Hearing Officers (Per Session)

A Message From Your Chapter Leader

Dear Hearing Officers,

Many issues arose after the consolidation. The UFT requested that we conduct impact bargaining through the city Office of Labor Relations. On March 7, 2017, several of our colleagues, UFT representatives and I sat down across the table from management at 40 Rector St. in downtown Manhattan.

Although the parties disagreed on how the meeting would be labeled (impact bargaining or a labor/management meeting), we were successful in accomplishing the task at hand — coordinating with management to improve the current situation and addressing some of the issues stemming from the consolidation.

As a result of this meeting, the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings has agreed to make a sincere effort to produce our schedules for the following month by the 25th of the current month. Although receiving our schedules in a timely manner has been an issue since before we settled our contract, it seems to have become even more of an issue since the consolidation because of the complexity of the scheduling. We hope this promise from management will make a difference.

Second, OATH has agreed to maintain a list of hearing officers who are available to fill slots on an as-needed basis. If you would like your name added to the list, please email Amy Slifka, deputy commissioner at OATH, at aslifka@oath.nyc.gov, as well as the name of the borough(s) in which you prefer to work. Management has stated that it will consider these preferences in job assignments, but will not be bound by them. This is a step in the right direction. I urge all of you to submit your preferences to Ms. Slifka today!

Third, I would like to remind you to report all safety incidents/concerns at the tribunals to the UFT by using the online UFT safety incident report form so we can keep track of incidents and work toward a safer work environment.

Last but not least, effective May 1, 2017, the hourly rates increased to $47.56 and $51.27 for new hires and incumbents respectively. If you experienced a problem with your paycheck or receipt of this increase, please let me know. As always, I can be reached at sofia.balile@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Sofia Balile
Hearing Officers Chapter Leader

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