Printer Friendly Format Email a Friend


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 365-05
September 26, 2005

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE LABOR AGREEMENT WITH CORRECTION OFFICERS' BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION

10.25% Increases Funded Through Cost-Savings and Productivity

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Norman Seabrook, President of the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, announced today that a tentative settlement has been reached, pending ratification, with the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association (COBA) on an overall economic agreement covering approximately 8,300 Correction Officers in the Department of Correction. The settlement is consistent with the City's pattern for collective bargaining. Wage increases are funded largely through cost-savings and productivity. The term of the agreement covers the twenty-seven month period from February 1, 2003 through April 30, 2005.

"Correction Officers perform one of New York's most demanding jobs in the toughest conditions," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We are pleased to have identified cost-savings and productivity measures that enable us to pay our Correction Officers significant and well-deserved raises. Our goal is to have a more flexible, efficient and better-paid workforce and through more efficient vacation scheduling practices the Department of Correction will generate much of the cost savings to fund this contract. This agreement fulfills the City's commitment to attain fiscally responsible settlements and the Union's need to achieve fair treatment and compensation for their members."

"The men and women who patrol the toughest precincts in New York - the City's jails - deserve fair compensation for their efforts," said COBA President Seabrook. "We will continue to work on behalf of the COBA membership and their families to improve their wages and benefits, and we are pleased to have reached this agreement with the City.

The principal features of the settlement include:

  • A 5% increase on February 1, 2003, the first day of the contract and another 5% increase compounded on February 1, 2004, the first day of the 13th month of the Contract, except as provided for newly hired employees.

  • A new salary schedule for new hires including a revised hiring rate of $25,100 during the first six months of employment. New hires will now attain basic maximum salary of $59,588 upon completion of five and one-half years of service.

  • The annual Personal Leave Day will be eliminated for all employees. Previously, the Personal Leave Day had been eliminated only during the first five years of service.

  • A two-day per year reduction in the number of annual leave days for new hires during the first five years of service.

  • The parties will change the contractual limitation on the scheduling of vacations so that vacations will be more evenly distributed, thereby limiting the necessity for overtime.

  • Military Leave will be consistent with the practice in other agencies.

  • A three-month contract extension provides the necessary additional savings to fund this settlement.

"Norman Seabrook has again negotiated a responsible collective bargaining agreement," concluded Mayor Bloomberg. "I also want to thank Deputy Mayor Marc V. Shaw, Correction Commissioner Martin Horn, COBA President Norman Seabrook, and Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley and First Deputy Commissioner Pamela S. Silverblatt and their team, for their efforts in reaching this Agreement."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Edward Skyler / Jonathan Werbell   (212) 788-2958

Mike Skelly (COBA)   (212) 274-8000




More Resources
Watch the video in 56k or 300k