Your Dues at Work 

 

YOUR UNION DUES HARD AT WORK !

The union dues you pay to Local 372, entitle you to have representations and bargaining with the City of New York. This process is called Collective Bargaining. Your wages, hours, working conditions and fringe benefits are governed by collective bargaining contracts, negotiated between District Council 37 and the City of New York. First D.C. 37 bargaining committees discuss and plan bargaining priorities and strategies. Then, they negotiate with management to achieve new contract new contract settlements.

In addition to Collective Bargaining, many other services are made available to you as a dues paying member. Member services such as negotiations, grievance handling and handling of arbitrations. The following are some additional services available to you as dues paying members:

 

Membership Services

Negotiations
On average, Local 372 negotiates seven (7) contract agreements.  These titles are as follows

·        School Crossing Guards

·        SAPIS

·        School Aides/Health Aides

·        Paraprofessional

·        Community Coordinators

·        Hourly School Lunch

·        Monthly/Annually School Lunch / Loaders and Handlers

 

No one single person negotiates for the members of Local 372. Negotiating a good contract is a combined effort between your Local President, Chapter Chairs, research analyst, negotiators, union representatives and Local 372 Members who sit on Negotiating Committee. Only by this collective effort and by working together, is your union able to successfully negotiate an appropriate contract for all Local 372 members.

 

Grievances - Schools Division (212)815-1050
Hundreds of grievances are processed by Local 372 Union and Grievance Representatives each year. Currently Local 372 has Union and Grievance Representatives who service the membership, in addition to two (2) Assistant Director and one (1) Director.  Your representatives are assigned to various School Districts/Regions, all throughout the 5 boroughs and Police Precincts. In addition to district assignments, union representatives are also clustered into chapters or bargaining units, with 4 to 5 union representatives assigned to each chapter.  The union reps then work in conjunction with Local 372 Chapter Chairs to facilitate Chapter Meetings.  The major duty of Local 372 representatives is to help the member file grievances arising from employer violations of collective bargaining agreements.  Remember, Local 372 Union Representatives are advocates who speak on your behalf and make sure your rights as an employee are respected and enforced.   

 

Arbitrations
Local 372 process many arbitrations per year.  It is the duty of the union representative to follow and track all Local 372 arbitrations.  It is also the duty of the union representative to work in conjunction with DC 37 Staff Attorneys in preparation for the arbitrations, throughout the entire process and until a decision is rendered.  The union representative also prepares the member for possible testimony if needed.  The arbitration process is a combined effort by the union representative, general council, and the union member and in many cases, the shop steward.  When a decision is rendered, the arbitration becomes binding for all parties.

 

Health and Security Benefits (212) 815-1234

The DC37 Health and Security Benefits cover over 300,000 people, both active city employees and retirees and their families.  Benefits include dental, prescription drugs, visual care, disability income, catastrophic medical coverage for GHI-CBP subscribers, secondary surgical consultation, death benefits, accidental death and dismemberment, personal service counseling, health insurance and pension counseling, podiatry and audiology.

Information on coverage and how to apply for all Health and Security benefits, including drug, optical, disability and dental benefits, may be obtained by calling the Benefit Information Section at 212-815-1234 or by visiting Room 300.

Forms and optical vouchers only: Call 212-815-1531.
Death benefits: Call 212-815-1373 or-1374.
Retirees outside the N.Y.-N.J.-Conn. area, call 1-877-323-7738 toll free.

 

Health Insurance, Pension, Med-Team, HIP, GHI

For information about health insurance coverage (DC 37 Med-Team, GHI, etc.), aid in resolving claims problems and general information on pension issues, call 212-815-1200 or come to the Health and Pension Services Unit in Room 314.

For computation of individual pension benefits, call 212-815-1200 and schedule an appointment six months before your date of retirement.


DC 37 Med-Team
DC 37 Med-Team offers members and retirees a wide range of hospital and medical benefits, with a wide choice of primary care physicians and specialists throughout the five boroughs, Nassau and Suffolk counties and elsewhere in New York State . Call 212-815-1313.


Podiatry Service
The DC 37 Podiatry Service (foot care) is offered at 115 Chambers St., NYC 10007 (212-766-4455) and at 186 Joralemon  St., Brooklyn, N.Y., 11201 (718-625- 2544). For members only.

 

Audiology Service
The DC 37 Audiology Service (for hearing problems) is now located at the DC 37 Health Center, 115 Chambers St. in Manhattan . Members only. Included are audiologic evaluations by an audiologist and, if necessary, a hearing aid. For an appointment call 212-791-2126 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday.

 

Family Dental Centers
The DC 37 Family Dental Centers are at two locations: 186 Joralemon St. in downtown Brooklyn (ZIP 11201) and 115 Chambers St. in Manhattan (ZIP 10007). Both offer comprehensive dental care to members and eligible dependents and are open Monday through Saturday. For appointments, call: Manhattan at 212-766-4440 or Brooklyn at 718-852-1400.

 

Vision Center
The DC 37 Vision Center is located at 115 Chambers St. in Manhattan (ZIP 10007). The center can be used by members and their eligible dependents. The standard optical benefit provides an eye exam, lenses and frames, if necessary, every two years. Available at DC 37 Vision Center and at participating optical centers. Only at the DC 37 Vision Center are you also entitled to an eye examination — and new lenses, if necessary — 12 months after receiving your standard benefit. Appointments at the DC 37 Vision Center can be made by calling 212-766-4452, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning the last Monday of each month and each subsequent day until all appointments are booked for the next six-to eight-week period. Appointments cannot be made before your eligibility date. If you decide to choose from the list of participating vision providers other than Chambers St. call 212-815-1531 to request a voucher.

 

Surgical Consult/NYC Healthline:
Hospital pre-admission and medical requirements GHI members: Employees and Medicare ineligible retirees who are enrolled in EBCBS, GHI-C or GHI-CBP must call the city’s NYC Healthline prior to any non-emergency hospitalization and if outpatient surgery at a hospital or surgical center is scheduled. In addition, if your doctor schedules certain non-emergency procedures in his/her office, you must call Healthline prior to the procedure being performed. Such procedures include any surgery of the foot, nose, eye, tonsils, adenoids, breast or knee and any procedure to correct a hernia or varicose veins. The Healthline phone number is 800-521-9574.

DC 37 Program: Members of any health plan can get a second opinion at no cost for any elective surgery from the DC 37 Second Surgical Opinion Program at 212-815-1355.
 

 

DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS)

Free Legal Services (212) 815-1111
DC 37’s Health and Security benefit package includes the largest prepaid legal services office in the country. More than 65 staff lawyers offer legal advice and representation, and prepare legal documents for members on a wide range of civil legal matters. MELS lawyers work exclusively for the union. Social workers are also available to counsel you on case-related personal and family problems.

MELS Can Help Full-Time and Part-Time Employees and Retirees with:

 

Additional Benefits for Full-Time Employees and Retirees:

MELS does not accept criminal cases, or handle business problems. Representation is also not available for defense of tort claims, such as libel, slander and personal injury caused by negligence.

Personal Service Unit

Professionally trained social work staff can help with emotional and family concerns, alcoholism, drug abuse, health problems and adjustment to retirement. Information is available on a wide range of social services in the community. Short-term individual and group counseling is available.

Call 212-815-1260, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a screening evaluation.


DC 37 Education Fund Benefits

General info: 212-815-1700
Hotline: 212-815-1650
E-mail: edfund@dc37.net

The Education Department offers academic career oriented training for more than 121,000 municipal employees.  Some of the programs include:

Education Fund Programs and Services


Education Fund Benefit Eligibility

As a full time employee you are eligible to partake in all Education Fund classes and programs. If you are a part-time employee, you are eligible for partial benefit that includes all programs except Tuition Reimbursement.

Your eligibility ends when you are no longer an active employee in a covered job title. If you go off payroll because of disability, you continue to be eligible for up to six months if you are collecting disability benefits from the Health and Security Plan or Workers' Compensation payments through your employer.

If, after becoming eligible, you are laid off or otherwise terminated and are rehired within 12 months in a covered job title, your eligibility begins as soon as you have worked a full day.

 

DC 37 Campus – College of New Rochelle – (212) 518-1710

The DC37 Campus of the College of New Rochelle was founded in 1972 and remains the only college campus in the nation that serves union members only.  More than 2800 union members have earned their B.A. degrees and more than 500 are pursuing a variety of graduate degrees in more than 24 graduate schools.  The College of New Rochelle also offers a B.A. Program for Family Service Paraprofessionals.  If you are interested in attending the college of New Rochelle please call (212) 815-1710.


Municipal Employee Affordable Housing Program - (212) 815-1814

District Council 37, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) today launched a new housing program for DC 37 members at a reception at the union's headquarters and officially opened DC 37's new Affordable Housing Office. The first-of-its-kind program includes preferences for city-sponsored affordable homes and rental apartments, down payment assistance and homebuyer education.

The innovative housing initiative for DC 37 members resulted from a letter Ms. Roberts sent to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January. The program allows DC 37 members, and all municipal workers, preference for 5% of units in city-sponsored lotteries for affordable homes and apartments, and as first-time home buyers, they could be eligible for down payment grants of up to 6% of purchase price or on average $20,000 through HPD. The program also offers homebuyer training and education covering credit, budgeting, predatory lending, home maintenance and repair through NHS.

 

Affordable Mortgage Program - (212) 815-1814

The DC 37 Affordable Mortgage Program helps members secure loans from JP Morgan Chase Bank. The program helps with mortgages for coops, condos, 1-6 family properties, home equity loans and mortgage refinancing at special discounted rates and benefits available to DC 37 members. You must attend a seminar to find out the advantages of this program, begin the process toward home ownership, and be eligible for discounts.

To reserve a seat, call 212-815-1814 weekdays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.