Mayor Bill de Blasio tonight announced contract agreements with a coalition of eight unions representing superior officers of the uniformed services. Speaking at a hastily arranged evening press conference, de Blasio was joined by representatives of the Detectives Endowment Association, Uniformed Fire Officers Association, Lieutenants Benevolent Association, Sanitation Officers Association, Correction Captains Association, Captains Endowment Association, Assistant Deputy Wardens/Deputy Warden Association and Uniformed Sanitation Chiefs Association. The coalition members voluntarily allied themselves and bargained together with the City for identical agreements.
The tentative agreements provide for 11% wage increases and run for seven years from the expiration of each union’s prior contract in 2011 or 2012. They also include expected health care savings. The tentative agreements do not appear to have catch-up of retroactive pay occurring after expiration of the new contract, as has occurred in some other labor deals struck by the de Blasio administration. Each tentative agreement must be ratified by the respective applicable union.
Upon ratification of these proposed agreements the City will, by it’s account, have reached labor agreements with 71% of its workforce. Bob Linn, the City’s chief labor negotiator, said tonight that the City is currently negotiating with all of the City’s remaining unions other than the PBA. The PBA has declared an impasse in its talks with the City and commenced the process of binding arbitration.
de Blasio Statement:
Here is Mayor de Blasio’s opening statement:
Richter Statement:
The sole labor representative to speak was Roy T. Richter, president of the Captains Endowment Association. Richter described the agreement as ” marked by a sense a fairness and also by an ability to communicate” with the City that he suggested was not present during the Bloomberg administration. Here is Richter’s full statement:
Q&A:
The Mayor entertained only “on topic” questions. Here’s the full Q&A: