Photo above: CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido shake hands upon reaching a tentative agreement. Photo: CUNY / Marcus Beasley

By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN

The start of 2024 brings good news to the members of eight locals whose members are employed by the City University of New York (CUNY). The District Council 37 Bargaining Committee secured a strong five-plus-year contract for Locals 375, 384, 983, 1407, 1597, 1797, 2054, and 2627, whose members voted to ratify by 98.4% on Feb. 12, 2024. The agreement was presented before the CUNY Board of Trustees and approved on Feb. 20, 2024.

The new agreement is from June 1, 2021, to Jan. 9, 2027, for a total contract term of 67 months and nine days. The contract secures long-overdue wage increases, retroactive pay, and a ratification bonus while continuing members’ premium-free health benefits.

“Our members in the CUNY system demonstrated their unwavering resilience during the pandemic and deserve a contract that reflects their efforts,” said Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director. “We answered that call through a difficult series of negotiations with CUNY in the face of funding challenges from both the city and state. We thank Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams for helping put together a deal that fairly compensates our members and responds to the new world of work.”

Shazia Amin, a Finance Accountant and member of Local 1407 NYC Accountants, Statisticians & Actuaries, is thankful to the union for this new contract.

“Our last contract expired in 2021 and we haven’t had a pay increase since. We don’t get raises internally from our employer so I’m so happy that the union can negotiate on our behalf,” Amin said.

The five-year agreement was negotiated by DC 37 in conjunction with CUNY, Teamsters Local 237, and SEIU Local 300, covering more than 10,000 employees, including custodial staff, college assistants, information technology workers, and public safety officers.

CUNY is the nation’s largest urban public university system and employs more than 9,300 DC 37 members who are covered by the new contract.