Communique
March/April 2012
A union is a way of doing something together you can’t do alone. Utah Phillips (1935-2008)
Local 1180, Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO
Treason
doth never
prosper:
what’s the reason?
Why if it prosper,
none dare
call it
treason.
Ovid (43 BC–17 AD)
The Constitution of the United States, Article III, defines treason against
the United States to consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their
enemies, giving them aid or comfort. The wider definition is the crime of betraying
one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government; or the betrayal of a trust.
It takes a liberal definition of the word treason to describe the philosophy and
actions of the Republican Party and its Tea Party cohorts as treasonous, as well as
mean-spirited, but it can be done. So, as Cole Porter wrote, “Let’s Do It.”
There have been many threats, some real, most imagined, to the American way of
life over the 224 years of our constitutional existence: foreign invasion, slavery, the
end of slavery, Irish, Italian, Jewish immigration, anarchism, the Nazi menace of the
1930s and 1940s and World War II, the “Red menace”
of the 1940s and 1950s and 1960s, to name a few. They
were nothing, compared to the Republican/Tea Party
menace of the present. One only has to watch the
Republican presidential primary debates to witness
the depths they aspire to.
Poverty: Who cares, I got mine
According to the U.S. Census bureau, about 97.3
million Americans fall into the low-income category,
Continued on page 8
2
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
Roving Reporter Asks...
What makes you
really angry and
how do you deal
with it?
Denise Blanks
Department of Social Services
Principal Administrative Associate
I am a gospel singer. I have sung with
many groups and individuals throughout the years. The one thing that really gets me angry is when I am asked
to be at a rehearsal or a call time
before a performance for a particular
time, and things don’t get started until
a few hours later.
I continue to turn down shows
because I don’t like wasting time.
It takes everything within me to keep
a calm demeanor before singing or
going on stage to perform. I control
my anger by praying. A lot.
Gwendolyn Berry
Department of Transportation
Administrative Manager
When I become insanely angry after
being criticized I have learned to take
a deep, deep, and deeper breath. This
helps me to calm down and stop to
think about what words are about to
come out of my mouth. This was a
very long learning process which I’m
glad I can do now. I can now take criticism much better in my life. And that
probably saved a lot of people bodily
harm and AMEN to that!
The Roving Reporter is Helena Crump.
Comm u ni qu e
A horn blowing for the union
Enilce Bito
Principal Administrative Associate
Fire Department
“I’m new to union
things,” said Enilce (Eny to
her friends and most everyone
else) Brito. “I came to the union
and I came to stay.” Now that’s an
announcement, and there’s more.
“I’m a steward because I want to
make sure that whatever is being
done is done correctly. I want to be
close to the people making decisions for me — impacting my family, my benefits. I’d like to be one of
those people making decisions.
“I want to get there when I’m
ready and I’m making the steps to
get there. Right now I’m a crawling
baby. I need to be trained. I need to
go to school. I function best when
I’m doing lots of things. I work best
under pressure.”
Going back
At 41, Brito is the mother of two
daughters and a grandmother of
two. “When I got pregnant after high
school with my first daughter it was
like a fever where I lived. Everyone
had one.” Coming from a family that
prized its children, her mind was
trained in knowing what a mother
and family should be like, she said.
The reality was that “being a parent
was the hardest thing I ever signed
up for. I made mistakes but I tried to
set an example.”
Then she went back to school,
learned computers, was given a
suit for her first interview, a job as
an office manager in New Jersey,
then a civil test and she is now a
capital assets coordinator in the
Fire Department. Big ticket items
like fire engines and fireboats once
were disposed of with no one knowing. Now, when purchased, the
acquisition is entered in a ledger
and when it is decommissioned
it is removed — a fire engine has
about eight years of service. “I see
the birth and death of an asset. In
between I don’t know much.”
Brito received her Certificate in
Public Administration (16 credits paid for by Local 1180) from
CUNY’s Murphy Institute and is
planning to get her bachelor’s
degree. She has taken all the
computer classes the local offers.
Reporting out at the Stewards’ Assembly.
She buys and reads books about
unions. She is a member of the
Civil Rights and Equity Committee
union proud
and the Committee on People with
Disabilities. Her shop steward philosophy: “If you want to be a shop
steward you have to be involved.
We need people to represent members, not just hold the title. Once I
start something I am committed.
“The day you lose interest, it’s
just a job, you have to do something
else.”
She is organizing a walk for
people with RETT syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system that
leads to developmental reversals,
especially in the areas of expressive language and hand use. It
almost exclusively affects girls.
The granddaughter of a friend has
it: “I had a connection with that
child and I knew that one day I’d
do something for her.” She and the
people she is working with are in
the process of reserving a date for
the walk.
And then there is the issue, the
elephant in the office: a large number of employees have cancer. Is
there a cancer cluster or not? The
Fire Department says the air and
water have been tested and the
building is clean. “This is an issue
that won’t go away. It’s very sensitive. People want to know.”
The last words
Dana Holland, a veteran steward at the Fire Department, said:
“She’s one of those people, you say,
‘There’s a need,’ she steps in. She is
going gung-ho just to know things.
She is like a horn blowing for the
union. Extraordinary.”
I came to the union and I came to stay.
Comm u ni qu e
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
3
Amnesty International in the union fold
F
ollowing a year-long
organizing campaign, a
final 13-hour bargaining
session, and a ratification
vote, a first contract was signed
on December 23 with Amnesty
International USA.
“We needed to protect our lowestpaid workers,” said Maggie Corser,
Foundations Relations Associate in
the New York office, “and that was
not negotiable.”
“In the Spring of 2009, staff had
a meeting where people talked
about their concerns and the benefits of unionizing. We advocate for
people,” said Thenjiwe McHarris,
Field Organizer, “and now we are
advocating for ourselves.” There
was a long period of shop meetings and mostly a new experience
for the members of the negotiating
committee. “It was like nothing I
ever did before, time-consuming
and gratifying to reach a ccontract
you respect,” said McHarris.
A great success
Ilona Kelly, Individuals at Risk
Campaigner for Africa and the
Middle East in the Washington
office, said that despite periods of
“frustration, disappointment, and
confusion, at the end of the day I
never regretted my involvement in
the negotiations and it was cool to
work with my colleagues to establish the kind of working environment we wanted and to have agency
over it.”
“We had a great success,” said
McHarris. “It was a long process;
New column
next issue
The May/June Communique will
have the first article in a series
about Amnesty International’s
Prisoner of Conscience campaign
with the story of jailed labor
leaders Jalila al-Salman and
Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb,
vice president and president of
the Bahrain Teachers Association.
Thenjiwe McHarris and Bryna Leenan Subherwal signing the contract.
I’m happy it’s done, but it is an
ongoing process. We built something for the future.” At the last
negotiating session before agreement was reached, people lined the
halls, first seven, then a little later
12, and finally all the members in
the shop, sending a message that
they were all were behind the negotiating committee. “People were
bringing us snacks, flowers; they
were impassioned about building
our collective power.”
For McHarris, Corser, and Kelly, the
preamble to the contract that established AI as a human rights-based
workplace was as important as the
financial and grievance-related parts.
The preamble reads: “[The parties]
agree to promote the dignity of all
employees both in and outside the
bargaining unit and to assure proper
mutual respect and dignity in accordance with the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the laws of the
United States.”
“We want to promote internally
what we promote externally. This
preamble acknowledges that we are
mutually respectful, of each other,
which will enable us to build a better workplace for all of us,” Kelly
said. She hopes to see this kind of
preamble in other union contracts
in the future.
“We’re at a critical time with the
attacks on labor rights. This was an
opportunity to join that movement
and practice what we preach. The
best time to fight for rights is when
you are part of the struggle. We are
real partners in the labor movement,” Kelly said.
Newest members practicing what
they preach
What’s in the contract
The contract provides for a 12.5 percent increase in
base wages over the life of a three and a half year agreement. General wage increases of 3 percent will be paid
January 1, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The contract
runs through June 30, 2015.
The contract also includes the establishment of minimum rates for titles over five separate pay grades, providing substantial increases to a number of the lowest
paid employees. In addition, the agreement establishes
a $750 longevity increment for employees with three
years of service at AIUSA, as well as minimum promotional guarantees for employees promoted to a job at a
higher grade. The employer agreed to continue to pay
the total cost of family health insurance throughout the
life of the contract as well as a 3 percent contribution
into employees’ retirement accounts. Other features
include a grievance and arbitration provision, overtime
protection, non-discrimination language, paid bereavement leave for expanded categories of family members,
and compensatory time off for Fair Labor Standards Act
exempt employees required to work on weekends or holidays. [The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime
pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards
affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal,
State, and local governments.]
Ilona Kelly
4
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
Comm u ni qu e
DHS joins felon banks
By Gary Schoichet
T
he group of felons that
includes Citigroup, Goldman
Sachs and JP Morgan — all
big banks that settled fraud cases
with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, sometimes for hundreds of millions of dollars, and
promised to never do it again even
though they never had to admit
they’d done anything to begin
with — is now joined by NYC’s
Department of Homeless Services.
As we reported in the Sept./
Oct. issue of Communique, DHS
circumvented civil service law that
“mandates provisionals be replaced
by people from a civil service list,
and to keep employees, some long
term, who did not take and/or pass
the open competitive test [those
who passed the promotional test
were appointed from the list], DHS
and DCAS [Department of Citywide
Administrative Services] and their
commissioners and the City, itself,
moved those people into new titles
performing the exact same duties
with the same pay grades, and
then said that even though there
Caught, DHS agrees to appoint PAAs from
the list, like it’s supposed to
was an appointment list from the
open competitive exam, there were
no PAA [Principal Administrative
Associate] slots for any of them.”
An open secret
As a result of the Local 1180
lawsuit, DHS has agreed — even
though it didn’t do anything wrong
except break the law — “to make
two appointments to the title of
Principal Administrative Associate
from the eligible list that was established by the Commissioner of
the NYC Department of Citywide
Administrative Services on July
6, 2011 from the open competitive
examination [No. 8068] for PAA…
no later than December 16, 2011. In
addition, DHS also agrees to make
eight new appointments to the PAA
title from this eligible list no later
than March 1, 2012. DHS will also
upgrade one of its existing PAA
positions from Level II to Level III.
“Nothing contained herein shall
be deemed to be or constitute an
admission by respondents [the
city] of the truth of any of the allegations contained in the petition,
nor shall anything contained in
this stipulation be deemed to be an
admission by respondents that they
have in any manner violated the
rights of petitioner … as defined
in the constitutions, statutes, ordinances, rules or regulations of the
United States, the State of New York,
the City of New York…”
DHS was doing all those things
the stipulation said it wasn’t doing.
“None of this was secret.
Members were coming to me and
saying, ‘They’re changing my title.’
It was wholesale title-changing,”
said shop steward Shirley Littman.
People were talking about it
because they were afraid of losing
their jobs. “When questioned, an
assistant commissioner was saying she didn’t know anything about
changing titles, all the while it was
happening. It was like you walk into
a kitchen where someone is cook-
Stewards figuring it out
ing chicken and it looks like chicken
and smells like chicken and they tell
you it’s beef,” said Littman.
The city loves provisional
employees because it has lots of
power over them. The city hates
civil service because it has rules
and regulations that it isn’t supposed to, but does, ignore. The
Long Beach decision limited the
time that provisionals could stay
on the payroll and gave New York
State and its cities a time line for
compliance and for offering civil
service tests. Before the lists were
established, the city was within its
rights to change titles — but not job
specifications — and move people
around. Then, it was plain old
union-busting, as new titles were
removed from the union. With the
lists, that became illegal.
Jobs didn’t fit titles
When there is a list, you can’t
push a provisional PAA into a new
title and give him the same job he
was already doing. The city said
there were no slots for people on
the list because their jobs were
now being performed in a new title.
A lot of managers weren’t happy
with the stipulation because “they
were the ones who had to change
the paperwork that describes
what the employee is doing,” said
Littman. The problem was that the
tasks and standards of the new title
didn’t fit the jobs the people were
still doing. The middle managers
couldn’t make the paperwork right,”
Littman said.
Connect the dots
Aaron Stewart, steward at the Department of Social Services, reporting on the question, “What must the shop steward
know?” at the Stewards’ Assembly held on February 4. Other questions explored were, “What materials does a steward
need?” and “How does the steward do the job?”
According to Littman, the agency’s organizational chart told the
story. “It was there for anyone to
see. It was like the coloring books
where you connected the dots and
saw a whole picture. You see something happening and someone says
one thing and someone else says
another and you put them together
and go ‘uh oh.’ Breaking the law? It
was PAA provisionals only whose
titles were being changed.”
Connect the dots; see the lawbreakers; see them skate with a slap
on the wrist.
Comm u ni qu e
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
5
Admin JOS minimums and
maximums established
By Gary Schoichet
O
nce, a long time ago, there
were separate titles for eligibility and case management
supervisors. In 2001 the titles were
combined in the Administrative
Job Opportunity Specialist, Level
I and II because of “a change in
national policy under which an
emphasis was placed on work
requirements for public assistance
recipients as a condition of receiving financial assistance.”* At that
time Local 1180 filed a petition
with the NYC Office of Collective
Bargaining to represent those workers. The petition was contested by
the city on the grounds that with
the added responsibilities the title
was “managerial and/or confidential” and therefore ineligible for
union representation.
1180 requests impasse panel
This changed in 2005 when the
OCB’s Board of Certification ruled
that most of the employees in the
title were eligible for collective
bargaining. Local 1180 and the city
reached agreement on the local
contract covering all titles for a
two-year period ending in October
2008 and again for a two-year
period ending in October 2010 on
wage increases and other economic
benefits, and on non-economic
terms and conditions of employment. Unresolved was the issue of
minimum and maximum salaries
for Admin JOS.
And that’s where the Impasse
Panel comes in. In 2005 Local
1180, realizing that agreement on
minimums and maximums was
not going to happen, requested
the appointment of an Impasse
Panel. The hearings were held on
September 27 and October 1, 2010.
The recommendation was issued
on November 13, 2011. It fell somewhere in the middle of what the
parties wanted.
Impasse panel issues recommendations
Job Opportunity Specialists the
Admin JOS supervise.
Effective April 6, 2007 the minimum salary rate for Admin JOS,
Level II is $70,707 and the maximum
is $90,378. This is 8 percent above
the Admin JOS Level I wage.
“Thereafter, the minimum salary
rates shall be increased by the percentage of the negotiated across the
board wage increases on October 6,
2008 and October 6, 2009.
“During the term of the agreements, the hiring rate shall be suspended and any employee earning
less than the minimum salaries
established by this recommendation
shall have their salary rates adjusted
to the recommended rates.”* The
current minimums are $70,833 for
Level 1 and $76,477 for Level II.
There are a relatively small
number of people — 81 to begin,
10 retired, four promoted out of
the union, and three died, leaving
64 — in the Administrative Job
Opportunity Specialist, Level I and
II titles, but with the arbitration
on minimums and maximums concluded most of them will receive
back wages ranging from $5,619 up
to more than $75,000.
“I’m fine with the settlement,”
said Armando Del Moral, director of
the Refugee Immigrant Job Center.
“I didn’t receive back pay because
I was already at the minimum. I’m
very satisfied for those members
who were owed money and are
being compensated. The minimums
were as fair as could be considering
the political and economic climate,”
a reference to the union-busting
that is the order of the day. “And
now everyone is on the same playing field.”
“I think that people are happy
that it is over with,” said Jerome
Cunningham, deputy director of
Center 39 of the Human Resources
Administration. Although he thinks
it could have been settled sooner,
that the settlement was close to
the City’s first offer, he agrees that,
with Local 1180’s wage demands
and the city’s intransigence, there
was no way it was going to be
settled in negotiations. Besides the
retroactivity, Cunningham believes
that with the new minimums,
people will work longer to bump up
their pensions.
It’s not over
With the minimums settled
the focus changes. “We haven’t
arrived,” said Del Moral. “This is an
initial step. First, people in acting
positions should be grandfathered
in rather than having to jump
Minimums as fair as could be
Effective April 6, 2007 the minimum salary rate for Admin JOS,
Level I is $65,469 and the maximum
is $83,683. These rates are 9 percent
above the wages of the Associate
Jerome Cunningham: “People are happy that’s it’s over.”
Armando Del Moral
through hoops.” He is concerned
with management behavior re the
arbitration. One member told him
that her manager told her, “Now
that you are getting this money you
have to step up.”
“This is disturbing because this
was not a merit increase, but a
decision on a base salary.” There
are also hard issues like overtime
compensation and the working relationship issues that include senior
management’s lack of recognition of
and respect for the Admin JOS title.
Both Del Moral and Cunningham,
along with Julie Garfield and
Hector Duval, are Admin JOS
stewards with Cunningham being
the only deputy director or Level
I. Cunningham felt that it was
important that the Level I’s had
equal representation. From his
perspective, staffing is a big issue.
“We have more clients and less
workers. As people retire they are
not replaced. Morale is low. How do
you do more with less? No one is
giving us the tools to deal with the
problems we have.”
“We need more of a collaborative
working relationship with management. We are on the ground dealing
with things every day. Our knowledge can be willingly tapped into
to solve issues for the agency as a
whole. Only then can we better service the population we are charged
to serve,” said Del Moral.
*Impasse Panel Report and
Recommendation, Case No. I-3-09.
Al Vianni, arbitrator.
6
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
Comm u ni qu e
Looking back and updating stories we covered
By Gary Schoichet
The mortgage crisis: banks
bailed again
L
orraine Gamble-Lofton wrote
about her perilous journey
through the labyrinth of Chase
Bank’s mortgage modification program titled, Mortgage Woes: Under
the thumb of the Banks, in the May/
June 2011 issue of Communique.
On February 7, the government
announced a $26 billion settlement,
only $5 billion in cash, with the U.S.’s
biggest (too big to fail) banks that
will provide some relief to almost
two million people who lost their
homes with the bursting of the housing bubble combined with the fraudulent practices of the banks. Those
banks, or mortgage servicers, are
Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase
(Gamble-Lofton’s nemesis), Wells
Fargo, Citigroup, and Ally Financial.
$26 billion, that’s $26,000,000,000
looks like a lot of money and it is if
it’s in your bank account, but it will
only cover a fraction of the people
harmed, and by not very much.
Banks off the hook
The aftermath of 9/11: too
many cops down
T
here is little doubt that both
the city and the federal government lied about the after-effects of
the destruction of the World Trade
Center, so that New York could
return to business as usual. Lying
is lying. In the January/February
2012 issue of Communique surviving
Ground Zero responders told their
stories about the effects that the
dust and other debris had on their
bodies and minds.
The New York Post reported in
early February that the Patrolman’s
Benevolent Association said that 297
police responders with an average
age of 44 have been stricken by cancer since the clean-up at Ground Zero
began. Sixty-five have died. All were
healthy on the day they started. As we
reported, cancer is not one of the ailments covered by the Zadroga Act. In
March the federal government, after
a meeting of the World Trade Center
Scientific and Technical Advisory
Committee, will decide if cancer is
to be added to the list so that those
responders will receive treatment and
financial compensation.
Ninety percent of police responders reported aggravated coughing
and other respiratory problems
after exposure. The city has been
loath to release data on the cancer
rate among police officers under
the guise that the statistics are “privacy issues.” It could be that there
will be more responders to treat if
cancer is added to the list.
Currently, there is a bill being
introduced in the NY City Council
that will require the city to semiannually compare responders who
worked in or around Ground Zero
with the state cancer registry and
report that information to any institution studying the health effects. A
similar bill is being introduced in the
NYS Assembly that will require the
NYPD to release the names of those
who worked at the WTC site to institutions studying the health effects.
Citizens United against the
people
W
hen the Supreme Court of the
United States of America ruled
that corporations were people [?]
twice Communique did articles.
One, March/April 2010, was satiric:
a date with Exxon Mobil; the
other, November/December 2010,
a researched piece describing
what could only be a cabal against
democracy.
With Citizens United the law of
the land, money is flowing from
right wing super PACS (Political
Action Committees) into the cam-
pat arnow
Divide 2 million people into
$26 billion and that’s an average
of $13,000. That’s not even money
going directly to people, but to the
banks. The banks will then offer
varying kinds and degrees of credit
to borrowers, particularly to those
whose homes are worth less than
they owe on them. Twenty percent
of American mortgages have a
negative value of $700 billion for
an average of $50,000. The 750,000
who lost their homes will receive
between $1,500 and $2,000 in cash.
Those who had mortgages held by
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will
not receive any relief.
In announcing the settlement,
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
said, “These failures didn’t just hurt
borrowers who might have been
able to afford modified mortgages,
they fueled the downward spiral of
our economy and of communities
nationwide. They eroded faith in
our financial system.”
With this settlement the banks
are basically off the hook. Some
states, like New York and California,
can still prosecute illegal practices. The day the settlement was
announced bank stock prices rose.
Information for this update came
from the New York Times and from
Democracy Now.
SAT Saturdays
Local 1180 is offering SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) classes on Saturdays for the
children of union members.
paign funds of all the Republicans.
President Obama, who was never
going to take that kind of money,
announced that he too will take
super PAC money. Newt Gingrich
is being supported by Las Vegas
casino owner to the tune of $10 million and counting; Rick Santorum
is getting money from lawyers
and Wall Street, and Mitt Romney
has his own and, according to the
Washington Post, is relying on a
small group of super rich donors,
mostly hedge fund executives.
Romney has raised more than
$12 million from Wall Street and
this is not yet the middle of
February. According to the Center
for Responsive Politics, www.
opensecrets.org, Wall Street will set
records in 2012 for political spending. The aim is to defeat President
Obama and make the Dodd-Frank
financial regulations, the regulations
that protect consumers, go away.
The famous, or infamous Koch
brothers, who are oil pipeline billionaires and libertarians, they founded
the Cato Institute, the libertarian
think tank, as well as many others,
and who fund the Tea Party, who
hate government interference in
environmental issues like spills and
airborne pollution, and labor issues,
and taxes, they really hate taxes, and
bankrolled the Citizens United struggle, struggle?, who believe in laissezfaire capitalism that means let capital
be capital and do what it wants and
everything will be all right, and yet
rely on government handouts like
rent-free land to graze their cattle,
eminent domain to remove people
from areas on which they want to
build pipelines, subsidies for their
ethanol business, logging roads
paid for by the Forest Service which
means by everyone reading this, are
really socialists at heart.
Money will pour into the presidential campaigns and into the
efforts to disenfranchise as many
voters who traditionally vote
Democratic and all because the
Supreme Court decided that corporations were people and entitled to
free speech which means giving as
much money as they want to PACS
and super PACS that is funneled to
political parties and candidates
that do their bidding.
Wall Street and the corporations
love the Supreme Court.
Comm u ni qu e
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
7
New committee teaches and
preaches civil service law
By Edward M. Yood
On Jan. 7, 2011,
New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg handed
the Municipal Labor
Committee, which includes
all public sector workers, a
23-point Workforce Reform
Task Force Report, which
would gut many protections
for municipal workers now
included in union collective bargaining agreements
and New York State civil
service law. In January
2012, Bloomberg’s boss,
New York State Governor
Andrew Cuomo, joined
Wisconsin’s governor Scott
Walker, Indiana’s governor Mitch Daniels, Ohio’s
governor John Kasich, and
Arizona’s governor Jan
Brewer in proposing the
reduction of hiring and
promotion standards for
government jobs, including
eliminating some requirements for competitive
examinations.
Delving into civil service
This reporter, also a
member of Local 1180’s
Civil Service Committee,
LOCAL 1180 CIVIL SERVICE COM
spoke recently with Helen
S. Jarrett about her experiences working on the
CSC. Jarrett, a 31-year civil
servant, is currently an
Administrative Manager
in the Department of
Environmental Protection.
Previously she worked
for the New York Police
Department and the Human
Resources Administration.
Jarrett says that she
joined, and likes working on
the CSC, because, “I had a
strong desire to learn and
delve into the laws that
govern us as a municipality
MIT TEE
CIVIL SERVICE FACT SHEET #1
THE WORKING CLASS
DON’T LET THE MAYOR DESTROY
to end the
is attacking Civil Ser vice? He wants
Do you know that Mayor Bloomberg
downgrade
ority over the city’s hiring practices,
State Civil Ser vice Commission’s auth
the Triborough
ary rules, end seniority and abolish
Civil Ser vice tests, change disciplin
Amendment.
Taylor Law,
ent Act commonly referred to as the
The Public Employee’s Fair Employm
ndment
Ame
gh
vice Law (Article XIV) , the Triborou
par t of the New York State Civil Ser
nt until a
e all the terms of an expired agreeme
requires a public employer to continu
new agreement is negotiated.
ernments could
to be abolished State and local gov
If the Triborough Amendment were
ce governements have expired. They could redu
void union contracts once the agre
, working conditions, etc.
ment employees’ salaries, benefits
sion or demoicle V, Title C, 80. and 80a.) Suspen
New York State Civil Ser vice Law (Art
-competitive
of positions for competitive and non
tion upon the abolition or reduction
y.
be done in inverse order of seniorit
class positions provides that layoffs
es without
ld allow agencies to lay off employe
Elimination of these provisions wou
the city.
regard to their leng th of service with
r disciplinary
icle V, Title B, 75.) Removal and othe
New York State Civil Ser vice Law (Art
ed to any discinot be removed or otherwise subject
action provides that a person shall
conduct shown
tion except for incompetency or mis
plinary penalty provided in this sec
pursuant to this section.
after a hearing upon stated charges
ring denies
rs to impose sanctions without a hea
Amending the law to allow manage
employees “due process”.
promotion
icle IV, Title B, 61.) Appointment and
New York State Civil Ser vice Law (Art
by the selection
otion from an eligible list be made
provides that appointment or prom
on such eligible list.
of one of the three persons highest
to appoint or
ld allow State and local governments
Elimination of the one -in-three rule wou
on that list.
list without regard to their placement
promote candidates from an eligible
contact Gina
Local 1180 Civil Ser vice Committee
For more information or to join the
ickland @cwa1180.org.
Strickland at (212) 331-0910 or gstr
Helen Jarrett
of city workers. The committee allows you to gain
knowledge on how the laws
and amendments are structured to protect you, especially in these challenging
economic times when our
governor is trying to eradicate our rights.
Civil Service is worker
protection
“Job stability, especially
as a civil servant, is important to ensure that our
communities continue to
receive vital services such
as food stamps, low-income
housing, shelters, job
empowerment training, etc.
I educate the criticizers of
civil service, tell them that
I must never have known
the right people and so I
had to work hard all of my
31 years. I took all eligible
civil service exams, passed
the tests, and was able to
successfully advance my
career.
“Civil Service law protects city workers by ensuring when an examination
is given, the list is utilized
and the rules are adhered
to. For example, an agency
cannot jump over a higher
scoring candidate to pull a
lower scoring ‘friend’ from
the list. The Merit System
encompasses the one-inthree rule (for every three
candidates called, one must
be hired), as per civil service law.
Executive Order 8587: A blow against
discrimination
On November 7, 1940, two days after being re-elected for
his third term, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed
Executive Order 8587 abolishing the civil service application photograph. The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People and the historically-black
National Alliance of Postal Employees (NAPE, formed in
1913 after blacks were excluded from the Railway Mail
Association) had campaigned against the use of the application photograph since the Woodrow Wilson administration began using it in 1914 to screen out as many African
American applicants as it could. In 1915, President Wilson
arranged a film showing at the White House for the nine
Supreme Court justices of the racist, pro-lynching movie
that glorified the Ku Klux Klan, “The Birth of a Nation.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), while
battling to keep Jim Crow branches out of its organization, had voted at its 1939 convention to support abolition
of the discriminatory application photograph.
8
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
Comm u ni qu e
Republicans reach for the bottom
Continued from page 1
commonly defined as those earning between 100 and 199 percent of
the poverty level. Together with the
49.1 million who fall below the poverty line and are counted as poor,
they number 146.4 million, or 48
percent of the U.S. population, up 4
million from 2009.
The Republicans have fought
against bills that will create jobs,
against extensions of unemployment
insurance, against continuing the
small Social Security withholding
break for working people, all the
while calling the bills “job-destroying.” Only tax breaks for corporations
and people of wealth will create jobs,
according to their mantra. It is of
note that in the last 25 years, the net
worth of a member
of the House of
Representatives has
more than doubled,
while the net worth
of the American
family has declined
by a small amount
(Washington Post,
12/26/2011). Almost
half of the members
of Congress are millionaires, with some
worth hundreds of
millions of dollars.
(Democrats fare as
well as Republicans in number and
worth.) Members of the Senate are
even richer.
Health care: Let them die
During one of the early
Republican primary debates,
people cheered for death when the
moderator, Wolf Blitzer, asked if a
person with no insurance who has
a life-threatening accident should
be treated or allowed to die. The
candidates stood mute. Not one
was willing to speak up. Ron Paul, a
medical doctor, said, “That’s what
freedom is all about — taking your
own risks. This whole idea that you
have to take care of everybody ...”
was as far as he got before he was
drowned out by applause from the
Tea Party audience.
So, health care is out if you can’t
pay for insurance, and President
Obama’s health care plan is out
because it doesn’t really allow people to opt out and be free. Tough
luck if you get sick.
When it was suggested that some
diagnostic tests not be undertaken,
when it was suggested that certain procedures not be performed
because of the age of a patient or
the severity of the illness as an
attempt to cut down on health care
costs, the Republicans screamed
“death panels.” That health insurance companies have been denying tests and procedures for years
(denying care is the way they make
money) did not raise the hackles of
freedom-loving Tea Partiers. How
many will give up their Medicare
when the time comes?
Democracy: Who needs it
Under the guise of preventing
voter fraud, Republican governors
and state legislators have done
everything they can to prevent
people of color and young people,
the natural Democratic Party base,
from voting — except for bringing back the poll tax. Had they
been able to reinstate the poll
tax they probably would have.
Bankrolled by the brothers Koch,
the Republicans figured out that
the fewer people voting, the better chance they have to prevail, so
removing potential Democratic voters is the program.
ACORN was attacked and
destroyed because it was registering voters: minorities, immigrants,
students, ex-felons. In 2011, 38
states introduced legislation and
12 legislatures passed new rules,
with the sole purpose being voter
suppression. For example, “Kansas
and Alabama now require would-be
voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering. Florida and
Texas made it harder for groups
like the League of Women Voters to
register new voters. Maine repealed
Election Day voter registration,
which had been on the books since
1973. Five states — Florida, Georgia,
Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia
— cut short their early voting
periods. Florida and Iowa barred
all ex-felons from the polls, disenfranchising thousands of previously eligible voters. And six states
controlled by Republican governors and legislatures — Alabama,
Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas and Wisconsin — will require
voters to produce a governmentissued ID before casting ballots.
More than 10 percent of U.S. citizens lack such identification, and
the numbers are even higher among
constituencies that traditionally
lean Democratic — including 18
percent of young voters and 25 percent of African-Americans.”*
So much for democracy.
Kill jobs bills
The American Jobs Act was
aimed at saving the jobs of
police, firefighters, and teachers;
at rebuilding and modernizing
35,000 schools, and refurbishing
infrastructure, including roads,
airports, and rail, homes, and communities; giving tax credits of all
kinds to encourage companies to
hire workers; extending unemployment benefits for those unable to
find work; offering tax breaks for
companies hiring veterans; and
more. It was intended to put money
into the hands and pockets of those
who desperately need it. It included
items that Republicans have been
calling for for years. According to a
Bloomberg News survey of leading
economists, it would “help avoid
a return to recession by maintaining growth and pushing down the
unemployment rate next year.” It
would create, according to those
economists, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs. And,
according to the Congressional
Budget Office, it would lower the
deficit by $3 billion over the next
10 years. It was dead in the Senate
with every Republican in lockstep
with their leadership, whose legislative agenda is to vote down anything and everything proposed by
the president.
So much for jobs for the unemployed and underemployed.
And the rest, lest we forget
There is so much more — education, the environment, First
Amendment rights — but no space
to put it. If the avowed aim of the
Republican Party — to “starve the
government” while enriching themselves and their patrons — is not
akin to treason, what is? They are
guilty as charged.
*Rolling Stone magazine, The GOP
War on Voting, by Ari Berman,
8/30/11.
Comm u ni qu e
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
9
OWS: A movement for the 99%
A
s I see it, the Occupy Wall
Street movement effectively
focused our attention on
the absurdity of the fundamental
assumptions about our economic
and political systems, which have
not worked for most Americans for
over 30 years. OWS is like the child
who shouted, “The emperor has
no clothes.” Prior to September 17,
2011, all we heard from the corporate media was debt and deficits,
debt and deficits, debt and deficits.
Thanks to Occupy Wall Street, the
media can no longer ignore the
true crises of our times — income
inequality, economic unfairness,
and the corrosive role of corporate
money in politics.
Katrina vanden Heuvel in the
TheNation.com blog of January 26,
2012, reported that the media’s use
of the word “inequality” before and
after September 17, 2011, is a clear
indicator of the impact of Occupy
Wall Street. The article noted that
U.S. newspapers published about 409
stories including the word “inequality” in October 2010. But in October
President’s Column
by Arthur Cheliotes acheliotes@cwa1180.org
Conflict between rich and poor is
the greatest source of tension in
American society.
2011, when OWS erupted across the
country and overseas, the frequency
skyrocketed to 1,269 stories.
And the “Occupy Effect” continues. The New York Times columnist
Charles M. Blow put it this way:
“We must applaud the efforts of the
Occupy Wall Street movement. It
took income inequality and corporate responsibility out of the shadows and into the streets.”
OWS can effect change
According to the Pew Research
Center, conflict between the rich
and poor is now “the greatest
source of tension in American society,” with two-thirds of Americans
describing that conflict as “strong.”
The New York Times credits OWS
with making Americans “more
aware of the deep inequities in the
economy and of the government’s
responsibility to act.” President
Obama certainly tapped into that
trend, making economic inequality
and fairness the centerpiece of his
State of the Union address.
OWS has the power to effect
change as the slogan — “We are the
99%” — is converted into a political
vision of the world that confines
the 1% to the margins. “We are the
99%” describes a course of action
that can unite the people against
our real enemies. We need to take
full account of the fact that we are
forced to live and work in a system
Not knowing your rights is like having no rights
I
recently attended a conference
and one of the speakers made
a statement that made me stop
and think: “Not knowing your rights
is like having no rights.”
Most of 1180’s members who work
in the Mayoral agencies are covered
by the 1180 Principal Administrative
Associate’s Contract and the
Citywide Contract. The provisions in
these contracts are your rights.
I was explaining to the members
at a site meeting that the 1180 PAA
Contract provides an addition to
gross salary called the “Experience
Differential.”
To be eligible for the “Experience
Differential,” a member must have
five years of permanent civil service status in an 1180 title/level, or
as a “step-up” provisional, with five
years of permanent civil service
status in an underlying title.
Before leaving the meeting, I
was approached by a member who
wanted to discuss further the issue
of the “Experience Differential.”
After listening, it was determined
that the member had met the criteria for the “Experience Differential”
2 nd vice president’s Column
by Gina Strickland gstrickland@cwa1180.org
Know your contract provisions.
Know your rights.
for the last 10 years. However, the
Citywide Contract has a recoupment limitation of six years. Put
another way, the member was compensated for six years — and lost
four years of compensation. Not
knowing his rights cost the member
in dollars and cents.
In another case, a member
stayed beyond her normal working
hours to complete her weekly work
assignments. The additional 10
hours worked was reflected on her
timesheet.
When she received her paycheck
it did not reflect the overtime. She
then inquired about “compensatory time” and was informed by her
supervisor that “she did not receive
authorization to work overtime.”
According to the Citywide Contract,
“members must get prior approval,
from the supervisor, to be compensated for overtime.”
Local 1180 members covered by
union contracts should understand
that the provisions of our contracts
are our rights. If the worker knew
them, she had a choice to ask for
authorization for the overtime,
and to decline to perform the extra
work if authorization wasn’t given.
Use your rights
So often we see management
banking on the fact that members
are unaware of their rights. We have
received many phone calls where
a member’s duties were upgraded
and the member was told that if
designed to benefit those few who
exclude themselves from our “we.”
Where there’s a political will there’s
a political way. For the 99%, the
power is ours to make and to take.
With Occupy Wall Street, we have
a movement capturing a moment
in which a significant number of
Americans — and citizens of the
world — believe that people need
to take back their government — to
restore honesty and effectiveness
and reduce the influence of Wall
Street, the banking establishment and money in politics; to
ensure fairness and reduce income
inequality — in tax policy and
beyond; and undertake an effort
to renew and to rebuild the nation,
and, not least, to put its people
to work.
Occupy Wall Street will not be
going away. It has captured the
imagination, framed the dialogue,
and provided passion and conviction for the people’s cause. The
question is not what will Occupy
Wall Street do next, not at all. It’s
about what we do now.
they perform these duties satisfactorily for a certain period of time a
promotion might follow.
After many months passed with
no promotion or compensation for
the upgraded work performed, the
member contacted us and filed an
out-of-title grievance. The member
had been performing out-of-title
duties for more than nine months.
However, the 1180 PAA Contract
states that “no monetary award
shall in any event cover any period
prior to the date of the filing of the
Step 1 grievance unless such grievance has been filed within the thirty days of the assignment to alleged
out-of-title work.” Therefore, this
member gave the agency free outof-title labor for nine months.
Members should know that the
union collectively bargains for fair
wages, decent benefits and safe
working conditions and we represent
you when management attempts to
violate the contract provisions.
Know your contract provisions.
Know your rights.
I urge you to visit the website,
www.cwa1180.org, and learn about
your rights as a CWA Local 1180
member.
10
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
Comm u ni qu e
Executive Board Meeting Minutes
November 16, 2011
Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.
In Attendance : Ar thur Cheliotes,Harlan Reid,
Linda Jenkins, Lenora Smith, Gloria Middleton, Gina
Strickland, Gerald Brown, Clarona Williams, Alan
Goldblatt, Hazel Worley
Absent: Bill Henning, Charles Garcia, Michael Lamb
Also in Attendance: Steve Ferrer, Nadya Stevens
Minutes of the October 12, 2011 meeting were presented.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the minutes of October 12, 2011 with the necessary
corrections.
President’s Report
Arthur advised that on November 2 he attended a forum
re the next Mayor of New York City. Three possible
candidates for mayor participated in the forum: Bill
DeBlasio, William Thompson Jr. and Scott Stringer.
On November 3, Arthur was interviewed on Fox
Business News on the Charles Payne Show and the topic
of discussion was Occupy Wall Street.
On November 4, Arthur attended a meeting where the
$400 million cut in the U.S. HUD grant was discussed. Of
that amount $300 million would have gone to the New
York City Housing Authority.
period. The term of the retainer is December 1, 2011
through May 31, 2012, at a cost of $3,750 per month for
25 hours per month, with an additional cost of $150 per
hour when necessary.
Motion carried.
Arthur stated that on behalf of Local 1180, along with
the Organization of Staff Analysts and DC 37, we are
considering forming a coalition for the upcoming round
of bargaining.
The Arbitrator’s proposal in the Admin JOS arbitration
was submitted to the New York City Office of Collective
Bargaining.
Motion was duly made, seconded
and carried to accept the President’s
Report.
First Vice President’s Report
Linda Jenkins reported:
OCB
HHC titles — Assistant Director Hospitals and
Associate Director Hospitals
The next hearing date is November 21, 2011.
Update on Administrative Manager List # 6529
DOT called from list October 20, 2011 and HPD called
up to #30.
On November 9, Arthur visited the Hotel Workers
Union in NYC. He was impressed by its Comprehensive
Medical Facility, especially the prescription drug disbursement operations. The unit saves millions and millions of dollars annually.
Update on Principal Administrative Associate List
# 8535
Arthur presented a contract from Blackthorn Lynch
Associates, Inc., for consulting services with a sixmonth retainer. Blackthorn Lynch shall provide the following services to the Local pursuant to the agreement:
Principal Administrative Associate List # 8068 (OC)
Conduct contract negotiations on behalf of the Local
representing bargaining units in the non-profit sector.
Train a permanent in-house negotiator and assist the
Local in identifying an appropriate candidate for the
position.
Provide advice and training, as requested, in support of
the Local’s bargaining and organizing efforts in the nonprofit sector.
Provide advice and assistance in other areas of interest,
if and when requested by the Local.
HRA held a pool on October 17 called #s 106-278 to fill
17 vacancies.
DCAS held pools on 11/15 and 11/16 and called up to
number 371. The agencies at the pools were Correction,
DCAS, DEP, DOB, DOHMH, FDNY, HPD, TLC, NYCTA
and TBTA. They will be holding another pool on 11/17
calling up to number 569. DCAS anticipates holding
additional pools in January/February.
Education Committee
The committee is planning Member Orientation workshops for new members to be held monthly starting
January 21, 2012.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the First Vice President’s Report
T.D. Bank Checking $191,620.55
Gloria reported the following membership changes for
the month of October, 2012.
Bernadette Sullivan 845; Debra Paylor 810; Tina Lopez
771; Helana Crump 751; Esther Kaplan 682; George J.
Ennis Iii 645; Lincoln Bonner 631; Bonnie Sanders 627;
Herbrena Young 621; Lachaune Hackett 605; Michael
Walczyszyn 275; Blanks/Voids 1529
35 New Members, 10 Title Changes, 46 Terminated, 2
Resigned, 2 Deceased
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the Secretary/Treasurer’s Report.
The Committee on Civil Rights and Equity will sponsor
the Festival of Cultures on Saturday, February 18, 2012,
at Local 1199.
Gina Strickland Report
Gina reported that Local 1180 filed a grievance for the
Snow Days of December 26, 27 and 28, 2010, on January
5, 2011. The Step 3 Grievance was denied. On Oct 14,
2011, Local 1180 filed for arbitration for the three days.
Morgan Stanley Account $150,203.33
Cer tification of Election Results from the
American Arbitration Association (AAA) for the
2011 CWA Local 1180 election.
Eight thousand, nine hundred forty-one (8,941) ballots
were mailed to eligible voters on Monday, October 3,
2011.
The administrator of the AAA received a total of one
thousand, eight hundred fifty-six (1,856) by the scheduled deadline of Monday, October 24, 2011.
Of the received envelopes, six (6) were never counted:
2 No identification; 2 One envelope containing 2 ballots
(Ineligible per Union); 1 Empty envelope; 1 Original/
duplicate (Original ballot counted)
The counting of ballots took place at the offices of the
Administrator of AAA, 1633 Broadway, NYC on Tuesday,
October 25, 2011, in the presence of the election committee and observers.
Total Number of Ballots Counted 1850
PRESIDENT & DELEGATE TO THE CWA CONVENTIONS
Arthur Cheliotes 1611; Blanks/Voids 239
1ST VICE PRESIDENT & DELEGATE TO THE CWA
CONVENTIONS
Linda Jenkins 1533; Blanks/Voids 317
2ND VICE PRESIDENT & DELEGATE TO THE CWA
CONVENTIONS
Bill Henning 814; Georgina(Gina)Phillips-Strickland
976; Blanks/Voids 60
SECRETARY-TREASURER & DELEGATE TO THE CWA
CONVENTIONS
Hilary Bloomfield 653; Gloria Middleton 1138; Blanks/
Voids 59
RECORDING SECRETARY & DELEGATE TO THE CWA
CONVENTIONS
Gerald “Jerry’ Brown 1062; Michael Lamb 731; Blanks/
Voids 57
Account Balances as of C.O.B. 11/16/2011
EXEC. BOARD MEMBERS-AT-LARGE & DELEGATES TO
THE CWA CONVENTIONS
Lourdes Acevedo 1080; Charles Garcia 1076; Lenora
Smith 996; Denise Gilliam 987; Harlan Reid 965; Lisa
Lloyd 939; Suzanne Polite 909; Hazel O. Worley 906;
December 19, 2011
Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) discussed putting
together a bargaining coalition for civilian workers.
Gloria reported that the Local passed a 2009 audit by
the IRS.
Meeting called to order at 6:15 p.m.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the President’s Report.
Gloria requested board approval to find another fund
for the Local’s Managerial Employee Pension Plan.
First Vice President’s Report
Linda Jenkins reported the following:
As per the discussion among the officers, Gloria
requested board approval for Gwen Richardson to function as a trainer, when needed, to assist Gina Strickland
with the newly appointed staff reps. She will be
compensated at her last rate of pay with the
Local on a per diem basis.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to give
Arthur the authorization to sign the contract/retainer
with Blackthorn Lynch Associates, Inc., for a six-month
In Attendance : Arthur Cheliotes, Harlan Reid,
Linda Jenkins, Lenora Smith, Gloria Middleton, Gina
Strickland, Gerald Brown, Clarona Williams, Charles
Garcia, Hazel Worley, Alan Goldblatt
Absent: Bill Henning and Michael Lamb
Also In Attendance: Lourdes Acevedo and Nadya
Stevens
Minutes of the November 16, 2011 meeting were presented.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the minutes of the November 16, 2011 with necessary
corrections.
President’s Report
Arthur Cheliotes stated that he attended the delegates’
meeting of the New York Central Labor Council on
November 17. Also on the same date, Arthur, along with
other CWA Local 1180 members, marched with Occupy
Wall Street.
On November 22, Arthur attended a CUNY Labor
Advisory Board meeting at the Murphy Institute. On
November 30, Arthur was in attendance at the Murphy
Institute when it hosted the monthly meeting of the Civil
Service and Labor Committee of the NYC Council.
Arthur attended a meeting with the Working Families
Party and the agenda topic was the NYS Millionaire Tax.
There is movement with Gov. Cuomo to extend the tax
as a continued revenue base for the state.
Arthur attended the New York State Public Employee
Conference in December 2011. Among the topics discussed were: putting together a paper opposing privatization of government jobs in NYS and looking at staffing
of all government job levels in reference to getting and
maintaining adequate supervision levels. In addition, the
organization put together its 2012 Legislative Agenda.
Secretary/Treasurer’s Report
Gloria presented the Income and Expenditures Report as
well as the Check Register for the month of October, 2011.
OCB
HHC titles — Assistant Director Hospitals
and Associate Director Hospitals
Hearings were held on December 14 and 19.
DHS Settlement
We have agreed to a settlement with DHS.
They will appoint 2 PAAs from the open competitive list by 12/16/2011; appoint 8 PAAs from the open
competitive list by 3/1/2011, and upgrade a PAA Level II
to Level III by 3/1/2011. We are now pursuing actions on
title changes in DEP, NYCHA and NYCTA.
Update on Principal Administrative Associate List #
8535 The following agencies have exhausted their promotion lists: NYCERS, Comptroller, TRS, DHS, OPA, DYCD,
HPD, OATH, DEP, Finance, DOT, DCAS and Queens DA.
Principal Administrative Associate List # 8068 (OC)
DCAS used the same certification from November to
allow agencies to call additional people from the list up
to number 1031 last week. Corrections called people in
for a pool at its location (Blvd. Bldg.) to fill 17 positions.
DCAS is allowing other agencies to appoint their people
who are reachable at their agency. The next DCAS hiring pool will be the end of January.
Education Committee
The committee is planning for the January Membership
meeting commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Gloria advised that the Audit Committee is
doing an Audit of Bill Henning’s time sheets
for 2004-2011 in order to determine a lump-sum
payout of his accumulated time balance.
The annual Festival of Cultures “Celebration of Art” will
be held Saturday, March 3 at 1199 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Gloria advised that the next four General Membership
meetings will be held at the following locations:
January 18, at 9 Metrotech in downtown Brooklyn;
February at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx; March at
Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, and April at Harlem
Hospital in upper Manhattan.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the Secretary/Treasurer’s Report.
Recording Secretary’s Report
Gerald Brown attended a Legislative and Political meeting
at CWA District One to discuss the 2012 Legislative Agenda.
Gerald coordinated a New Member Orientation at Local
1180 for December 15, 2011.
Arthur Cheliotes, Linda Jenkins, Gloria Middleton, Gina
Strickland and he made presentations to the new members.
Arthur, along with other executive board members, conducted a meeting with Administrative Job Opportunity
Specialists to review the arbitrator’s award.
Account Balances as of C.O. B. 12/19/2011. T.D. Bank
Checking $ 673,995.43
Morgan Stanley Account $ 150,205.69.
Gerald advised that the audit committee has started an
audit of Bill Henning’s timesheets for the period 20042011. The purpose of the audit is to determine a lump-sum
payout of his accumulated time balance when he leaves
employment at Local 1180 on December 31, 2011. The
committee must thoroughly review the records as, at first
glance, Mr. Henning’s timesheets indicate that he never
took a day off for over 4 years. The committee will match
Mr. Henning’s timesheets with the local’s Time Manager
Report. The committee will submit a report of its findings
at the next scheduled executive board meeting.
Arthur testified before members of the New York State
Assembly on Pay Equity.
Gloria reported the following membership changes for
the month of November 2011.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
the Recording Secretary’s Report.
Arthur attended a New Member Orientation for Local
1180 members on December 15. He reported that the
23 New Members, 2 Title Changes, 55 Terminated, 3
Deceased
Arthur thanked Clarona Williams and Alan Goldblatt
for their many years of service to Local 1180 as both are
On December 9, Arthur received an award from the Boy
Scouts of America for his decades of service to the Scouts.
Motion duly made, seconded and carried to accept First
Vice President’s Report.
Secretary/Treasurer’s Report
Gloria presented the Income and Expenditures Report as
well as the Check Register for the month of November 2011.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
Gina Strickland’s Report.
Harlan Reid’s Report
Harlan reported that mobilization for the Verizon Rally
on Nov 17, 2011 is successful. Fifteen Local 1180 members have agreed to show up and support the rally.
Harlan also reported that on December 9, 2011 from 6
to 9 p.m., the Committee on Arts, Entertainment and
Events will sponsor their annual Open Mic Night for
children.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
Harlan Reid’s Report.
Alan Goldblatt’s Report
Alan reported that the Committee on People with
Disabilities is currently planning a two-day conference
with the Retiree Division for April 27 and 28, 2012.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
Alan Goldblatt’s Report.
Gerald Brown’s Report
Gerald reported that the Legislative and Political
Committee conducted a special phone bank for Ohio
Voters to Repeal Restrictions on Public Worker Unions.
The efforts were successful as the vote in support of
Repeal of the Law was 61% to 39%. States across the
county were watching the outcome of the vote.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to accept
Gerald Brown’s Report.
Executive Board Business in between Board
Meetings.
Arthur requested the Board contribute $5,000 to the
Occupy Wall Street Movement: a telephone vote was
taken and the vote was unanimous.
Next meeting is scheduled for December 19, 2011.
Motion was duly made, seconded and carried to
adjourn at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald Brown
Recording Secretary
departing from the board on December 31, 2011.
It should be noted that Bill Henning and Michael Lamb,
not in attendance tonight, are also departing from the
board on December 31, 2011.
Next meeting date is Thursday, January 26, 2012.
Motion was made, seconded and duly carried to
adjourn at 8:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald Brown, Recording Secretary
Communique
Official Publication
New York Administrative Employees Local 1180
Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO
6 Harrison Street, 4th Fl., New York, NY 10013-2898
http://www.cwa1180.org
Telephone: 212-226-6565
Security Benefits: 212-966-5353
Retiree Benefits: 212-966-5353
Claim Forms Hotline: 212-925-1091
Retiree Division: 212-226-5800
Tape Message: 212-226-1180
For out-of-town retirees:
Retiree Division: 800-801-2882
Retiree Benefits: 888-966-5353
Executive Board
Arthur Cheliotes, President
Linda Jenkins, 1st Vice President
Gina Strickland, 2nd Vice President
Gloria Middletown, Secretary-Treasurer
Gerald Brown, Recording Secretary
Members-at-large
Lourdes Acevedo, Charles Garcia, Denise Gilliam,
Lisa Lloyd, Debra Paylor, Suzanne Polite,
Lenora Smith, Bernadette Sullivan, Hazel Worley
Gary Schoichet, Editor and photographer
Margarita Aguilar, Design
Joelle Morrison, Proofreader
Printed by Content Critical
800 Central Blvd., Carlstadt, N.J. 07072
Comm u ni qu e
M a r c h / A p r i l ’12
11
calendar
Active members only:
Have you claimed the $150 general
medical benefit covering 2011?
You still have time….the deadline is April 30, 2012
CWA Local 1180 security benefits fund will send you up to
$150 if you qualify for this medical benefit. Only out-of-pocket
medical expenses are acceptable.
If you are registered on the MMP you can download the form
entitled, “Claim for General Medical Benefit, or call 212-9665353 and ask them to send it to you.
What are the ways you can qualify for this $150?
1. If you and/or covered members of your family went to the doctor, claim all the co-payments and deductibles up to $150.
2. You can call your health plan provider and ask them to send
you a cover letter showing your explanation of benefits including
co-payments and deductibles for 2011. If you are a GHI subscriber, you can register at the GHI website which will provide you with
a printout showing your co-payments and deductibles for 2011.
3. Be sure to review your 2011 w2 form. Please note in Box 14
other, there may be a line that says IRC125. The amount is claimable. Photocopy your w2 form and “highlight” the IRC125 line
with amount and attach to your claim form. (Even if that amount
is less than $150, you can use the co-payment amounts you
have paid to doctors to make up the difference.)
4. Even if your claim is less than $150, send it in. You will be
reimbursed for that amount.
Do not claim mental health, podiatry, dental, or optical
expenses.
Send completed form to CWA Local 1180, Security Benefits
Fund, 6 Harrison Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10013.
Membership meetings:
March 27, Tuesday, at Elmhurst
Hospital Center, Room 1-22.
April: Date to be determined.
Meeting to be held at Harlem
Hospital.
March 1, Thursday
Equity and Civil Rights Committee
(chair: Gloria Middleton)
Community Service Committee
(chair: Pat Ruffin)
March 6, Tuesday
Arts & Entertainment Committee
(chair: Hazel Worley)
March 7, Wednesday
People with Disabilities Committee
(chair: Alan Goldblatt)
March 8, (Thursday)
Hispanic Committee
(chair: Venus Colon Williams)
March 13, Tuesday
Education Committee
(chair: Linda Jenkins)
Women’s Committee
(chair: Bernice Selman)
March 15, Thursday
Caribbean Heritage Committee
(chair: Gina Strickland)
March 15, Thursday
Retired Members Chapter 12:30
(president: Adelle Rogers)
March 27, Tuesday
Civil Service Committee
(chair: Linda Jenkins)
April 3, Tuesday
Arts & Entertainment Committee
New staff reps
Local 1180 has four new staff reps:
Catherine Alves, Robin Blair, Denise
Gilliam, and Desiree Waters, with
a fifth on the way. Asked what they
hoped to accomplish as staff reps,
Catherine Alves said, “I will listen
to what our members have to say
and bring their concerns back to
the union. I think we will grow from
each other. I will treat every member
fairly and honestly.” Robin Blair said,
“My job is to represent our members. I will do that to the nth degree.
I want to learn from the shop stewards at each agency what their jobs
and policies are to better represent
them.” Denise Gilliam said, “I know
the contract. I want our stewards
and members to know the contract.
I want to build leaders.” And Desiree
Waters said, “Our members have
rights. I’m here to help them protect
and enjoy those hard-earned rights.
Working for the city should not be
like working in a sweatshop.”
Personal Notes
PASSINGS
Condolences to Jerome Cunningham,
Administrative JOS, on the passing of his
father, Otis Cunningham, on July 4, 2011.
Condolences to retired member, Joan
Wright, whose mother, Rosalie PriceWright, passed away on November 6, 2011.
Shop meeting at DEP
Over two hours, members at the
Department of Environmental
Protection learned how to register
on the website as well as receive
information on union activities.
(chair: Hazel Worthy)
April 4, Wednesday
People with Disabilities Committee
(chair: Alan Goldblatt)
April 5, Thursday
Equity Committee
(chair: Gloria Middleton)
Community Services Committee
(chair: Pat Ruffin)
April 10, Tuesday
Education Committee
(chair: Linda Jenkins)
Women’s Committee
(chair: Bernice Selman)
April 12, Thursday
Hispanic Committee
(chair: Venus Colon Williams)
April 17, Tuesday
Civil Service Committee
(chair: Linda Jenkins)
April 19, Thursday
Caribbean Heritage Committee
(chair: Gina Strickland)
April 19, Thursday
Retired Members Chapter 12:30
(president: Adelle Rogers)
CWA Local 1180
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
NEW YORK, NY
PERMIT NO. 8190
6 Harrison Street
New York, NY 10013-2898
Inside
Communique
Amnesty International in
the fold
DHS joins felon
banks
3
4
Admin JOS minimums
and maximums
Civil Service fact
sheet
5
7
Raise your hands and serve
New York City Councilwoman Leticia James (in back at
mike) swearing in the Executive Board at the January
membership meeting.