Thank you for exercising your rights by voting overwhelmingly in support of the Citywide Economic Agreement. What we negotiated in good faith with the City is the best contract the union has received in years. As we grapple with the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, this victory could not have happened at a more critical time for our members.

The agreement is a watershed event in our history as a union. Not only does this contract provide pay raises higher than previous Mayoral administrations agreed to, but what we negotiated and you ratified reflects the realities of the present and looks to the future of how New York City’s essential public workforce carries out their jobs.

With this contract, we moved toward creating a workplace adaptive to workers’ needs by collaborating with the City on the Flexible Work Committee. On June 1, the Committee announced its recommendations for a hybrid pilot program for thousands of public workers in eligible titles.

The pilot program allows eligible employees to work remotely for up to two days per week. This provides greater flexibility for our members, enhancing morale and significantly furthering recruitment and worker retention.

The program runs through May 31, 2025, and can be renewed for an additional year pending joint approval by the Union and the City.

The world of work has changed, and this pilot program is one tool in our arsenal to provide a flexible workplace that still delivers the best services for New Yorkers.

We will continue meeting with the City on implementing this initiative and are discussing alternatives for titles whose job functions make them currently ineligible for remote work, including flex time and compressed tours.

During the campaign for the economic contract, our Field Operations team spread out across New York City’s five boroughs to explain the strengths of this agreement and highlight the Union’s services. These efforts combatted disinformation and built our strength in recruiting a new generation of proud union members.

In the weeks since the successful conclusion of our contract with the City, DC 37 continues scoring significant wins for hundreds of workers in our Nonprofit and Private Sector Division. These contracts include ADAPT, Battery Park City, CP Unlimited, and Fountain House. More contracts are still in negotiation or have future votes scheduled.

These wins are also due in part to the effectiveness of our organizing efforts over the past several years, with diligent outreach to workers at private institutions and nonprofits. These workers need the power of DC 37 behind them, and with each success, our union grows in strength.

We have also begun negotiations with the City University of New York on a long-overdue contract for our members.

As we move forward, we look to tackle long-term issues that impact working families and the livelihood of our members.

DC 37 and our partners in the Coalition for Affordable Hospitals advocated alongside City Council Members Julie Menin and Lynn Schulman to pass the Health Care Accountability & Consumer Protection Act. This creates an Office of Healthcare Accountability, an agency that will lift the veil of the secrecy surrounding hospital pricing for medical procedures and associated costs.

This legislation is essential to advancing our goal of lowering health care costs for union members and working families citywide. We can no longer afford to let hospitals hide behind the curtain and withhold vital financial information when someone seeks medical help. City Council unanimously approved the bill on June 8.

More victories for our union family lay ahead. Your strength and support will help us achieve them.