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
Bargaining Update 8 - SIGN THE PETITION!
BARGAINING UPDATE 8
December 4, 2023
Thank you for all you have done to raise our visibility around the NYU community. Our contract is extended only until December 15 and the next two weeks will be intense with bargaining sessions scheduled almost daily.
Many of you have asked what more you can do to turn up the heat on NYU. Today we are launching a petition to NYU President Linda Mills making our case for higher wages that reflect the value of our work. ALL UCATS members who want higher wages and better terms and conditions of employment should sign the petition. Then ask the faculty, students, administrators, family and friends in your circle to sign as well.
Click here to read/sign THE PETITION.
Click here to download a flyer with a QR code to the petition that you can print out to share with your community of colleagues/family/friends. Share this email with your UCATS colleagues to be sure they have seen it.
Your UCATS Bargaining Team
Bargaining Update 7
Bargaining Update 7
November 30, 2023
We had another bargaining session with NYU on Tuesday and our bargaining team had a strategic planning meeting last night after work.
On Monday we are launching a petition to turn up the heat on NYU. In the meantime, please keep wearing buttons and displaying posters/stickers. We have plenty of buttons/stickers/posters if you need more.
The next bargaining session with NYU will be on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
We are still far apart on wages and of course, NYU wants changes to our health insurance. A health insurance expert from New York State United Teachers is advising our team on counterproposals and he will be joining us at our next bargaining session.
The contract extension that was set to expire today has been extended again to December 15. Between the 5th and the 15th we have almost daily bargaining sessions scheduled.
Stay tuned . . .
Bargaining Update 6
Bargaining Update 6
November 21, 2023
On behalf of the UCATS Executive Council I want to wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving.
We’ve been busy this past week continuing our work to get you the contract you deserve. Last Wednesday, we were out in front of Bobst Library with our newest signs inviting people to take photos and post them to their social media. If you took some photos you’d like to share please send them to stephen.ucats3882@gmail.com.
Then on Thursday, several of us took some PTO to join Starbucks workers who went on strike at the Astor Place Manhattan store from 9-11am. While we weren’t the star of the show, you can see our signs prominently in the following news posts:
Yahoo Finance,
Youtube,
Instagram
AM New York
Reuters
Vice News on Plex!
And of course, we are still bargaining. We had a bargaining session last Tuesday and we are bargaining again today. We’ve made some progress but are still far apart on our biggest issues. We will continue bargaining next week and we have some additional actions planned to keep the pressure on NYU. We will be in touch about that next week. Until then, enjoy your holiday.
Bargaining Update 5
Bargaining Update 5
November 14, 2023
Last Thursday (Nov. 9), NYU proposed an economic package that fails to recognize the work we’ve done since the COVID-19 pandemic began and fails to account for the dramatic rise in the cost of living. They also proposed increases to our share of health insurance costs including plan design changes, without offering any justification for their demands. The onerous health care givebacks they’ve demanded and the meager wage increases they have proposed are pure corporate greed and demonstrate how little they value our work. We had another bargaining session this morning and we are pushing back!
To fight for the compensation UCATS members need and deserve, we need you to keep up the pressure by wearing UCATS buttons and displaying our posters and stickers.
Additionally, we will be tabling in front of Bobst Library tomorrow (Wednesday) from 12-2 with our UAW partners and it will be a social media event (hint hint) for you to post on your Twitter/Tiktok/Instagram/
Stop by and take some photos.
Bargaining Update 4
Bargaining Update 4
October 30, 2023
Our contract was set to expire on October 31 – tomorrow – but last week we signed a contract extension with NYU through November 30.
The ball has been in NYU’s court to respond to all the proposals we’ve made for substantial wage increases, more access to remote work, more flexible paid time off and many other enhancements. We’ve spent a lot of time explaining why we need and deserve all the things we’ve proposed, but NYU has not responded to anything yet. They said they will respond this week. We hope to have more information to share with you next week.
To help get the best possible contract, now is the time to be union proud and visible so NYU knows YOU expect them to deliver! We still have plenty of UCATS buttons/stickers/posters to show your union support. If you still haven’t gotten yours – WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Bargaining Update 3
Bargaining Update 3
October 23, 2023
You make the difference in helping us achieve a fair contract. Thanks to all of you who are doing that by visibly showing NYU your support for all the improvements we’re talking about at the bargaining table. Besides what they have heard from your bargaining team at the 5 bargaining sessions we’ve had since September 20th, NYU needs to see and hear it from you!
The enthusiasm of so many members displaying UCATS buttons, stickers and posters on your personal items, in your workstations and on public bulletin boards in your work areas is very encouraging. If you aren’t seeing UCATS visibility in your area yet, reach out to your shop steward or our Mobilization Coordinator, Rob Lesko, at rleskonyc@gmail.com, and he will work with you on the best way to get buttons/stickers/posters to you and your colleagues.
Our website, ucats3882.org, is also a resource for do-it-yourself UCATS visibility. In our Bargaining Bulletin 1 we have links to 8.5 x 11 posters you can print out and in Bargaining Bulletin 2 you can grab an image of one of our 3 UCATS email sign-offs.
In addition to our work at the bargaining table, last Monday UCATS participated in a teach-in for students sponsored by CLAWS – Coalition for Labor Action by Workers and Students at NYU – which was attended by over 50 students who heard presentations from all of the NYU campus unions as well as a representative from Starbucks Workers United. Last Tuesday we also joined CLAWS outside the Linda Mills inauguration to demand that NYU recognize the Contract Faculty Union, respect the terms of the Adjunct Faculty Contract that was ratified just last year and, of course, to demand a fair contract for UCATS members.
In some ways this is the most difficult time for all of us as we wait for NYU to make substantive responses to all the important issues we’ve been discussing at the bargaining table. We have more bargaining sessions scheduled this week and next week. Stay tuned.
Bargaining Update 2
BARGAINING UPDATE 2
October 12, 2023
Tuesday we had our 4th bargaining session with NYU and we have more bargaining sessions scheduled. It is still too early in the process to report anything specific since NYU has mostly just listened so far. We’re making a strong case at the bargaining table for all the things you and other UCATS members identified in the contract survey.
You can help achieve the best possible contract by displaying UCATS stickers and posters in your work area. We will also have UCATS buttons available next week for you and your co-workers to wear. Contact your union steward or our Mobilization Coordinator Rob Lesko (rleskonyc@gmail.com) for stickers/posters/buttons. Please include your work address and the best phone number to be reached. It will also help immensely if you will take a few extra to distribute to your colleagues. We’ll get more in the new contract if NYU sees UCATS members throughout the University visibly supporting the things we’re proposing at the table.
Next Monday, October 16, UCATS will be presenting at the CLAWS sponsored student teach-in along with the other unions on campus. CLAWS is the Coalition for Labor Action by Workers and Students at NYU. We will provide the students with our stickers/posters/buttons for them to display in their campus club offices which will amplify our visibility effort.
Another way you can show your union support is by affixing one of these images below to your sign-off on the emails you send.
In solidarity,
Stephen Rechner
President, UCATS
UCATS Swag
Show your union pride in your workspace and around campus!
UCATS has FREE! buttons, stickers and posters. Put them on a jacket or backpack/tote that you carry regularly.
Just ask a UCATS steward or officer, or email our Mobilization Coordinator Rob Lesko at rleskonyc@gmail.com.
You can also print 8.5 x 11 color posters right here:
Poster-NYU Doesn’t Work Without Us
Poster-We Provide Essential Services
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.
Do not use your NYU email address
What every member needs to know.
Officers
Stephen Rechner
President
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.
- NYSUT Member Benefits
- AFT Member Benefits
- NEA Member Benefits
- AFL-CIO Member Benefits
- FREE Life Insurance and FREE Accidental Death/Dismemberment Insurance from NYSUT, AFT, NEA
- NYU $50,000 Life Insurance Plan Description
- NYU $50,000 Life Insurance Claim Form
- NYU $50.000 Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation Form
- NYU Planning for Retirement
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
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
