NYC Settles CBA for Stationary Engineers

Business Representative Sean Fitzpatrick addresses the membership of Local 3’s City Division.

Local 3 members employed by New York City as Stationary Engineers (Electric) and Senior Stationary Engineers (Electric) ratified an agreement covering the period 1995 through October 7 2007. Negotiations are underway to cover the ­period of October 7, 2002 to present.
These members had been embroiled in a dispute with the City over whether or not they were entitled to prevailing wage for the work they performed as civil servants. “For a generation these members had stood by their posts, maintaining the very lifeblood of our City, waiting for a just settlement that gives them parity with the people who maintain heating/cooling plants in commercial and residential buildings in New York City,”  stated Business Manager Christopher Erikson.
Stationary Engineers will have their wages rise from $32.37 to $45.49 and their Senior counterparts will see hikes from either $27.51 to $50.39—85%—or $31.04 to $53.99. In all 248 members would receive these raises with full retroactivity.
These members maintain the City’s water system throughout the five boroughs working in the City’s wastewater treatment plants, pumping stations and the upstate water shed which consists of numerous reservoirs channeling water to the City from the Delaware and Croton Aqueduct Systems.

City Division members listen to Business Representative Sean Fitzpatrick outline the terms of the newly-settled collective bargaining agreement.

After fifteen years of negotiations and NYC Comptroller decisions, a trial was set before an ALJ at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, (OATH) for early April 2010. On March 16, Business Representatives Joseph Vicari and Sean Fitzpatrick met with city officials and the agreement was hammered out which achieved the goals of the Division to gain parity with the City Steam chiefs, Deputies and Engineers in wages for the period beginning January 1995 through October 2007.
“This was a major victory for Local 3,” stated Division Chairman Todd Riben, “Through perseverance and commitment to the Division, Local 3 was successful in providing this membership with a fair and just contract spanning as long as 15 years and 7 months. Only seven of the original two hundred plus members affected are still part of the workforce and were employed throughout this entire time period and may have set a world record! No member of any organized labor union has gone this length of time without even a penny increase in wages. The entire Division is appreciative of the work of Local 3 and in particular, Business Managers ­Thomas Van Arsdale and Christopher Erikson who provided the continued support needed to being these arduous negotiations to a conclusion.”
With the tentative agreement, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated, “It’s been far, far to long, but by continuing to come to the bargaining table we were able to reconcile substantial differences and forge an agreement that’s fair to the City  and to our employees. The employees covered by these agreements are the  backbone of our complex water treatment and distribution system, operating crucial facilities that handle more than one billion gallons of drinking and waste water each day.”
In response to reaching the agreement, Business Manager Erikson stated, “Local 3 commends Mayor Bloomberg, and Labor Commissioner James Hanley and DEP Commissioner Holloway for their courage and foresight in reaching an honorable settlement with the people who maintain and operate New York City’s multi-billion-dollar fresh water and waste water treatment systems.”
The agreement was negotiated by Business Representatives Joseph Vicari, Sean Fitzpatrick and rank-and-file members  Todd Riben, chairman, Jack Boleuback, vice chairman, Jerry Miller, recording secretary, Gary Gaten, treasurer, Ron Case, financial secretary and committee members Eric Klee, Steven Askew, Joseph Garabaled, William Grander, James Pouu and John Kavanaugh.