By SHERRY HALBROOK
A tentative agreement was reached in February in contract talks between PEF and National Development and Research Institutes Inc. (NDRI) in New York City.
A previous tentative agreement was rejected by the members in June. The main sticking point was a cap on severance pay.
“We went back to the table, and with our members’ support we have achieved a much better agreement,” said Jennifer Fuld, council leader of PEF Division 500 at NDRI.
Fuld said members demonstrated their solidarity by wearing buttons and posting signs at work.
The new tentative agreement would replace the unit’s contract which expired June 30, 2001.
Final contract language must still be approved by NDRI and PEF’s Executive Board and ratified by the unit members.
The new four-year pact would provide annual 3 percent raises on July 1 of each year, including 2001.
The NDRI research unit is made up of some 65 researchers, interviewers, administrative support staff and others who research the causes and possible ways to prevent the spread of drug addiction and diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C.
Their work at NDRI is funded through grants and contracts from government and private sources.
“Severance is a very important benefit because the job security of most NDRI employees depends on grant funding,” Fuld said. “The danger that grants won’t be renewed is a big risk for people trying to support families and live in New York city.
“The main issue that caused our members to reject the first tentative agreement was a cap of $5,000 on severance pay with nothing to offset that sacrifice and no convincing facts from management to support the need for it,” Fuld said.
“Our previous contract gave our members with at least two years of service a lump-sum payment of two weeks of severance pay for every year of service, and for some people that added up to as much as $12,000” she said. “Or we could choose to have our names placed on a mandatory recall list.”
The bargaining team met with unit members to discuss the negotiations just a few days before the tentative agreement was reached.
Division 500 recently began producing a newsletter, “The PEF Hammer,” to keep members posted on the negotiations, and a labor-management committee was formed to help deal with issues.
“We’re getting great help from PEF,” Fuld said. “PEF Director of Labor Relations (downstate) Kalliopi Zervos, associate counsel Lisa Newmark and field representative Carlos Arroyo have been working with our team.
“They demonstrated an incredible commitment to our negotiations, and this process has shown all NDRI PEF members the strength and value of our union,” Fuld said.
PEF also represents another unit of employees at NDRI in the AIDS Outreach Program (AOP). Their contract will expire later this year.
Other highlights of the tentative agreement include:
• Severance pay of two weeks pay for each year of service up to 16 weeks of pay;
• Extension of individual health insurance benefits for laid-off employees, according to their length of service. Those with three years of service, would receive three months of coverage. Employees with four or more years of service would receive six months of extended coverage;
• Voluntary leave donation;
• Pre-tax savings plan for transportation expenses;
• Improved funding for reimbursement of educational expenses; and
• Creation of a new grade 12 title — senior executive assistant.