I have been getting far too many inquires about how much lump sum retro payments are we getting this October? Unfortunately, the answer is we are not getting any retro lump sum payments this year. That's right, despite the City having a 6 billion dollar surplus,our union drank the City Kool-ade of having no money and agreed to skip the 2016 retro lump sum payment to 2017 to save the City money.
This is not the only thing that our union leadership decided to put the City's interests ahead of their members. They allowed the City to extend our contract 45 days to pay for all the larger than expected retirements in June 2014 rather than have the City use their budget surplus. Moreover, they agreed to give a vastly inferior contract of a 10% raise for 7.12 years or a 1.40% yearly increase in our base pay and made enemies of many of our fellow unions, especially the uniformed unions who realized it became a "City pattern"and were stuck with a contract short on money and long on years. In addition, our health benefits became more expensive with just about all co-payments rose dramatically and using a hospital emergency room becoming prohibitive. Finally, our union was the only one to allow "givebacks" that made ATRs second class citizens with reduced due process rights.
If you want your retro lump sum payments in the future than please don't do the following. Resign, get terminated, take a leave without pay for that year (including maternity leave), or die. Please read my "winners and losers" post. It certainly appears that our union leadership care more about what's best for the City than what's best for our their members. So remember, when you get your October 15th 2016 check and it doesn't include any retro money money, that's because, our union leadership cared more about what the City wanted then their own members.and that's why you are not getting a lump sum retro payment this year.