttresses union rights at a time when labor is under attack across the country, enhancing communication between the city and the union and providing workplace access to improve union communications with new employees.

The wage increases are as follows:

Effective September 26, 2017 – 2.00%
Effective September 26, 2018 – 2.25% compounded
Effective October 26, 2019 – 3.0% compounded

The proposed agreement will now be considered by the Delegate Assembly before being submitted to the membership by secret ballot.