CWA 1180 - Calendar

Unifed Court System

State courts settle with 8.25% raises and $800 bonus
April 2003

Local 1180 members who work in the state's Unified Court System (UCS) have won a new contract. Bargaining together in a coalition with seven other unions, 1180 negotiators won terms in the new agreement that follow the pattern set by the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) settlement in early March.

The settlement, which was announced April 1, provides for a contract that runs from April 1, 2003, through March 31, 2007. It provides an $800 bonus at the outset of the contract, and raises of 2.5% on April 1, 2004, 2.75% on April 1, 2005, and 3% on April 1, 2006. At the end of the contract term, the initial bonus gets rolled into the base salary. Amidst the continuing climate of fiscal crisis in New York State, opined 1180 Second Vice President Bill Henning, the wage gains were solid. Henning served as the union's lead negotiator.

On the issue of health benefits, the contract included additional employer contributions for the union's funds, but it also included small increases in co-payments and deductibles; the co-pay for doctor office visits, for instance, went from $8 to $12. Union negotiators fought back a demand for a much bigger healthcare giveback; the state had wanted to increase substantially the premiums members pay for their health insurance. They also succeeded in beating back employer demands for an extension of the work week from 35 to 40 hours.

"It wasn't bad," said Hattie Dallas about the contract. "It wasn't the best, but all things considered it wasn't bad." Dallas is a steward in UCS's Office of Court Administration and was one of three members on the bargaining committee. The others were Robert Lewis and Marc Slutsky, also both stewards. .

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