Well, here it goes again – managers again have to take it in the one for the team. NYC Managers are required to take 5 unpaid furlough days before March 31st 2021.
I guess it is really a situation where the city is “between a rock and a hard place”. I know the loss in revenue to the city is a by-product of shutting the city down due to the coronavirus. The unfortunate thing is that it had to come from the people who, in many cases, are supporting the essential workers or are one themselves.
Not the first time
It seems this administration finds the managers as easy targets; after all managers don’t have union representation. They only have NYCMEA, which really can’t do anything but complain about it.
A few years ago, the managers had to take a hit because of the mayor’s paid parental leave plan. A “big win” for everyone except the managers. We had to forgo a raise, albeit a small raise. And give up two annual leave days. Without any ability to challenge, or negotiate, or compromise. Just taken away.
Many managers make less than the people they manage. Some of my managers asked to relinquish their manager title and go back to their previous union title – which I unfortunately (for me) did – because the pay disparity was so dramatic. I even considered “falling back” to a unionized title. My boss talked me off the ledge at that time, but I still thought I’d be better off in the long run. Later on I ended up under a union title after DC37 won a “certification” challenge.
It really turned out to be better in the long run. Overtime, prescription drug coverage that would otherwise be paid out of pocket if not Medicare eligible, Comp Days, union representation (if needed), among other benefits. Much better than the Management Benefits Fund.
The mayor is doing his part. He is giving up about 5 grand. But his $250k salary probably has enough room to keep food on the table and the lights on.
So… what is the benefit of taking a management job in NYC?…
Comments and Questions Welcomed Here
Hi Chris, if I already have a permanent civil service title, and was promoted to a new functional or office title. Can a city agency demoted me back to my original office title? Example: Office title promotion from Administrative Assistant to Sr. Administrator (same civil service title). 2 years later demoted back to Administrative Assistant ( same civil service title).
Hi Mari,
If I understand the question correctly, unfortunately, I think they can. So, what I’m hearing is that you are in the same permanent civil service title, however, they gave you an “in-house” title, without changing your civil service title. I presume that there was no change in pay (base pay – not overtime). For example, I know of persons working as “Executive Assistant to Assistant Commissioner X” but were in a Principal Administrative Associate (PAA) civil service title. Once that commissioner retired, they did not remain as the Executive Assistant to the new commissioner but were relocated to another area where they remained a PAA, with no change in pay, but performed different duties – but still duties as expected of a PAA.
Even if you were in a provisional title, you would have little recourse if they returned you to your permanent title, which is what makes the permanent status so valuable.
It wouldn’t hurt to run this by your union shop steward, or with the union’s local representative if you don’t have a shop steward, just in case there are other options. But, unless the move was based on unethical behavior (e.g., harassment, retaliation) that can be proven, I think they can move you around within your title.
Hope this helps and good luck! – Chris
Hi Chris – if there is ever a budget cut (such as the rumored 22,000 city worker cut), would those in the non-competitive titles have to go first? Is there any protection for non-competitive titles, since I know those who are permanent are probably going to be the last to go?
Thanks.
Hi Jess,
You can be a permanent in a non-competitive title. So it would most likely go by the specific title and then by their status (provisional, probational, permanent). The Office of Labor Relations would notify the appropriate union(s) “not less than thirty (30) days before the effective dates of projected layoffs”. The city will provide a summary by title, city start date, and title start date of each affected employee. Then the other “stuff” would begin – does the affected employee have a fallback; can they be relocated to another agency or position, etc.
.
It gets pretty specific. See Article XVII in the DC37 Citywide Contract for the details. If you’re in a different union you may have to check with their agreement to see if it has similar provisions.
Hope it doesn’t come to that…
Good luck! – Chris
Hi Chris. Thanks for your great info. I have a question. If we are permanent in one title (example: mental health consultant) and then we found another job that has a different civil service title requirement (for example, health service manager), are we able to carry our permanent title (mental health consultant) over to the next job with a different civil service title (health service manager) if the jobs are somewhat similar? I am thinking of ways to look for a new job but maintaining my permanent status and title.
Thanks.
Hi Joanna,
If you are staying in the same agency, then generally yes.
Let’s say you’re working as a Mental Health Consultant for Health + Hospitals (HHC) at Bellevue in a permanent capacity – I assume it’s an actual Civil Service title (like Senior Consultant or similar). If you were to go for Health Services Manager (again, if it’s a Civil Service Title and not an in-house title) within the HHC system, say, at Queens General Hospital, you should be able to retain your permanent position as a fallback title. You would have to get that from your Human Resources department to confirm.
But if you’re moving to another agency; let’s say going from HHC to Department of Education (DOE), you would have to confirm that the DOE has the fallback title and is willing to accept your fallback position. If they don’t have that title then you will, most likely, lose that fallback protection to your permanent title.
Please make sure that, if you were looking to move either within or out of your agency, you get confirmation, preferably in writing, that protects your permanent status.
Hope that helps and good luck! – Chris
Thanks Chris. If I were a mental health consultant at Health and Hospital and then decided to be a teacher at the DOE but didn’t like it, can I come back to the mental health consultant role at Health and Hospital if I were already permanent when I left? How long would I have to come back , and would the agency take me back? Just trying to weigh the options if I were to go.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Joanna,
You would have to get those specifics from the HR departments but I think it’s doable for a limited period. I had to do something similar in one of my moves. I was a permanent Radio Repair Mechanic although I was working as a provisional manager at my “old agency”. I took a promotion to another agency that didn’t use the title of Radio Repair Mechanic and would not keep it for me as a fallback title. Also, I had to take the new managerial job as a provisional in a different title than I had at the old agency. So I had to be willing to accept losing a permanent fallback title and moving into a completely different civil service title.
However, I was advised by the new agency HR that I could go back to the old agency in the same capacity (and pay) within one year of coming over. So I did have the chance to go back if I really wanted to – but I did not.
So at the new agency I waited for the test for my new position and looked for tests for fallback titles for that agency. The fallback test came up first – took that and passed. However, the test for my main title came up in the meantime (as a Qualified Incumbent Exam. So I “took” that exam (basically an Education and Experience exam) and passed that one also.
If you really want to try it I believe it can be done – but remember, I’m just a guy rattling off experiences I’ve seen or done myself. You’d have to do the homework to see if you can keep the protections. There may be some differenced because one is HHC (a public benefit corporation) and the other is a mayoral agency.
Good luck! – Chris