IF YOU NEED HELP

If you need union representation or would like help with any work related issue you can speak with your area steward or contact UCATS for help from one of our experienced organizers:


Email: info@ucats3882.org (recommended)


Telephone: 646-602-1485

*All calls are confidential. No action is taken on your behalf without your consent.

Bulletin Board

Raise/Bonus/Retropay Dates

Dates you will receive your bonus, raise and retropay:

March 1: The 3% bonus will be paid in a separate check off cycle (i.e., not a regular payday)
March 8: Your biweekly pay check will reflect the negotiated 5.5% raise and your retroactive pay.

NOTE: Earlier we informed members that your retropay would be in a separate check and that’s what we understood from NYU’s attorney on December 14 when we reached the tentative agreement. We believe she gave us the best information she had at the moment but NYU Payroll had other ideas. At the end of the year you will pay the same amount of annual taxes on your adjusted gross income regardless.

Contract Ratified!

The tentative agreement UCATS reached with NYU on December 14, 2023 has been ratified. Voting instructions were mailed on January 4, 2024, voting commenced on January 8 at 9 am and closed on January 31, at 5 pm. The results were certified by the American Arbitration Association on January 31, at 5:15 pm and reported to NYU on Feb. 1, 2024, at 9 am.

LAST CALL TO VOTE!

TODAY is your last chance to vote to ratify the tentative agreement we reached with NYU on December 14.
Thanks to all of you who have voted and all who have gone the extra step to encourage your coworkers to vote. To those who haven’t voted yet: A vote to ratify the tentative agreement is a vote for a 5.5% raise, a 3% bonus, and 2 additional vacation days each year. It is the recommendation of the UCATS Executive Council that you vote “Yes” to ratify this agreement.

You have less than 7 hours to cast your vote. Here’s how:

  • Call the AAA dedicated hotline for UCATS members – 1-800-529-5218 – to request your PIN. Have your NYU ID number ready for verification of your eligibility to vote.
  • Go to https://electionsaaa.org/ and follow the online instructions for voting – it takes less than 3 minutes! Enter UCATS for the Organization ID.
  • The voting process closes at 5 pm TODAY (Wednesday, Jan. 31).

MORE ON THE TENTATIVE AGREMENT

MORE ON THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

We delivered our petition, with 1240+ signatures to the office of NYU President Linda Mills last Wednesday which, no doubt, influenced NYU to reach a settlement with us the next day. Our Petition Presentation Ceremony was covered in the Washington Square News.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this Tentative Agreement happen:
1. The volunteer members of the UCATS Bargaining Team who we have estimated put in over 1250 hours combined since August attending bargaining sessions, strategic planning meetings and solidarity actions with other unions all on our lunch hours, evenings and weekends: Ben Carr, Kate Conroy, Marty Correia, Diana Corzen, Christopher Crowe, Sharmaine Griffin, Melonie Jones-Cummings, Larissa McDowell, Robert Platt, Jason Singleton, Vanessa Sejourne,
2. The volunteer members of our Mobilization Committee who did the legwork distributing buttons/stickers/posters: Ben Carr, Christopher Crowe, David Hall, Melonie Jones Cummings, Robert Lesko, Edmond Monchais, David Peer and Jason Singleton.
3. The volunteer members of our Communications Committee who drafted our Contract Bargaining Member Survey last summer, the messaging on the buttons/stickers/posters and the petition to Linda Mills: Marty Correia, Christopher Crowe, Larissa McDowell, David Peer and Robert Platt
4. Our NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist, Amanda Velazquez, who turned our aspirations into contract proposals and kept us all on message at our bargaining sessions with NYU.
5. UCATS Senior Organizer Linda Wambaugh, who has been doing the work of two since our second organizer unexpectedly resigned in September. Linda handles the day-to-day business of UCATS which doesn’t stop when we bargain a contract. That business included assisting our members in grievances and other workplace issues, working with our Bookkeeper and Accountant on our annual audit, union orientation meetings with new employees, and everything else that pops up in our email and phone messages. Linda also informed Amanda about our bargaining history, helped her draft our bargaining information request to NYU and conducted our first 2 bargaining sessions when Amanda experienced health issues, She also unexpectedly had to coordinate moving our office from room 1219 to room 520 just before our first contract extension because our landlord had a tenant who wanted the entire 12th floor of our building. Linda negotiated a larger, renovated office for us at the same rent!
6. And most importantly, ALL OF YOU! All of our work as your leadership team would have been for naught if all of you had not embraced our visibility campaign by wearing the buttons, displaying the stickers/posters in your work stations and on public bulletin boards in your areas and helping us get 1240+ signatures on our petition.

Remember, however, that this Tentative Agreement won’t become our new contract unless you vote FOR it in the ratification election we will have when we get back in January. Until then, have a great holiday.

Ratifying the Tentative Agreement

UCATS reached a tentative agreement with NYU for a new contract on December 15, 2023.
Now it’s up to all UCATS members to ratify the agreement for it to take effect.
Here are the logistics of the ratification process:

The ratification vote will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) to ensure the integrity of the process.

On January 4, the AAA will (snail)mail every UCATS member voting instructions, a unique voter PIN, a cover letter from me, and a summary of the tentative agreement, and the AAA website where you will cast your vote (https://electionsaaa.org/).

Voting will be done online. All you will need to vote is our organization ID – UCATS – and your unique voter PIN which will be included in the mailing from AAA.

Voting will begin on Monday, January 8, at 9 am and will close on Wednesday, January 31, at 5 pm.

Only UCATS members can vote.

Do not attempt to vote before January 8 at 9 pm. Please allow at least a week from today to receive the AAA mailing.

If you do not receive your AAA mailing by the end of next week you can call the AAA dedicated hotline for UCATS members –
1-800-529-5218. You will be asked for your NYU ID and they will give you your AAA voter PIN. You will then be able to go to the voting webpage to cast your vote.

AAA will be sending your voting instructions to the address you have on file with NYU. If you have moved and have not updated your address with NYU you won’t get your mailing – call the hotline for your voter PIN.

There will be 3 membership meetings next week as required by the UCATS constitution. The purpose of the meetings is for you to ask the bargaining team any questions you have about the terms of the agreement or the process. You are not expected to attend a meeting for two hours; they are scheduled for 2 hours to reflect the different schedules our members work, so you can come as soon as your shift ends but it probably won’t take more than 20 minutes of your time.

The UCATS Executive Council recommends that you vote
“Yes, I accept” to ratify the agreement.

MEETING INFO:

Wednesday, January 10
12-2 pm
College of Dentistry
345 East 24th St.
ROOM: 825 (8th Fl.)

Wednesday, January 10
4-6:30 pm
The King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center (KJCC)
53 Washington Square South
ROOM: 404 (floor 4W)

Thursday January 11
6:30-7:30 pm
Zoom
Email stephen.ucats3882@gmail.com for Zoom link.

 

TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

UCATS and NYU reached a tentative agreement for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) On Thursday, December 14, at 2pm. The full UCATS Executive Council met at 6:30 that evening to approve the tentative agreement for presentation to the membership for ratification as required by the UCATS constitution.
Here is a SUMMARY OF THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT.
Next steps:
In person meetings with the UCATS membership (as required by the UCATS constitution) will take place on Wednesday, January 10, to answer questions and allow members to speak to the bargaining team.
One of the in-person meetings will be at the College of Dentistry from 12-2 and the other on Washington Square from 4-6:30, exact locations TBA.
An additional Zoom meeting will take place on Thursday, January 11, from 6:30-7:30. To get the Zoom meeting link, email Stephen Rechner at stephen.ucats3882@gmail.com by 1pm on Thursday, January 11.
Meeting attendance is restricted to UCATS members.

The ratification vote will begin on or about January 8 and will be done online. Paper ballots will be available on request. An announcement with voting instructions will be sent to your NYU Home Account email from the American Arbitration Association. Voting will be open for 3 weeks. The current CBA will remain in effect until the ratification vote is complete.

Bargaining Update 11

Bargaining Update 11
December 13, 2023
Thanks to all who attended today’s petition presentation ceremony on the 12th floor of Bobst. For those of you who couldn’t make it, it could not have gone better! We had about 50 people attend, a nice mix of the usual suspects and new faces, as well as a mix of members and allies. We arrived on the 12th floor of Bobst and the security guard said to me, “They told me to accept your petition.” to which I replied, “Oh c’mon! I’m the President of the Union of Clerical, Administrative & Technical Staff at NYU, they really can’t send someone out to accept our petition?” and she said, “I’ll call John.” The “John” she called was NYU PR spokesperson John Beckman, who did come out, and he accepted our petition very graciously. That’s a far cry from the days when they called for security backup to escort us out of the building
Stay tuned . . .

Bargaining Updates 9 & 10 - PETITION PRESENTATION!

Bargaining Update 10
December 13, 2023
Yesterday we bargained with NYU from 11am-7pm and – we still don’t have a contract. We have made progress on key issues but it is all contingent on completing an entire agreement.
The good news is that we have 1,640 signatures on our petition to NYU President Linda Mills as of 7am. The petition will close to new signatures at 10 am; if you haven’t signed yet, this is your last chance!
Our presentation ceremony is TODAY at 12:30pm.
We will meet in front of Bobst Library for about 10 minutes and then move up to the 12th floor. All are welcome to join us for the presentation or just meet in front of Bobst and cheer us on.

Bargaining Update 9
December 8, 2023
Yesterday’s bargaining session was heated and disheartening. We still have 3 more sessions scheduled next week, however, and we will make the most of them. The good news is that we have over 1400 signatures on our petition to NYU President Linda Mills. Great work everyone! If you haven’t signed yet and shared with your colleagues/friends please do it now.  Our petition has been boosted by CLAWS, NYSUT and the NYC Central Labor Council. We’re even on Instagram now!
The UCATS Bargaining Team will present our petition to President Mills next Wednesday as we are not bargaining that day. We will gather in front of Bobst Library at 12:30. Even better would be to have a lot of UCATS members and supporters join us for the presentation ceremony on the 12th floor.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT

between
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
and
UNION OF CLERICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL STAFF AT NYU
LOCAL 3882, NYSUT, AFT, NEA, AFL-CIO

November 1, 2017 – October 31, 2023

Appendix D courses are non-credit courses for which NYU has agreed to reimburse our members for the usual 20% copayment upon completion of the course.Appendix D courses are updated each semester based on course availability and member requests.

Subscribe

* indicates required

Do not use your NYU email address

What every member needs to know.

Officers

Stephen Rechner President

Stephen Rechner
President

Diana Corzen-VP
Diana Corzen
Vice President
Crowe2
Christopher Crowe
Vice President
Sharmaine Griffin-Treasurer
Sharmaine Griffin
Treasurer
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Robert Lesko
Secretary

For entire leadership team please click on button below.

Shop Stewards and Officers are elected every two years to form our Executive Council (EC). The EC is the governing body of UCATS and meets once a month on the 2nd Monday of each month. The current term runs from May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022, however, because our Collective Bargaining Agreement with NYU expires October 31, 2023 and we begin bargaining team training in February, the EC recently voted to hold early elections this September so that our team is in place by January 2023.
The election process begins with an announcement of the election to our members and the publication of the responsibilities of council members. That will be followed by a membership meeting where members nominate the people they wish to represent them on the EC. An Election Committee will follow up with each nominee to confirm that they wish to serve on the council if elected.

The election will conclude in December. All UCATS members are eligible to run for shop steward positions; members running for officer positions must be employed by NYU for at least 6 months. Notice of meetings/elections will be posted to our website, sent by email to members on our elist, and sent by USPS mail to members not on our elist.

UCATS History of Achievement

In 1979 clerical and technical workers at NYU voted to form their own union. We were chartered by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as The United Staff Association at NYU, Local 3882. In 2003, we rebranded ourselves as The Union of Clerical, Administrative & Technical Staff at NYU – UCATS, Local 3882. Since 1979, we have steadily improved the wages, benefits and working conditions for all UCATS members.

Our success is due to the participation, strength and resolve of UCATS members. Our rights, protections, wages and benefits are spelled out in our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) often referred to as the union contract. Unlike personnel policy manuals or employee handbooks, our CBA is legally enforceable because it is a contract.

UCATS has successfully negotiated wage increases for members every year since 1979 while there have been a number of years when non-union NYU employees have received no raise at all.

The UCATS CBA guarantees that all members receive equal pay for equal work. In unionized workplaces, women earn on average 23.8% more, Black workers earn 26% more and Latino workers earn 39.2% more than in non-unionized workplaces. Even brand-new employees hired into UCATS Local 3882-represented positions earn thousands of dollars more each year because the starting salaries include every raise UCATS has negotiated since it was formed in 1979.

UCATS members have protection from unjust discipline, discharge, and arbitrary treatment – something non-union workers never have.

UCATS Local 3882 is run by the members―you and your coworkers. Your shop stewards, officers, and even the president of the UCATS, are NYU employees like yourself who volunteer their free time to work for you. Your UCATS elected leaders know first-hand what it is like to work for NYU. For many years now, we also have hired professional staff to assist us in representing members in grievances, issues of concern, contract bargaining and the day-to-day administration of the Local.

All the rights, wages and benefits in our CBA weren’t given to us by NYU out of kindness. Everything was won at the negotiating table by the determination, strength, and participation of UCATS members like you.

What does a union do for its members?

Being a part of a union and having a union contract provides all members with legally enforceable rights, protections, wages, and benefits.
Without a union, we never have protection
from unfair discipline, discharge or arbitrary treatment and never have guarantees about our wages and benefits.

UCATS members currently have 51 pages of rights, protections, and guaranteed wages and benefits in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). In addition, UCATS hires professional staff who help us negotiate the CBA and who support and represent members with enforcing our contractual rights and addressing workplace concerns.

Why is it important for me to be a member of UCATS?

Our union is as strong as our membership.
The union is our organization – the 1300 clerical and technical employees at NYU are UCATS. As a union, we have the legal right to negotiate with NYU over our wages, benefits and working conditions.
By working and standing together, we are able to make significant gains when we negotiate our Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) periodically and when we are addressing issues of concern in the workplace.

UCATS members democratically decide on bargaining priorities; elect members to serve as our officers, stewards, and bargaining team members; vote on contracts, and make all the major decisions about our union.

Why do we pay union dues?

Unions are self-funded organizations. Without all of us paying union dues, we couldn’t have our own organization. Union dues pays for the professional staff we hire to support and represent us.
Dues pays for our union office; the telephones, computers and office equipment and supplies in the UCATS office, the cost of arbitrations to enforce our rights, the fees for bookkeeping and required annual audits; and much more.

There is a huge union advantage. Union employees on average earn 11.2% more than non-union employees. All 51 pages in our CBA reflect all the things we have gained as a result of having our union since 1979.

Why am I getting mail from NYSUT/AFT/NEA/AFL-CIO?

As a member of UCATS, you are also a member of:
NYSUT – New York State United Teachers
AFT – American Federation of Teachers
NEA – National Education Association
AFL-CIO – American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations.

What this means for you is that you can take advantage of the benefits each of these affiliates offer to their members. Links to their member benefits websites are in the Member Benefits section of our website. What these organizations do for our leadership team is they provide us with training and assistance when issues arise that are beyond the scope of our
expertise.

Why should I sign up for UCATS email?

Email is the fastest and most efficient means we have to communicate with all members. Many of our communications, such as notices of membership meeting and elections, we are required by law to send to every UCATS member (the Landrum-Griffin Law). We also use email to alert members to new benefits when they are offered by NYSUT/AFT/NEA/AFL-CIO. Email saves time and trees.

MEMBER BENEFITS

The benefits you receive from your employment at NYU are negotiated for you by UCATS and are articulated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

As a member of UCATS, however, you are also a member of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the American Federation of teachers (AFT), the National Education Association (NEA), and the AFL-CIO. Each of these labor federations has a member benefits website and as a UCATS member you are entitled to take advantage of the benefits they offer.

In some cases there may be a notation that a particular benefit is not available to members in New York State; all that means is that a comparable or better version of that benefit is available from NYSUT Member Benefits. For most NYSUT/AFT/NEA benefits you will need your NYSUT member ID number which is on your NYSUT Membership card. If you don’t have your NYSUT membership card you can call NYSUT toll-free at 800-342-9810; press 0 for the operator and ask to be connected to the Membership Records Department.

PLANNING FOR RETIREMENT

Retirement Checklist

NYU Retirement Benefits Guide document
NYU’s Planning for Retirement webpage has information on all of your benefits as an NYU retiree, including RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE.

Be sure to click on the MORE BENEFITS link.

Here are some retiree benefits you may not be aware of:
VSP Retiree Discount Vision Plan – FREE for retirees
Health Advocate – FREE for retirees
$30,000 Basic Life Insurance – FREE for retirees
MetLife Dental for retirees – Rates vary depending on where you live.
Currently (2020) $24.50-$34.75 monthly.

UNION NEGOTIATED NYU STAFF PENSION PLAN
The Summary Plan Description for the NYU Staff Pension Plan will answer most questions about our defined benefit pension plan;
Aon is the administrator of the NYU Staff Pension Plan. On their website you can estimate your pension and learn how to apply for your pension when you are ready to retire.
How is my union-negotiated NYU Staff Pension calculated?
The math for determining your union-negotiated defined benefit pension can be found on page 15 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 20.  If, having applied for your pension, you believe that Aon has miscalculated your benefit, you should first contact Aon for an explanation/resolution. If they do not explain/resolve the issue to your satisfaction then you should contact PeopleLink, NYU’s benefits and payroll service center, at askpeoplelink@nyu.edu or 212-992-5465.
What happens if I am vested in the NYU Staff Pension Plan but leave NYU before retirement age?
You are vested if you have worked at NYU at least 5 years. Your participation in the Plan ends on your last day of employment. Vested balances below $5,000 will be distributed as a lump sum payment. You may elect lump sum payment if the present value of your benefit is more than $5,000 but less than $50,000. It is recommended that you seek professional tax advice before receiving a distribution. For more information or to request a distribution, contact Aon at 855-632-5016. If the present value is greater than $50,000 you will have to wait until retirement age and apply to receive your pension then; see the Summary Plan Description for details when you can apply.

TIAA-CREF
If you are enrolled in the TIAA-CREF Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity Plan, contact NYU Retirement Plans Helpline at TIAA at 844-NYU-TIAA (844-698-8422) to learn how to start receiving withdrawals in retirement. You will probably want to schedule an appointment with a TIAA-CREF advisor.

SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE:
CLICK HERE to apply for Social Security Retirement benefits and Medicare.

Location

UCATS, Local 3882
636 Broadway, Room 1219
New York, NY 10012

Tel.: 646-602-1485
Fax: 646-602-9554
Email: info@ucats3882.org