Mayor Adams Announces Agreements With DC 37, CWA Local 1180 To Provide Flexible Work, Pay Increases To Over 1,000 911 Operators, Supervisors

January 22, 2024

Agreements to Offer Three-or Four-Day Workweeks to 911 Operators and Supervisors

New Work Flexibility and Increased Pay Will Help Improve Employee Retention and Continue to

Deliver High-Quality Emergency Response Services to New Yorkers

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion today announced agreements with District Council 37 (DC 37) and Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1180, collectively representing over 1,000 911 operators and their supervisors. In two years, and less than a year after its first agreement with DC 37, the Adams administration has successfully negotiated contracts with unions representing more than 93 percent of the city’s workforce and 100 percent of the city’s uniformed workforce — the quickest any mayoral administration has reached that milestone in modern city history.  The city has also reached agreements with the entire uniformed workforce under the Adams administration.

“When New Yorkers are in crisis, our 911 operators are the first of our first responders to support their fellow New Yorkers. And as we work to ensure New York City remains the safest big city in America, it is essential that these workers are paid fairly with good benefits,” said Mayor Adams. “By allowing our 911 operators to work a more flexible schedule, this contract will build morale, enable us to retain the best talent, and help these essential workers better assist New Yorkers during emergencies. I want to thank my friend, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, and CWA Local 1180 President Gloria Middleton for their partnership, as well as our team, led by OLR Commissioner Renee Campion.”

“Our 911 operators are an absolutely vital link in a complex chain of first responders who proudly protect New York City’s residents, workers, and visitors,” said New York City Police Department Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “The significance of their work cannot be overstated because 911 is more than just a telephone number — it is a lifeline. Every day and night — approximately nine million times a year — our 911 operators are on the other end of that line when people call for assistance. They simultaneously assure callers that help is on the way, and they quickly convey accurate, timely, and reliable information to emergency personnel on the streets. With this contract settled, our nation’s finest police department can continue to do the work it has long been known for: strengthening relationships in every neighborhood while fighting crime and keeping our great city safe.”

“We are proud to have reached an agreement with DC 37 and CWA Local 1180 that provides important work flexibility for their members and seeks to improve the reliability of 911 operations,” said OLR Commissioner Campion. “This agreement demonstrates the progress we can make when labor and management work together, and I’m grateful to DC 37 Executive Director Garrido and CWA Local 1180 President Middleton for their partnership in negotiating this agreement and Mayor Adams for his support.”

“Our 911 operators are the first point of contact when New Yorkers face the worst moments of their lives, and they sacrifice so much for our city day in and day out,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “We fought to provide fair compensation, overtime limits, and additional relief for our members in these negotiations, and we thank Mayor Adams for working with us to fix these inequities.”

“Most of our members in the title of principal police communications technician told us they were already working a 40-hour week despite only being paid for 35 in their base salary,” said CWA Local 1180 President Gloria Middleton. “Instead of comp time for those five hours of overtime, this new deal with the city provides the higher compensation they deserve and allows them the opportunity to work a compressed week that could better suit their families. We are glad the city worked with us expeditiously to resolve the matter.”

By providing better work flexibility and increased pay for workers, these agreements will support employee retention and enhance the reliability and efficiency of the city’s emergency service systems.

The agreements will launch a pilot program offering three-or four-day workweeks to all 911 operators and their supervisors, building on a previous pilot program that offered a compressed workweek to a limited group of DC 37 employees. The pilot program includes sick leave procedures on seven designated critical response days where worker absences tend to be higher.

Starting this year, and every year thereafter, the DC 37 agreement provides eligible 911 operators and their supervisors a recruitment, retention, and attendance incentive in the form of a semi-annual $5,000 bonus — a total of $10,000 per year. The bonus was funded by the DC 37 equity fund that was part of the 2021-2026 DC 37 Memorandum of Agreement announced in February 2023.

The CWA Local 1180 agreement provides for salary increases of 14 percent annually for 911 supervisors, as well as a 40-hour workweek, up from 35 hours.