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Remote Work Pilot Program will be extended for another year according to Mayor Eric Adams
March 18, 2025

Extension of Pilot Will Continue to Allow Eligible City Employees to Work Remotely Up to Two Days Per Week
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and District Council 37 (DC 37) Executive Director Henry Garrido today announced a one-year extension of the remote work pilot program previously agreed to by the city and DC 37 on May 31, 2023 and started on June 1, 2023. The agreement continues to allow eligible city employees to work remotely for up to two days per week — providing greater flexibility for city workers while ensuring the administration continues to achieve its mission of making New York City the best place to raise a family.
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Local 1180 Takes Top Honors in Labor Communications Media Contest
Nov. 2024

Local 1180 won six awards — including two top honors — in the International Labor Communications Association's (ILCA) 2024 Media Contest. Annually, ILCA hosts what is now the largest competition exclusively for labor journalists and communicators. This year, more than a 1,000 entries were submitted by unions that fall into two categories — national/international unions, federations, councils, and allied organizations; and local/regional/state federations, central/area labor councils, and allied organizations. ILCA award categories are in general excellence, visual communications, best multimedia campaign, writing, electronic media, best use of earned media, political action, and organizing.

ILCA also gives out Saul Miller Awards for writing and the Max Steinbock Award. The Saul Miller awards highlight excellent writing connected to the areas of organizing, collective bargaining, and political action. The Max Steinbock Award, ILCA’s highest award for journalistic excellence, is given in recognition of outstanding effort that explores an issue of concern to working families.

For the second year in a row, Local 1180 won the Max Steinbock Award, this year for the story “Local 1180 Program Helps Member Eliminate $236,610 in Student Loan Debt”. The union also won the Saul Miller Award for Organizing for “3 New Private Sector Shops Organize Into Local 1180 Family”.

Local 1180 took home four design awards:

Visual Communications: Best Design - Single-Issue Publication

Visual Communications: Best Informational Graphic

Visual Communications: Best Photo Essay or Gallery (2 awards)

Anthem Reaches Multi-Year Agreement with Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Dec. 23, 2024

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering reached a new multi-year agreement providing Anthem members with continued access to care at MSK hospital, outpatient care centers, and physician offices across New York and the surrounding area. With the new contract, members covered by Anthem employer-based health plans will have uninterrupted in-network access to MSK doctors and facilities. MSK will also remain in-network for Anthem’s Medicaid and Essential Plan health plan members. There will be no disruption in member treatment at MSK.

SCA Contract Unanimously Ratified

Dec. 2, 2024 - In accordance with the CWA Local 1180 Collective Bargaining Agreement with the School Construction Authority, new rates of pay will be in effect with the payroll dated Dec. 6, 2024. This payroll also includes the $3,000 lump-sum bonus, which has been added to your regular earnings for this period and is a pensionable item. SCA advised the Union that they anticipate paying retroactive monies at the end of January 2025. We will keep you updated as we receive more information regarding the retro pay.

Nov. 21, 2024 - Members who work for the School Construction Authority and are represented by CWA Local 1180 voted unanimously to approve the SCA contract. The Union is presently working with SCA in establishing pay-out dates. We will, of course, keep you updated via email and on our website as soon as we have any information.

December Contractual Raise Will Be Paid Jan. 17, 2025
Nov. 8, 2024

According to information received from OLR, the 3% contractual raise for members covered by the PAA et. al. contract due on Dec. 12,2024, is scheduled to be paid on Jan. 17, 2025.

Audubon Society Workers Reach Tentative Agreement for First Union Contract
Sept. 7, 2024

NEW YORK – Members of the Bird Union-CWA Local 1180 have reached a tentative agreement with their employer, the National Audubon Society, for a first union contract. This tentative agreement was reached after more than two years of negotiations, supported by mobilization of union members across the country. The contract will cover 260 union members represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

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Bird Union Brings Fight for Fair Pay to Women in Conservation Fundraiser
May 8, 2024

On May 8, 2024, the National Audubon Society hosted a luncheon in New York City to celebrate the achievements of women in the conservation movement. But members of the Bird Union (CWA Local 1180) gathered outside to highlight the organization’s systemic unequal pay for women and BIPOC employees, which makes it difficult for the next generation of women in conservation to build a successful and impactful career.

Union members have been negotiating with Audubon for more than two years without reaching an agreement for a fair first contract. In December, Audubon announced merit-based, discretionary annual raises for staff but withheld raises for union members.

Members of the Bird Union-CWA delivered a new report to Audubon leadership exposing systemic pay disparities. In one job category, white men on average make 13 percent more than white women and 16 percent more than BIPOC women.

“My merit-based salary increase and cost-of-living raise are being withheld for being a Union member,” said Emily Ohman, a Bird Union-CWA member from California. “If this was not disgraceful enough, I have to work a part-time job just to make ends meet. I have been food insecure for the totality of my time at this job and have experienced such extreme bouts of acute hunger that I have forgone meals for multiple days so I could afford to pay my bills. We’ve had enough of the discretionary pay raises that perpetuate unequal pay.”

To achieve equitable wages and a more sustainable workforce, union members are calling on Audubon to abandon its arbitrary and opaque system of discretionary pay increases ostensibly based on merit and instead commit to regular and equitable cost-of-living increases.

Take a stand with Bird Union activists, sign the petition for a fair contract!

Bird Union (CWA Local 1180) members rallied for pay equity in New York City.

New Local 1180 Benefit
Help on Filing Your Public Service Loan Forgiveness Application

In order to better help members understand the federal programs and determine if they qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), Local 1180 has partnered with the National Student Debt Forgiveness Center, which will offer members a one-hour, free consultation to review all student loans, determine eligibility in all loan forgiveness programs, and provide a personalized analysis and guidance on how to proceed. This benefit is for all active, dues-paying members, their spouses and children, as well as retirees.

With the new federal plan, the U.S. Department of Education will forgive up to $20,000 in outstanding student debt for borrowers who received Pell Grants and up to $10,000 in student debt for those who with loans. He also extended the CARES Act student loan forbearance through Jan. 1, 2023. Those who earned less than $125,000, and couples who earned up to $250,000, in years 2020 and 2021 only, qualify for student debt relief. The Department of Education has income information on file for about 8 million borrowers who may qualify to have their college debt canceled automatically. Other borrowers will have to apply using a new, simplified application that is in development. Loan forgiveness will not be treated as taxable income.

Students currently enrolled in college who have student loans, and parents with Parent PLUS loans, are eligible to apply for student debt forgiveness. Borrowers with outstanding undergraduate loans can apply to cap their student loan payments at 5% of their monthly income. The pause on direct student loan payments, interest accrual, and collection activity on direct student loans in default will remain in place through Jan. 1, 2023, when payments will resume. The administration has indicated this would be the final payment pause extension.

PSLF forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after having made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working at least 30 hours per week for certain employers, including cities, counties, states, governments, and 501 (c)(3) non-profits. This includes all Local 1180 members working for the city of New York and private sector members working for not-for-profits. The goal of PSLF is to lower monthly payments, shorten loan terms, and provide tax-free forgiveness after 10 years of payments.

CLICK HERE to fill out an application
CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE consultation

In Other News

Statement from CWA Social Media

Beginning May 7, 2025, Real or Enhanced ID Required for Domestic Air Travel

Protect Yourself From Tax Scams
Feb. 12, 2024

Tax season is here again and with it, new and creative ways for scammers to take advantage of honest taxpayers. The following are some of the most popular scams this year and tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

NYS Helps Public Employees With Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation to expand and simplify public employee access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The law establishes uniformity around what qualifies as full-time employment for the purposes of accessing PSLF and allows public service employers to certify employment on behalf of workers.

PSLF is a federal program that incentivizes public service work by canceling a portion of borrowers' federal student loans. The program requires borrowers to be full-time employees of an eligible public service employer and make 120 qualifying payments towards their student loan, after which the remainder of their federal student loan debt is forgiven. Any student loan debt that is forgiven under this program will not be subject to tax under New York State tax law.

The new law (Chapter 562) addresses barriers to accessing PSLF by:

Clarifying the legal definitions of key terms such as, "certifying employment," "employee," "full-time," "public service employer," "public service loan forgiveness form," and "Public service loan forgiveness program;"
Setting a standard hourly threshold for full-time employment at 30 hours per week for the purposes of accessing PSLF and clarifying standardized prep time to be included in such calculation for faculty and teachers; and
Allowing public service employers to certify employment on behalf of individuals or groups of employees directly with the U.S. Department of Education.