CWA 1180 - Calendar

Unions in municipal coalition present their demands
Local 1180's Arthur Cheliotes, PSC's Barbara Bowen added as co-chairs

October 2006

Leaders representing some 20 municipal unions, including Local 1180, met with the City on Thursday, October 19, to present their joint bargaining demands for a new 32-month contract. The negotiating session represented a small victory for the coalition—when its formation was first announced in late June, Labor Commissioner James Hanley declined to commit to a sit-down with the group.

The coalition demands exceed the package won by AFSCME District Council 37 in July, which included a 9.42 percent raise over 32 months, an increase of $100 per member per year to the welfare funds, and a change in City residency requirements for its members.

"The session went well," says Local 1180 president Arthur Cheliotes. "The City is committed to the process but indicated that there are some technical problems with the coalition given that the United Federation of Teachers is covered under PERB [the Public Employment Relations Board] and the Professional Staff Congress also bargains with the state. However, our demands were accepted as if they came from each unit, and any agreement will be signed by individual units."

The day of the negotiating session, Cheliotes and PSC president Barbara Bowen were elected as the coalition's final co-chairs, along with UFT president Randi Weingarten; Carroll Haynes, president of Teamsters Local 237; and Harry Nespoli, president of Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association Local 831.

October 25 update: On Tuesday, October 24, at a coalition meeting, coalition leaders announced that City negotiators were now balking at recognizing the bargaining coalition due to the differing laws governing member unions. Coalition leaders are currently evaluating their options but have vowed to remain unified in their approach to negotiations.

Back to Negotiations page