May 28, 2021

CBA Information

Dear DIA Member:

I am writing to inform you that the Detective Investigators Association (“DIA”) and the City of New York (“City”) reached agreement on a contract for the 43-month period spanning June 19, 2019 – January 18, 2023. Enclosed for your review with this cover letter is a CBA information sheet. Since we are still mired in the COVID-19 Pandemic and the DIA will not be able to conduct in-person information meetings to explain the contract, I took the time to highlight the focal points of the contract in this cover letter.

First, the pattern for this round of bargaining was already established by a number of labor unions that struck deals prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The round of bargaining was then interrupted by the economic impact of widespread shutdowns during the Pandemic. For approximately an entire year, the City took the position that it had no ability to bargain on labor contracts due to financial uncertainty. Upon the change in leadership in Washington D.C. following the 2020 Presidential election, New York State and New York City received funds in the form of a federal government stimulus package. Upon receipt of the stimulus, the City communicated to the DIA that it had a limited window to bargain on labor contracts before the stimulus funds run out.

Accordingly, the DIA, being out of contract since June 2019, proceeded to negotiate the contract with the City. The DIA insisted that the City honor the pre-Pandemic pattern in any negotiation with the DIA. I am happy to report that the DIA did in fact successfully bargain for the pre-Pandemic pattern plus two no cost additional funding pieces. The pattern is laid out in full in the CBA information sheet. The two additional no cost funding pieces are the April 19, 2021 General Wage Increase (“GWI”) of .25% and the April 19, 2020 $559 increase to 10-year longevity to raise the overall 10-year longevity step to $2,059 (both additional funding pieces will be paid retro in lump sum payments, as will all other GWIs for retro periods, as described in full in the CBA information sheet).

The DIA firmly believes that both additional funding pieces reach as many DIA members as possible. The .25% GWI applies to all DIA members and is rolled into base wages. The City only agreed to put one additional funding piece directly into GWIs, so the DIA applied the second additional funding piece to the next best thing to reach as many DIA members as possible, 10-year longevity. The vast majority of all incumbent DIA members will reach the 10-year longevity step either by the end of this contract in 2023 or shortly thereafter.

The DIA felt it was of paramount importance to close this round of bargaining before the City’s stimulus funds were spent and gone. The years 2020 and 2021 have taught us all that no financial future can be considered certain. Additionally, the DIA hopes to be right back at the table again when this contract closes, which is a very short time away already – January 2023. Accordingly, the DIA wanted to make sure it received every ounce of available value in this round of bargaining, and I firmly believe the contract before you delivers exactly that.

I do also want to inform you of a separate vote that will occur after ratification of the contract. As explained in the CBA information sheet, DIA members will have an opportunity to vote as a whole – majority wins – to opt-in or opt-out of the NYS Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) benefit. The DIA board has heard from members for quite some time that the DIA is missing an appropriate childcare/bonding benefit. PFL provides a childcare/bonding benefit along with leave to care for a family member or for impending military leave of a family member, all in exchange for one small payroll deduction. The PFL vote will place the decision in the hands of the DIA’s members. Should the majority vote yes then the PFL benefit will be available to ALL DIA members, should the majority vote no then the PFL benefit will not be available to anyone during this contract period. After successful ratification of the contract, you will receive full informational materials regarding the PFL opt-in/opt-out vote.

I believe the informational materials provided in this packet will allow all DIA members to make an informed decision before filling out their contract ballot. However, especially since the Pandemic has prevented in-person meetings for this round of bargaining, I invite any DIA member who has lingering questions prior to submitting a ballot to contact the DIA board or me directly.

Yours in solidarity,

Jack Freck
DIA President

DOWNLOAD CBA INFORMATION SHEET