News Archive

2023 Archive

10.31.23
Local 300 was notified that all members in Mayoral Agencies and the Department of Education (DOE) will receive their Ratification Bonus on Nov. 24, 2023. Raises and retro money will be received on Dec. 8, 2023.

Housing Authority (HA) members will receive their Ratification Bonus on Nov. 16, 2023. The Union is still waiting to hear from the Housing Authority on a payout date for raises and retro money.

Health+Hospitals Corp. (HHC) has not confirmed any payout dates as of yet.

Local 300 has no more information other than what's detailed above. All payout dates are determined solely by the City, DOE, HA, and HHC. Our union has no input on payout dates. We will post another update as soon as we have more information.

8.26.23 - businessinsider.com

It's about to get harder for bosses to use illegal union busting to try to stall worker organizing. In a new ruling, the National Labor Relations Board outlined what will happen now if employers try illegal union-busting activity. If workers want a union, and employers use illegal tactics in the run-up to a union election that could compromise the election — like firing union organizers, or retaliating against workers engaging in protected union activities — the new rules say workers no longer have to hold a fresh election. Workers will instead automatically get their union and employers will have to bargain with them.

Read More Here >

8.11.23 - Judge Frank issued an order in the case brought by certain retirees challenging the implementation of the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. As you will recall, the Judge had previously issued a preliminary injunction preventing the plan from moving forward. There had been some concern about whether the City could appeal directly from the issuance of a preliminary injunction.

As indicated in his decision, the City’s lawyers obtained the agreement of the retiree group to have the Court issue a final order without any further briefing or proceeding to expedite the matter. The Court made no new findings. This decision allows the City to move forward with an appeal more expeditiously. In essence, this decision does not substantively change the status of Medicare Advantage. The City has indicated its intention to move quickly to appeal.

1.04.23 - The New York City Council has introduced legislation (Int 0874-2023) to amend the Administrative Code that would allow for choice in retiree health care plans and is scheduled to hold a hearing on the legislation on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. Unless this legislation passes, the arbitrator's binding decision to make the Medicare Advantage Plus Plan the one and only plan for retirees will take effect in July of this year. By passing the legislation, the Municipal Labor Committee can negotiate the rights of retirees to choose a plan from various plans that meets their needs.

12.15.22 - Arbitrator Martin Scheinman issued a decision regarding ongoing health matters. In light of the delay in implementing the Medicare Advantage Plan and the hastening drawdown of the Stabilization Fund, the City had applied to Scheinman to enforce the 2018 Health Agreement. In the award, Scheinman finds that the Stabilization Fund has effectively run out of money and that the City and MLC should proceed to negotiate appropriate terms for an MA plan with Aetna within the next 25 days. Assuming terms are agreed upon, he directs that the MLC put that agreement to a vote.

U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Biden Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
6.30.23
- The U.S Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, blocked the Biden Administration's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt that would have benefitted up to 44 million Americans. The decision favored the court's conservatives and was written by Chief Justice John Roberts.

The court sided with six conservative-leaning states - Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina - that objected to the Biden Administration student loan forgiveness program.

"Today's decision has closed one path. Now we're going to pursue another," Biden said at the White House, announcing steps being taken under a law called the Higher Education Act.

Under the plan, up to $10,000 would have been forgiven to Americans with federal student debt making under $125,000 who obtained loans to pay for college and other post-secondary education and $20,000 for recipients of Pell grants to students from lower-income families.

The administration said the plan was authorized under a 2003 federal law called the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or HEROES Act, which lets the education secretary "waive or modify" student financial assistance during war or national emergencies.

Starting Sept. 1, after a 3-1/2-year break from repayments and interest accrual, both will resume, followed by the first debt repayments in October. While those are the most important dates to know, there are many more, including when you can enroll in President Joe Biden’s new payment plans and by when you need to enroll in autopay.


The Student Loan Payment Pause Has Reached Its Final Extension
Payments on student loan debt will resume 60 days after June 30, 2023, meaning all federal student loan borrowers will be expected to start making payments after Aug. 29. Loans will start accruing interest then as well.

This decision is part of the federal government's deal to avoid a historic government debt default by raising the nation's debt ceiling for two years. As part of this bipartisan compromise, the legislation includes the provision to restart student loan payments. The debt deal prohibits the education secretary from extending the pause on federal student loan payments without congressional approval. The end of this pause will affect some 43 million borrowers who, collectively, owe over a trillion dollars in student loan debt.

It does not, however, touch on another highly-watched issue for borrowers: President Biden's plan to erase up to $20,000 of debt for anyone who received a Pell Grant to attend college and up to $10,000 for borrowers earning less than $125,000. The fate of that broader plan still rests in the hands of the Supreme Court.

6.7.23 - The Air Quality Health Advisory issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is expected to continue to midnight Thursday night or longer. In view of the continuing worsening air quality throughout the City, Agency Heads may permit employees assigned to indoor work to leave early where operationally feasible, without charge to leave balances.

Employees who remain until their scheduled departure time should continue to limit any outdoor exposure. Employees who are required to work outdoors must be provided with high-quality masks upon request (e.g. N95 or KN95), and their exposure to the outdoors should be limited to the performance of their essential functions.

Poor conditions are expected to continue tomorrow, June 8, 2023. Agency Heads in their discretion may allow employees to telework on June 8 where operationally feasible. In cases where an employee cannot telework but does not wish to report to work, annual leave or compensatory time may be used. Employees may also use sick leave for the care and treatment of themselves if they become ill due to the poor air quality. In cases where an employee has no applicable leave balances, leave will be advanced for this purpose.

Consistent with Continuity of Government objectives, Agency Continuity of Operations Plans (“COOP”), employees who are unable to telework may be directed to report to authorized alternative work sites, to work alternative schedules, or to change work assignments to allow for indoor work.

The above policy applies to employees who are covered by the “Leave Regulations for Employees who are Under the Career and Salary Plan,” including employees who are serving in original jurisdiction positions, and employees who are covered by the “Leave Regulations for Management Employees.”

SEIU Local 300 has met with the City of New York for two, separate contract negotiation sessions and is currently waiting to schedule a third session. President James Golden said he has contacted City officials to arrange for the next meeting but has yet to hear back.

Local 300 is in a similar situation to all other City unions, outside of DC 37, which has finalized its contract as the largest city municipal union. Most smaller unions have had at least one bargaining session and are waiting on the city for follow-up.

“We are in constant communication with the City but they still have not given us a third meeting date. We hope to have a settlement in the near future but it takes two participants to negotiate and come to an agreement,” Golden said. “Once we do attain a settlement, the terms will be sent to active members to vote on. We know it’s difficult to wait, but we do appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.”

Months of negotiations with the City of New York came to a close Friday, Feb. 7 when DC 37 finalized the terms of the citywide contract. The tentative deal, which now needs to be ratified by the membership, includes 3% annual raises for the first four years with 3.25% in the fifth year. The deal also includes a ratification bonus of $3,000 for employees active on the date the agreement is ratified.

Read More HERE and HERE

New York City municipal workers will no longer need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — and those fired for refusing to get immunized can reapply for their old jobs, Mayor Adams announced Monday in a major pandemic policy reversal. READ MORE HERE or HERE

1.18.23

Uterine cancer is now recognized as a 9/11-related cancer, giving affected women access to World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program and Victim Compensation Fund benefits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced.

The decision follows more than a year of research, discussion, and opportunities for public comment. It makes uterine cancer the 69th 9/11-related cancer — and the first to be added to the 9/11 registry in nearly a decade.

Despite evidence linking the disease to 9/11 toxins, uterine cancer had been the only cancer that wasn’t covered. The final rule takes effect immediately, allowing the WTC Health Program — a federal program that provides no-cost medical monitoring and treatment for certified WTC-related health conditions — to begin covering treatment services as soon as possible for patients with certified WTC-related uterine cancers. The program, administered by the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is authorized for the next 67 years (through 2090).

Hundreds of women currently enrolled in the program have uterine cancer — a number that is expected to increase as women who don’t have another qualifying 9/11-related illness become eligible to enroll. Families of those who have died of 9/11-related uterine cancer are also eligible to seek compensation.

In the past few years, lawmakers, 9/11 survivors and responders, and advocacy groups have advocated for the addition of uterine cancer to the list of covered conditions. After extensive efforts and a recognition of the scientific data which supports the link between exposure to 9/11 toxins and uterine cancer, on Jan. 18, 2023, the WTCHP took the necessary step of adding uterine cancer as a 9/11-related condition. As such, 9/11 toxin exposure victims who are either experiencing symptoms of uterine cancer or have already been diagnosed with this condition, can seek medical monitoring and treatment funded by the WTCHP.

Prior to the WTCHP announcement, uterine cancer was the only cancer type that was not considered to be a 9/11-related health condition because early on, most 9/11 first responders who participated in research studies were males. Unfortunately, uterine cancer was not on the radar screen until the past five-to-10 years. Now that the WTCHP covers all cancer types, no 9/11 survivor or responder who is suffering from uterine cancer – or any other cancer – should be denied medical benefits under the WTCHP.

The two-decade delay in recognizing 9/11-related uterine cancer has been costly for affected women who have had to pay for expensive treatments. Now that uterine cancer is on the list of 9/11-related health conditions, qualifying individuals who file claims with the WTCHP to seek medical benefits may also be eligible to seek and obtain compensation under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) that provides financial compensation to responders and survivors who have suffered extensively because of their conditions.

Some individuals with 9/11-related conditions cannot work, thus leaving a financial hole that may not otherwise exist (absent the diagnosis of a 9/11-related health condition). Moreover, the physical and mental pain and suffering associated with a 9/11-related condition warrants an award of financial compensation The families of those who died from 9/11 related uterine cancer can now seek compensation for their losses as well.

A statement from the WTCHP last May on the proposed rule change explained that exclusion of this particular cancer was due to “insufficient evidence” to support adding it to the list of covered conditions. However, an advisory committee this past November unanimously approved the recommendation to add uterine cancer to the list of diseases covered by the program for first responders and those close to the attacks.

Anyone seeking more information or a program application should go to www.cdc.gov/wtc/application.html

2022 Archive

The 2022 New York State Budget Bill was signed into law by Governor Hochul on April 9, 2022. Within Chapter 56 of this bill, three parts (Part HH, Part SS and Part TT) amend NYS Retirement and Social Security Law (RSSL), and impact certain NYCERS members and retirees. Read More >>

July 16, 2022 - cnn.com
By dialing only three numbers, anyone can now reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for mental health crises. On June 16, 2022, the nonprofit that operates the lifeline on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration launched the 988 dialing code available to everyone across the United States. Read More >>


July 12, 2022 - laborpress.org
A 2003 EPA Inspector General report held the EPA accountable for mischaracterizing the air quality in lower Manhattan as "safe to breathe." A growing coalition of unions and survivors say it's time for the City of New York to come clean with what then Mayor Rudy Giuliani knew and when he knew it about the toxic air that has killed thousands and sickened tens of thousands. Read More >>


June 27, 2022 - nytimes.com
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for a House investigation into whether two Supreme Court justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade should be impeached for lying at their confirmation hearings about their views of the landmark abortion-rights case. Read More >>


June 27, 2022 - gothamist.com
New York City’s law extending voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizens who are legally allowed to live, work and go to school in the five boroughs violates the New York State Constitution, according to a ruling issued by Justice Ralph Porzio in Richmond County State Supreme Court on Monday. Read More >>


June 24, 2022 - npr.org
In a historic and far-reaching decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion that's been upheld for 50 years no longer exists. Read More >> 


June 23, 2022 - scotusblog.com
The Supreme Court of the United States struck down a New York handgun-licensing law on June 23, 2022, that required New Yorkers who want to carry a handgun in public to show a special need to defend themselves. The 6-3 ruling is the court’s first significant decision on gun rights in more than a decade. In a far-reaching ruling, the court made clear that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right “to keep and bear arms” protects a broad right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense. Read More >>


May 16, 2022 - spectrumlocalnews.com
The court-appointed special master tasked with drawing New York's new congressional and state Senate maps released a preliminary draft of the new congressional boundaries Monday the state will have for the next decade.

Carnegie Mellon University Fellow Jonathan Cervas as special master drew lines for the state's 26 House seats, with 15 leaning Democratic, three leaning Republican and eight falling in the 45-55% competitive range. Read More >> 


May 9, 2022 - cityandstateny.com
State Attorney General Letitia James and lawmakers announced new legislation aimed to help not only New Yorkers seeking abortions, but also those from other states where the procedure is poised to get banned if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Read More >>


May 3, 2022 - politico.com
The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court. Read More >> 


May 3, 2022 - cityandstateny.com
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she will appoint Rep. Antonio Delgado to fill out the rest of Brian Benjamin's term as lieutenant governor. That will leave his upstate swing seat open at a time Democrats are desperate to hold onto the House, and with district lines in limbo in the state. Delgado will also be tapped to replace Benjamin on the primary ballot as he runs to win a full term as the state’s number two. Read More >> 


May 24, 2022 - nbcnewyork.com
Congressional and state seats have changed. Before this summer’s primary elections, find out how your old districts stack up with your new ones. Read More & Enter Your Address to See if You've Been Redistricted >>


April 27, 2022 - cityandstateny.com
The long redistricting saga in New York will only continue, as the Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that deemed newly drawn state Senate and congressional maps unconstitutional. Read More >> 


March 25, 2022 - cbsnews.com
As you have recently seen, many Unions, along with many residents, are greatly troubled by what appears to be a stark double standard between athletes/performers, on the one hand, and public employees, on the other, regarding continuation of the vaccine mandates. While a number of Unions had challenged the vaccine mandates as intrusive and unneeded in light of testing options, it was one thing to abide when the mandate was applied uniformly but it is another to treat public employees in a less favorable, discriminatory manner. This is all the more disturbing when one considers that these workers, without fanfare or glory, came to their jobs each day facing the perils of COVID-19 in person during the worst of the pandemic to provide services to the residents of this great City. That the Nets or Mets might be at some disadvantage in having roster limitations hardly seems to have greater public import than in the loss of livelihood to hard-working New Yorkers who are the backbone of this City. Moreover, while the City has an understandable interest in the public health, the City has in recent weeks moved towards a return to normalcy, jettisoning much of the vaccine limitations in the private sector. In light of these developments, we ask, on behalf of the NYC Municipal Labor Committee, that the City meet with us to address issues regarding the groups of public employees who were summarily terminated or who went on unpaid leave for being unvaccinated and have a right to return. Fairness requires that this move towards normalcy also apply to the people who have served the City. Just as the City reached out to the MLC and the Unions for their cooperation and support in keeping the City going and fighting back the pandemic, we now look to you, as restrictions are being rolled back, to work with us to ease the burden on public employees. We ask to meet across the table and discuss pathways for all affected employees to return to work and continue to serve the City and its residents.


In response to NYC Mayor Eric Adams exempting the city’s athletes and performers from the Big Apple’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate following weeks of pressure after it kept Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing in home games — and was expected to block some baseball players from taking the field next month, the Municipal Labor Committee issued the following statement:

"Mayor Adams’ decision to eliminate a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for those in professional sports and the entertainment industry but maintain the requirement for municipal employees discriminates against the more than 1,400 municipal workers who were terminated for not being vaccinated. There should not be a re-entry system for the elite and no system for the City workers who risked their health to provide essential services over the last two years. I have requested that the City work with the MLC to design a fair-to-all re-entry system."


EXECUTED VACCINATION MOAs
Oct. 4, 2021: Local 300 SEIU and the Department of Education >>
Nov. 4, 2021: Local 300 SEIU and the City of New York >>

Nov. 3, 2021: Since the filing of the Improper Practice Charge against the City for failure to bargain implementation of its latest vaccine mandate there have been bargaining sessions with a number of groups. These sessions have also have produced discussion with the City focusing on the unfairness of the short timeframe to deal with the hastily-issued mandate. The most recent discussions benefited from the involvement of Marty Scheinman. With Marty’s assistance, we have arrived at the following:

Given the uncertainty swirling around effective dates, the City will allow those who filed medical or religious exemption/accommodation requests through 11:59 p.m. on November 2nd to be included within the group that will remain on payroll through either the City agency or independent Scheinman appeal process (previous cutoff was Oct. 27th and, as set out below, only allowed for continuation of pay if the employee chose the City agency appeal path);

Employees will be able to file new exemption/accommodation requests today through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, November 5th; those who file during this period will remain on payroll through the agency determination of the request, not through the appeal process (this opportunity was foreclosed by the prior Order). If an appeal is granted, the employee will be paid retroactive to the date of the agency determination.

For appeals of agency denials of exemption/accommodation requests, there will be two separate processes, the City “statutory” one and the independent Scheinman group, but now both will be treated the same; that is, for employees who filed for exemption/accommodation by November 2, workers will remain on payroll through determination of appeal under either path (previously, the City was not allowing employees to remain on payroll if they chose the independent Scheinman path); and

For those workers who were placed on leave without pay as of November 1, but get their first vaccine by 11:59 p.m. this Friday, November 5, Scheinman will have jurisdiction to meet and discuss with the City and Unions how their period of unpaid status should be addressed.

For those Unions interested in going forward on this basis, these provisions will be folded into a Memorandum of Agreement, one for Civilian Unions and one for Uniformed Unions (the difference being the separation incentive since Uniformed workers have unlimited sick leave), that OLR will provide this afternoon. As contemplated, the process is modeled on the initial Scheinman Arbitration Award for the DOE unions (including leave of absence and separation incentives with continued healthcare through June 30, 2022), with the modifications highlighted above, and other changes regarding a potentially broader view of exceptions under the City appeal path and a waiver of certain aspects of further appeal from the Scheinman appeal path. We will have recommendations from the lawyers on the full MOA once received. Given the new opportunities for members this week, you are urged to consider all this promptly and get the word out as appropriate.

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