CSEA court employees overwhelmingly approve new contract

ALBANY, NY (06/11/2014)(readMedia)-- CSEA-represented employees of the Unified Court System have voted 2-to-1 in favor of a new contract amid strong member turnout.

"This was a very difficult negotiation and I am proud that CSEA members ignored outside noise and focused on the facts about this agreement," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "The CSEA negotiating team worked hard at the bargaining table to protect the rights and benefits of CSEA members. They kept that focus in presenting the agreement details to our members and it made all the difference in the vote count."

The six-year agreement runs from April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2017 with the following highlights:

• Two (2) percent across-the-board salary increase in October 2014;
• Two (2) percent across the board salary increase in April 2015;
• Two (2) percent across-the-board salary increase in April 2016;
• $750 Bonus (pensionable) payable March 31, 2017;
• Transition from a two to a three-tier longevity system beginning in April 2016 with changes in the payment amounts and other reforms;
• Maintaining benefits provided through the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund and
• A variety of changes in work rules and other contract provisions.

The agreement also establishes a contingency for the possibility of up to a two-day payroll lag in both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscal years to avoid layoffs in the event that the UCS budget is not approved by the state legislature and the governor as submitted.

The agreement must now be acted on by the state legislature.

CSEA represents 5,700 employees who work in the Unified Court System statewide. They perform a wide range of duties, from clerk and administrative work, to court officers and reporters.

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