CWA 1180 - HRA Watch

HRA Watch

AJOS ballots come up short
April 2005

The votes were counted on April 4 in the election over who will represent hundreds of Associate Job Opportunity Specialist (AJOS) workers, and Local 371, an affiliate of AFSCME’s DC 37, carried the day. Of 902 eligible voters in the AJOS title, 698 voted, and the final tally was: 262 for CWA 1180 and 424 for Local 371, with 5 void ballots. The election capped off a two-year process to determine representation for the new title in the city’s Human Resources Administration, one that combined functions previously performed by Local 1180 members in the PAA title and by Local 371 members in the Supervisor title. Ballots were counted by the Office of Collective Bargaining in the presence of representatives of both unions.

“We worked hard, we conducted an honest campaign, and unfortunately we came up short,” says recording secretary Gwen Richardson, who helped to lead the CWA 1180 campaign. CWA staff reps attribute the outcome in part to the significant pay raises that Local 371 promised to AJOS workers. Many workers apparently chose to bank on that rather than the better benefits and fairer dues structure at Local 1180, and 1180’s commitment to fight hard in negotiations for higher pay and job mobility—without guaranteeing any specific outcome. “It’s also important to remember that two-thirds of the voters in this bargaining unit were already members of two DC 37 locals—371 and 1549,” says 1180 organizer Chris Aikin. “The vote tallies reflected this membership reality.”

Richardson sends a warm thanks to all of the members, shop stewards, and retirees who committed so much time and heart to the campaign over the past three months. “We’re sorry to see our 1180 members in the AJOS title go,” Richardson adds. “We wish them the very best in their new affiliation with Local 371, but they will be missed.” She extends warm appreciation on behalf of the entire CWA 1180 family to departing shop stewards in the AJOS title, for their years of dedicated service: Aurea Bonet and Pam Jones at Melrose Job Center, Doris Chever and Josefina Palomino at Bronx We Care, Deborah Collins at Bayridge Job Center 70, Joanne Dash at Job Center 79, Marie Gagliano at Fordham Job Center, Awilda Gamboa at Euclid Job Center 78, Regina Kessler at Richmond Job Center 99, Maebell Miller at Job Center 53, Barbara Thomas at Job Center 54, and Jacqueline Wynter at Rider Job Center.

Meanwhile, CWA 1180 is moving forward in its campaign to unionize some 1,300 Coordinating Managers in the Health and Hospitals Corporation, an 11-year battle that could be resolved in the next few months. And progress also continues in the union’s effort to unionize 60 Administrative Job Opportunity Specialists in the Human Resources Administration who are currently considered management, and about 450 Administrative Managers working in mayoral agencies, the Housing Authority, and district attorneys’ offices.

Note: Current CWA 1180 members in the AJOS title will officially become Local 371 members on April 27, 2005. The contact information for Local 371 is 212-677-3900.

To view the history of 1180’s struggle on behalf of AJOS workers, visit the HRAWatch page.

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