The Bloomberg administration made its first contract offer to the city's largest union, District Council 37, yesterday, and reiterated that it would not grant raises unless they are financed by productivity increases.þþNoting that the city did not propose any specific raises, James F. Hanley, the city's labor commissioner, said, ÿWhat we told District Council 37 is consistent with what the mayor has said: No pay increases unless they're funded by productivity.ÿþþThe offer made to District Council 37, which represents 125,000 city workers, was the first offer the administration has made to any union in a new round of bargaining that covers nearly 300,000 workers.þþLillian Roberts, the district council's executive director, said her union was preparing a counteroffer to the city, but she, like Mr. Hanley, refused to discuss details of the city's offer.þþShe said the city's unions should not consider Mr. Bloomberg's demands for increased productivity until the city scales back its use of private contractors.þþÿThe contractors are paid more than our people for working less hours,ÿ Ms. Roberts said. ÿThat's where the productivity increases can be found. We need to examine the contractors before you start examining our people, who work themselves to the bone.ÿþþIn a bargaining session last Friday with the Municipal Labor Coalition, the city for the first time outlined its proposals for $600 million in benefit concessions.þþMr. Hanley said the city wants city employees to pay higher health insurance premiums and higher co-payments for doctor visits. He said the city also proposed that it stop reimbursing retired city workers over age 65 for the $600 they pay each year for Medicare Part B. In addition, the city proposed a new tier of pensions under which some newer city workers would receive lower pensions than other city workers.þþRandi Weingarten, chairwoman of the Municipal Labor Coalition and president of the teachers' union, criticized the city's proposals for concessions, while noting that municipal labor leaders were preparing a formal response. She said the unions were certain to propose that the Bloomberg administration offer incentives to encourage workers to retire.þþþ
Source: NY Times
