News from Civil Service Employees Association

For more information contact: Stephen A. Madarasz - 518 257-1270 (o), 518 598-4705 (c)

CSEA Reaches Contract Settlement for 6,000 Court Employees Across New York

ALBANY, NY (05/08/2008)(readMedia)-- CSEA - New York's Leading Union - has reached a tentative agreement with the New York State Office of Court Administration on a new contract covering more than 6,000 non-judicial employees in the state’s Unified Court System.

"CSEA and the Unified Court System have reached a fair and responsible agreement that recognizes the value and importance of the court employees who make the system work every day," said CSEA President Danny Donohue. "These were challenging negotiations and I am extremely proud of the focus and commitment of the CSEA bargaining team."

The four year agreement retroactive to April 1, 2007 includes salary increases in every year of the agreement, improved downstate and Mid-Hudson Valley location pay, enhancements in longevity bonuses for long term employees, improved payments to the Employee Benefit Fund and Labor-Management programs, and increased funding for body armor for security personnel. There were no significant changes to health insurance provisions.

Across-the-Board cost of living adjustments are as follows:

• April 1 2007 – 3 percent or $950, whichever is greater (retroactive);
• April 1, 2008 – 3 percent or $975, whichever is greater (retroactive);
• April 1, 2009 – 3 percent or $1,000, whichever is greater; and
• April 1, 2010 – 4 percent or $1,025, whichever is greater.

CSEA also agreed to a salary increase deferral for employees earning more than $115,000 annually until a judicial pay raise is enacted. Employees at or above that level will have their salaries held harmless but will receive the contract provisions once the judicial pay raise issue is resolved. If it is not resolved by the end of the contract, the employees will receive all of the contract cost of living adjustments retroactively. This issue would affect about 500 individuals out of the bargaining unit’s 6,000 members.

CSEA-represented court employees work in a range of non-judicial jobs, from court clerks to clerical and administrative staff to security officers in the court system in every part of New York.

Additional details about the agreement will be posted on the CSEA website www.csealocal1000.org shortly. The agreement will be presented to the CSEA rank and file members for review and ratification in the weeks ahead. It must also be approved by the state Legislature and signed by the Governor.

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