Contract Update

On August 22, 2012 New York City District Council of Carpenters delegates voted overwhelmingly to approve a new five-year contract with the Association of Wall-Ceiling and Carpentry Industries , a major step towards ending a protracted labor saga that has left carpenters without a contract for 15 months.

The proposed agreement that the delegates approved by a vote of 60 to 26, includes "full mobility," a controversial clause that allows contractors to hire union members without official referrals from the out-of -work list.

Because the "full mobility" clause represents a change to the hiring ratios (67% - 33%) mandated in a May 2009 federal court order, it will have to be approved by the court. The union's federal-appointed monitor, Review Officer (RO) Dennis Walsh, and the U.S. Attorney's Office must also approve the deal, which includes that the employers and District Council "must develop an appropriate compliance program."

Since the delegate vote, the Bilello administration has been working with a vendor to develop an "appropriate compliance program" that will require stewards to report carpenters time by logging into a District Council database through the use of a computer provided by the employer.

It is expected that a presentation of the program will be made to the RO and U.S. Attorney in early October. If the RO and U.S. Attorney approve the program, a provisional order would then be sought from the District Court (which would require close oversight and frequent reporting by the RO).