TWU Contract Fallout

Newsday: TWU board OKs contract deal

http://www.twulocal100.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={B7B64A0A-A600-4129-B3D4-C03D985DC0A3}&DE={16B9FAB2-EC7D-46C0-BEA8-09FA55E2168F}

Two things of interest to teachers:
1. How does the new TWU contract compare to ours?
2. How much more did the union win by going on strike?

This is an Excel generated comparison of a worker for each union who makes $50K a year. Recall that teachers got a 6 month ZERO, 11 month 2%, 1 year 3.5%, 11 months of 5.5%, and 12.5 months of 3.25%. Note that to make an even comparison, only the first 37 months of the 52.5 month teacher contract is used (note, however, that if extended with even minute hypothetical increases in a following TWU contract, it would just make the TWU deal even better). The TWU got 12 months of 3%, 12 months of 4%, and 13 months of 3.5%.

SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN (SORRY!)

TEACHER						TWU WORKER
month	sal	factor	new	difference		month	sal	factor	new	difference
1	50000	1	50000	0.00		1	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
2	50000	1	50000	0.00		2	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
3	50000	1	50000	0.00		3	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
4	50000	1	50000	0.00		4	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
5	50000	1	50000	0.00		5	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
6	50000	1	50000	0.00		6	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
7	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		7	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
8	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		8	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
9	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		9	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
10	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		10	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
11	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		11	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
12	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		12	50000	1.03	51500	125.00
13	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		13	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
14	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		14	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
15	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		15	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
16	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		16	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
17	50000	1.02	51000	83.33		17	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
18	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		18	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
19	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		19	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
20	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		20	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
21	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		21	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
22	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		22	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
23	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		23	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
24	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		24	50000	1.0712	53560	296.67
25	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		25	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
26	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		26	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
27	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		27	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
28	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		28	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
29	50000	1.0557	52785	232.08		29	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
30	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		30	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
31	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		31	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
32	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		32	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
33	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		33	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
34	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		34	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
35	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		35	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
36	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		36	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
37	50000	1.113764	55688	474.01		37	50000	1.108692	55435	452.88
				7493.78						10947.48

Right away, it should be clear that Joe Blow earns $3500 more over the life of the TWU contract. Now let's consider the givebacks:

The UFT gave back 2 (3 if you work in Brooklyn or Queens) days of work. (1.1% giveback (1.6%, B+Q))

The TWU earned 1 more holiday off (MLK Day)

The UFT gave back 10 minutes of time for the money (2.5% giveback)

The TWU made NO such time for money swap.

The UFT contract includes harsher disciplinary rules including loss of grievance rights, as well as the elimination of seniority rights (transfers).

The TWU (ONLY by striking) eliminated demands for conductorless trains and changing the Token Booth job description, as well as secured a truly independent (not state employed) arbiter to assess alleged excessive disciplinary actions.

For the UFT, higher deductibiles and co-pays incorporated as permanent.

For the TWU, a 1.5% salary deduction (giveback) for health insurance premiums. (This is clearly troubling)

The UFT sold out new and future teachers with a reduced (albeit not as draconian as the cops) salary schedule.

The TWU held the line on demands for a separate 62 year old retirement for new workers (ALL workers will still have 55 year old retirement - another item ONLY won by striking)

2: What the TWU won only by striking:

NO increase in retirement age (with full pension) from 55 to 62 for new workers.

NO increase in pension contribution from 2% to 6% for new workers.

NO increase in pension contribution from 2% to 3% for current workers.

A refund for 16,000 workers for the difference between the 5.2% pension contribution they paid before 2001 and the 2% now mandated. This is worth between $10K and $20K for many workers.

LIFETIME HEALTH CARE - this from a former transit worker: "TWU lost it [health care] when we retired from active until medicare picks us up at age 65. So if you retire at age 55 you hadn't any healthcare for 10 years unless your spouse or you had another insurance."

PAID MATERNITY LEAVE instead of mothers having to use their sick days.(NOTE: this was only called a "stipend" in the Daily News)

*This was paid for with a 0.5% concession on the health care (the MTA had demanded 1% prior to the deadline)

All in all: far from a slam dunk, as the union won no additional wage incrases from the strike, and the health insurance issue is a major problem for organized labor in the years to come. You can guarantee Bloomberg is going to ask us to pay for our insurance as well. However, it's clear that a militant union strategy paid off, with several key givebacks eliminated as well as the addition of a couple of benefits. Perhaps most important - NO extra work.