Nov 2, 2018 – District Council 37, the city’s largest union of municipal employees, and the City University of New York have agreed to a tentative 52-month contract that provides 8.24 percent in raises for the union’s 10,000 members who work in the public university system.

The agreement, which is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees and ratification by the CUNY members of DC 37, preserves the premium-free health-care coverage of members, and will include back pay. It also protects the health benefits of CUNY retirees.

The agreement also calls for CUNY to increase its annual contribution for education and professional development, and provides extra funds to boost benefits and address pay inequities.

DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said: “We promised members that we would work to reach an agreement that was fair and negotiated expeditiously. Both sides wanted to avoid protracted negotiations and we accomplished that. We managed to deal with the challenges faced by CUNY while delivering a good contract that keeps up with inflation.

“CUNY is funded by both the city and the state, and that can make negotiations challenging. I want to thank all on both sides of the table for their hard work, especially the members of the DC37 bargaining committee.”

CUNY Interim Chancellor Vita C. Rabinowitz said: “CUNY would not be able to meet the needs of its students and others throughout the University community without the dedication and service of the staff represented by District Council 37.  We are grateful to our state and city funding partners, and to Executive Director Henry Garrido, for negotiating in good faith to reach this equitable settlement.”

The tentative contract parallels DC 37’s current economic agreement with the City of New York for some 100,000 members. This includes language to help thwart the U.S. Supreme Court’s anti-worker Janus ruling, which aims to weaken the collective bargaining process. The new contract assures the union of access to current and prospective members.

Union staffers will soon begin working with an independent monitor to schedule a mail ballot vote on the contract by members.