Tuesday, October 24, 2017

The City Is Playing Hardball In Negotiating The Next Contract.



























The City has started contract negotiations with the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and in the first negotiating session the City has offered the PBA a 4.2% raise for 42 months.  That comes out to an annual raise of 1.2%, when inflation in the New York City Metropolitan area of 2.4% is factored in,  It's half the inflation rate.

Worse, the City expects the PBA to "self fund" the raises by requiring 100% "givebacks" for providing the money to pay for it.  According to the what I heard and read the 'givebacks" are as follows:
  • Discontinue the police annuity fund.
  • Install 10 hour tours to reduce overtime.
  • Drop all "grievances" and unfair labor practice complaints.
Sure, this was only the first negotiating session and each side submits it's  maximum positions.  The PBA wants a 29% pay raise for 24 months for example.  However, the uniformed employees always gets a little more than everybody else.  Therefore, its safe to assume when our crack negotiating team (sarcastic) meets with Bob Linn of the City, expect the next contract to be, once again, short on raises, backloaded, and maybe a "giveback" or two.

I suspect that we will get a three or four year contract with most of the raises in the final two years and if we average the inflation rate of 2.4% I will be pleasantly surprised.  However, our union leadership, when negotiating with the City's Bob Linn its like "boys negotiating with men" and the members will come out with inferior raises. below the inflation rate and more "givebacks" as our disconnected union leadership declares victory once again as their members continue to lose more of their due process rights and ability to run the classroom that's best for the students.

25 comments:

RBE said...

Is the UFT first bargaining position ever as brazen as the PBA's? From what I can tell, the UFT starts negotiations right about where they should end up, which is why we get so screwed.

One other point: If that's what de Blasio is offering: 1. Screw de Blasio and 2. Why doesn't EVERY union member turn their backs on him?

Bronx ATR said...

I can imagine it now - 6 classes for every teacher, one Saturday a month for a 2% raise spread out in quarter percents and more health care givebacks. Mike will say, 'What can I do? We go to the back of line and everyone else will get all the money and nothing will be left for us! I haven't been to Peter Luger's in two weeks and haven't had quail or caviar in a month - we all have to make hard sacrifices. The UFT is here for you!"
The real kicker for many of us is not the money, it's the quality of life issues - respect, safety, and a voice. Janus will decimate the UFT.

Anonymous said...

NO GIVEBACKS IN THE NEXT CONTRACT! If the PBA gets a shitty raise, we should expect a shitty raise as well due to pattern bargaining. If they get a good raise, the UFT has a case for us to get a good raise as well. However, for me at least, the money is not the most important thing. I want no givebacks. We have given away almost every possible thing in the past 20 years. My guess is the city will bribe everybody with some stupid signing bonus like the last contract to dupe young teachers into taking another shitty contract like the last one.

Anonymous said...

This is the perfect storm. 1) The city offers us a shitty contract when then city is plush with cash. 2) The UFT tries to sell this shitty contract to the rank and file. 3) A pissed off rank and file reject the contract via ratification 4) Janus goes through and half the rank and file leave the UFT. 5) The UFT goes bankrupt and we get stuck with whatever shitty contract the city provides. Damn, I can't wait to get the hell out of here.

Anonymous said...

I remember the 2005 contract like it was yesterday. We got a big "raise" but it really was not a "raise" because the DOE added more time to the school day. Working more time for more money is NOT a raise. The city has big balls to ask the PBA to work 10 hour tours in order to fund the "raise". At least the PBA has Pat Lynch at the helm. He, unlike Mulgrew, does not take any shit and will get a good contract for his people. At this stage in the game, money is not the problem. The real problem is the sad state of affairs with our working conditions on our schools. If the city is not willing to fix those working conditions and wants us to provide more givebacks, Mulgrew needs to walk away. We went a long time without a contract because we knew Bloomberg would not give us something decent. Last contract was BS but there were not a lot of givebacks. The worst part of this is that DeBlasio is going to get re-elected and therefore he has nothing to loose by throwing a shitty contract offer our way. UFT needs to simply walk away if a new contract is filled with givebacks. That is what Triborough Ammeendment is for!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it a possibility that a new contract nixes the retro that we are owed in 2019 and 2020? I never counted on that money, and it was back loaded for a reason.

Anonymous said...

Janus will destroy the Unity Caucus UFT. Teachers will stop paying union dues in droves. The city pays for our Welfare Fund benefits which the UFT administers. We still get our benefits without paying union dues. Janus is a real blessing because it will demand that unions vigorously support their members. NY City uniformed unions are very proactive for their members. They have no fear of losing union dues. It won't happen with them. The UFT will be decimated with the June 2018 decision.

Anonymous said...

Here's the thing that is so crucial in all of this: I have been teaching for a very long time. I know how the contract process works and have seen my fair share of contracts come and go over the past 20 years. However, I am an "old" teacher. With age comes wisdom and a lot of knowledge. What I know for a fact is that the majority of young teachers at my school think about one thing. That one thing is money. Thus, if a new contract proposal is brought up, they will jump at the chance to get more money even if the working conditions do not improve. Also, due to wanting more money, the young teachers at my school will more than likely jump at the chance to leave the UFT if it means they will get to "keep" the $1,400 in annual dues money. Young teachers are too short sighted to look at the big picture. The Tier 6 teachers are going to have to work till they are 62. God only knows how many of them are actually planning on teaching for 40 years for the DOE. I have seen a ton of teachers leave in the past few years for suburban districts. Who can blame them in this day and age?

Anonymous said...

I won’t believe any of this until the election is over— the police are anti mayor, so this may be untrue. Sounds stupidly untrue.
Let’s see if they say this is what they are being offered after the election.

Unitymustgo! said...

I would be shocked if the crack UFT negotiating team didn't snatch defeat and praise themselves for doing it! My prediction is some kind of huge cost for us in order to get the final payouts. One thing, and one thing only never surprises me. What ever the UFT comes up with will be worse than anyones worse predictions. It always is.

Anonymous said...

That's such an insulting offer that it should be met with some strike action.

Anonymous said...

What is the exact date that our current contract runs out on? I say this time we let other NYC unions negotiate first to set the pattern. Mulgrew rushed us the last time and we set a very shitty pattern for the rest of the city. As to everyone wanting a new contract prior to ours running out, I ask why? We have no givebacks right now. A future contract might have givebacks and there is the possibility of loosing our future retro for the next 2 years along with those raises. Be careful in what you ask for. Patience is key here people!

jeff said...

TWU got 5% over 28 months, plus $500. I assume we will end up in that vicinity.

Anonymous said...

What about a buyout?
Any News.

Highly Effective King Clovis said...

How long do these contracts last? Didn't we have one just a year ago or so? I'd gladly forgo a raise if we could improve the school culture and get rid of bad principals and junk science. This is my 11th year, 4th straight as an ATR. When are we getting placed? Why do I feel that by January I will be asking the same question?

ATR 25/55 said...

Absolutely agree that the city will propose the raised be in the later years. It will be more of an incentive for older teachers to quit/retire faster if they have to waited even longer to get more money. Also agree with 6:58 about the uniformed unions - they actually see their leaders fight for them no matter what the members are facing.

Chaz said...

There are two givens. Our retro will be paid when it is supposed to be and there is no ATR time limit. Otherwise everything is up for negotiation.

Anonymous said...

Would like to see a great buyout!!!

Anonymous said...

Me too!

Anonymous said...

So Glad to be retiring next month. What in the Hell will be the state of affairs be with the DOE/UFT in a few years? Abysmal!

chris said...

Wow a buyout would be sick! Pipe dream but one can dream !

Anonymous said...

I have 11 years in. I would take a buyout at this point even with that little time!

The kids are totally addicted to their phones and most no longer know how to read more than a text blurb. Heck, many do not even have the stamina to watch a TV show anymore! The level of skill also declines yearly. Copying and cut and paste are the order of the day now. It's like we're seeing the meltdown of knowledge before our eyes.

The admins are getting really awful. Where are the classy, supportive principals of old?

I keep hearing about the 'looming' teacher shortage, but I don't think you will have that problem in the city since every do-gooder, Freedom-writers, guilt-ridden young white girl in the country wants to come here and teach and live a glamorous lifestyle.

It's just going to get worse and worse as a job, but newbies won't know how respectable and rewarding this profession used to be.

Anonymous said...

I would gladly give up retro if I could retire with pension and medical a few years earlier. I’m in 25/55(thank goodness for Spitzer lol), but I feel like I’m crawling to the finish line..a 20/50 deal would also be goog..

Anonymous said...

20/50 deal would be awesome. Please make it happen someday!

Anonymous said...

20/50!!!