Local 1180 News
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Help on Filing Your Public Service Loan Forgiveness Application
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Local 1180 Fighting to Include ALL Health Care Workers in State's Bonus Program
City Leave Policy Regarding Monkeypox 2022 Effective Aug. 9 2022
This document sets forth City leave policy with respect to City employees to mitigate the risk of the spread of Monkeypox in the workplace. Symptoms of Monkeypox may include:
A new or unexpected rash or sores that may look like pimples or blisters that appear anywhere on the body, such as the hands, feet, trunk, or face, or around or inside the mouth, genitals, or anus.
The rash and sores go through different stages before healing completely. A person may be contagious until all the sores have healed and a new layer of skin has formed over the sores, which can take two to four weeks.
To read the General Policy Concerning Attendance of Employees in the Workplace and the Leave Policy, CLICK HERE >>
Statement from CWA on the
Mass Shooting at Tops Supermarket in Buffalo
Once again Black people in our country have been targeted and traumatized by a violent white supremacist. Ten people were killed, three wounded, and millions terrorized in this racially motivated attack. While this hate is senseless, it reflects a history of structural and systemic racism which has been given new energy by online communities that promote conspiracy theories, television personalities who legitimize them, and politicians who exploit them. This suffering must end. Mass shootings - at our workplaces, at our schools, at our churches and other gathering places - have become commonplace in the United States. We mourn the dead, and we recommit ourselves to the fight to dismantle racism.
President Gloria Middleton is also a Diversity Member at Large at CWA. On behalf of the entire Executive Board and the members, she extends her condolences to all those who have been impacted by this tragedy.
Success in June 28 Primary: All Local 1180-Endorsed Candidates Win
Local 1180-endorsed candidates for statewide races and Assembly seats representing the five boroughs all won their primary races June 28. Voters across New York cast ballots Tuesday in several statewide races, including the governor’s race. Come the November General Election, it will be Gov. Kathy Hochul facing off against Republican challenger Lee Zeldin. Although nearly 13 million New Yorkers are registered to vote, according to the state's most recent election enrollment data, turnout was extremely low for the first of two primaries. Thanks to the state's redistricting challenges, there will be a second primary in August.
Local 1180 Interviewed on WBAI About NDWA Contract Talk Roadblocks
Despite a year-long attempt to negotiate a fair contract, National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), part of Communications Workers of America Local 1180, has run into repeated roadblocks by management that have stalled negotiations. Gloria Middleton, President of Local 1180, said that NDWA management was notified of workers’ desire to form a union at the end of June 2020. It wasn’t until Sept. 30, 2020, that management voluntarily recognized the unit. Six months later, workers began bargaining but management has pushed back with no transparency.
Read More > Listen to Radio Interview > See Negotiations Timeline >
In Other News
A Labor Day Like No Other
Sept. 4, 2023 | portside.org
Labor Day 2023 isn’t like Labor Day 2022. It isn’t like any Labor Day of the past half-century.
The reason is simple: Labor law has changed.
Two Fridays ago, the National Labor Relations Board restored a good deal of labor law to its original purpose of enabling workers to bargain collectively for better pay and working conditions.
Treasury Department Releases First-Of-Its-Kind Report on Benefits of Unions to the U.S. Economy
Aug. 28, 2023
The Treasury Department just released its most comprehensive-ever look at the role labor unions play in the American economy with a new report by the Department’s Office of Economic Policy. The report represents one of the more than 70 actions implemented by the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, chaired by Vice President Harris. The report finds that unions play an important role in addressing longstanding challenges faced by the middle class – including stagnant wages, high housing costs, and reduced intergenerational mobility. In doing so, unions contribute to a more robust and resilient economy.
Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan
Aug. 11, 2023
Judge Frank issued an order in the case brought by certain retirees challenging the implementation of the Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. As you will recall, the Judge had previously issued a preliminary injunction preventing the plan from moving forward. There had been some concern about whether the City could appeal directly from the issuance of a preliminary injunction.
As indicated in his decision, the City’s lawyers obtained the agreement of the retiree group to have the Court issue a final order without any further briefing or proceeding to expedite the matter. The Court made no new findings. This decision allows the City to move forward with an appeal more expeditiously. In essence, this decision does not substantively change the status of Medicare Advantage. The City has indicated its intention to move quickly to appeal.
NLRB Ruling Makes it Easier for Unions to Organize
Aug. 26, 2023 | businessinsider.com
It's about to get harder for bosses to use illegal union busting to try to stall worker organizing. In a new ruling, the National Labor Relations Board outlined what will happen now if employers try illegal union-busting activity. If workers want a union, and employers use illegal tactics in the run-up to a union election that could compromise the election — like firing union organizers, or retaliating against workers engaging in protected union activities — the new rules say workers no longer have to hold a fresh election. Workers will instead automatically get their union and employers will have to bargain with them. READ MORE >>
4 Tips to Protect Yourself from Summer Cyber Scams
from NYCERS
Summer is here, which means cybercriminals are ramping up their efforts to trick you into sharing your personal information. Here are four ways to protect yourself. READ MORE >>
New York to Pay $13 Million Over Police Actions at George Floyd Protests
June 20, 2023 | nytimes.com
The city settled a major class-action lawsuit that said unlawful police tactics had violated the rights of more than 1,000 people who protested after Mr. Floyd’s killing. READ MORE >>
Air Quality Health Advisory
June 7, 2023
The Air Quality Health Advisory issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is expected to continue to midnight Thursday night or longer. In view of the continuing worsening air quality throughout the City, Agency Heads may permit employees assigned to indoor work to leave early where operationally feasible, without charge to leave balances. Employees who remain until their scheduled departure time should continue to limit any outdoor exposure. Employees who are required to work outdoors must be provided with high-quality masks upon request (e.g. N95 or KN95), and their exposure to the outdoors should be limited to the performance of their essential functions.
Poor conditions are expected to continue tomorrow, June 8, 2023. Agency Heads in their discretion may allow employees to telework on June 8 where operationally feasible. In cases where an employee cannot telework but does not wish to report to work, annual leave or compensatory time may be used. Employees may also use sick leave for the care and treatment of themselves if they become ill due to the poor air quality. In cases where an employee has no applicable leave balances, leave will be advanced for this purpose.
Consistent with Continuity of Government objectives, Agency Continuity of Operations Plans (“COOP”), employees who are unable to telework may be directed to report to authorized alternative work sites, to work alternative schedules, or to change work assignments to allow for indoor work.
The above policy applies to employees who are covered by the “Leave Regulations for Employees who are Under the Career and Salary Plan,” including employees who are serving in original jurisdiction positions, and employees who are covered by the “Leave Regulations for Management Employees.”
NYS Helps Public Employees With Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation to expand and simplify public employee access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The law establishes uniformity around what qualifies as full-time employment for the purposes of accessing PSLF and allows public service employers to certify employment on behalf of workers.
Health Insurers Kill Medicare Plan Change City-Job Retirees Railed Against
July 19, 2022 | BY SAM MELLINS, NEW YORK FOCUS
With a lawsuit slowing things down, insurers Elevance Health and Empire BlueCross BlueShield have pulled out of a controversial deal to change retired municipal employees’ Senior Care to a privately run plan “given the level of uncertainty at this time.”
New York City’s years-long effort to shift retired city workers to a cost-cutting health care plan was dealt a major blow Monday when the insurer in charge of running the plan announced that it is withdrawing from the deal. The plan — which the city and municipal unions hoped would save $600 million a year in health care costs — would have been run by the Retiree Health Alliance, a partnership between health insurance companies Elevance Health, previously known as Anthem, and Empire BlueCross BlueShield. READ MORE >>
June 24, 2022 | npr.org
The Supreme Court of the United States struck down a New York handgun-licensing law on June 23, 2022, that required New Yorkers who want to carry a handgun in public to show a special need to defend themselves. The 6-3 ruling is the court’s first significant decision on gun rights in more than a decade. In a far-reaching ruling, the court made clear that the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right “to keep and bear arms” protects a broad right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense. READ MORE >>
June 24, 2022 | npr.org
In a historic and far-reaching decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion that's been upheld for 50 years no longer exists. READ MORE >>
AOC Wants 2 SCOTUS Justices Impeached for "Lying Under Oath" About Stance on Abortion
June 27, 2022 | nytimes.com
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling for an investigation into whether two Supreme Court justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh, who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade should be impeached for lying at their confirmation hearings about their views of the landmark abortion-rights case. READ MORE >>
Courts Toss State's New District Maps
April 27, 2022 | cityandstateny.com
The long redistricting saga in New York will only continue, as the Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that deemed newly drawn state Senate and congressional maps unconstitutional. READ MORE >>
NEW UPDATE to The NYC Medicare Advantage Plus Plan
Medicare Advantage Plus Plan Will NOT Take Effect April 1
On Friday, March 4, 2022, the City of New York filed an appeal of the Court's ruling that allowed the Medicare Advantage Plus Plan to go forward but required the City to provide Senior Care without any cost to retirees. Given the uncertainty caused by the Court’s ruling, and the appeal made by the City, the decision has been made that the Medicare Advantage Plus Plan will not commence on April 1, 2022. This means that all retirees will remain in their current Plan until further action is taken.
The Office of Labor Relations has now posted the following on its website >>
