February 24 Update

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The bargaining session on February 24 was productive. First, the RF’s representatives confirmed that they were willing to align the dates of the across-the-board wage increases and the health insurance co-premium increases in each year of the contract. An across-the-board wage increase will mean that every RF employee at LaGuardia, City Tech and the Graduate Center will be able to look forward to a known minimum increase on a particular date each year and that workers will be able to hold their directors accountable for providing that increase. This victory also shows that we have been effective in conveying, both at the table and during campus actions, that an increase in the cost of health insurance without a wage increase is an absolute non-starter.

The union also made progress yesterday on the amount of the wage increases. Both parties’ economic proposals include 2% minimum salary increases in years three and four of the contract. In years one and two the union is at 2.25% and management is at 1.75%. While management continues to reject the union’s proposals on longevity recognition and salary minimums for each pay grade, they acknowledged yesterday that they were considering our proposal for larger per-hour increases for the lowest paid workers. This may be a step in the right direction.

The next bargaining session will be Thursday, March 3 at 12:30pm, at the Graduate Center in room 8106. RF workers from all three campuses are welcome and encouraged to attend. When sitting at the bargaining table, it is easy to see that a large worker presence at these sessions makes a big impression on management.