1. What does the union mean for me and my colleagues?

As the City Council’s staff union, ALE has as its top priority supporting and representing our co-workers. Our union status immediately provides ALL Council Member Aides and Finance Analysts with additional rights on the job. 

 

All Council Member Aides & Finance Analysts are protected by:

 

• ALE’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, or “Contract,” which was ratified on April 14th, 2024.

 

• Weingarten Rights – the right to union representation in any discussion with management that could lead to you being disciplined or terminated.

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• Right to Challenge a "Change to General Terms of Employment." Our most basic terms of employment --such as pay, full or part-time status, and benefits-- cannot be changed unilaterally. This means without negotiating with the union.

 

Click here to learn more about your rights!

 

Now that City Council staff have built their own union, you have ALE in your corner and we can work together on a solution. If you have a workplace question or issue, reach out to ALE at nyccouncilunion@gmail.com.

 

2. Who’s in the union at Council?

Currently, ALE is the exclusive bargaining representative for Council Member Aides, Finance Analysts, and Senior Finance Analysts. We are in active discussions with other titles who seek to join ALE. Please contact us if someone you know in another job title at the Council is interested in unionization.

 

3. Why should I become a member of ALE?

Membership means you have a say in all union matters which means you have a say in your workplace. This includes electing union leadership and our contract bargaining committee, helping to determine our priorities as a union and within our next contract, ratifying our contracts, and more.

 

If you want a say about salaries & raises, overtime compensation, disciplinary procedures, protection from bullying and harassment, hybrid work, and other critical workplace issues, we welcome you to become a member of your union!

 

4. Am I automatically a union member?

No, but we hope all Council Member Aides and Finance Analysts will decide to join ALE. Click here to sign-up, and read on for information about how dues are calculated and paid. Union membership does not affect your terms and conditions of employment, but only ALE members may participate in the internal life of the union.

 

5. What is included in our first contract?

ALE extensively surveyed staff to determine our negotiation objectives, and our contract bargaining committee was elected by union membership. 

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Read about our new contract here!

 

Compensation and benefits were a top priority. ALE secured long-needed improvements in salaries, almost doubling the minimum salary for Council Member Aides. We also won guaranteed annual salary increases for all bargaining unit members (Member Aides & Finance Analysts) until 2026.

 

Because our first contract was retroactive to 2021, many staff were entitled to more than 1 year of salary increases and retroactive pay. All told, ALE won $2.9 million in additional staff wages in 2024 alone. We also won compensatory time for extra hours worked -- the first time Member Aides had access to such a policy.

 

Prior to this contract, Member Aides and Finance Analysts could be fired on the spot, for no reason. ALE secured a multi-step disciplinary process & protection from termination without cause for all bargaining unit members, except chiefs of staff. 

 

Possible demands for future contracts may include new health and safety policies, additional mechanisms for addressing bullying & harassment in the workplace, provisions for hybrid & remote work, support for caregivers, and more.

 

6. What are the dues?

Being a union member entails a dues contribution each pay period. Your dues are paid automatically via the City's payroll deduction system. One month of dues must be paid in order to run or vote in union elections. 

 

ALE members unanimously approved the dues rate in October 2021. After careful study of other unions’ dues rates, we adopted rates that are substantially lower, approximately one-third of what other professionals pay to public employee unions in New York City. This is one of the benefits of being an independent union. 

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The following are the adopted dues rates:

• 0.8% of annual gross salary for staff earning $49,999 and under 

• 1% of annual gross salary for staff earning $50,000 or more

 

Examples:

• Staffer A: $45,000 salary x 0.008 dues rate = $360 annually / 26 pay periods = $13.85 per pay period x 2 pay periods = $27.70 will be due monthly.

• Staffer B: $60,000 salary x 0.01 dues rate = $600 annually / 26 pay periods = $23.08 per pay period x 2 pay periods = $46.16 will be due monthly.

 

7. What are dues for?

In particular, member dues support legal representation, which is critical to protecting all staff and negotiating strong union contracts. Legal support was essential in our successful fight to establish ALE, advance stronger health and safety policies during the pandemic, and win higher salaries and job protections. 

 

Now that Council staff have won their first contract, ALE's attorney is playing a central role in ensuring that the terms of the contract are honored, and defending union members with a variety of workplace issues. 

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Member dues also pay for technology, accounting, insurance, communications, and member services expenses as we build our union. Our dues rates are low relative to other public employee unions in New York City, thanks to remaining unaffiliated from a parent union and being fiercely frugal with expenses. Until recently, ALE has been an all-volunteer organization. Moving forward, we need resources to enforce our first contract, and negotiate the next one. 

 

8. What’s in the Constitution?

Following ten deliberative meetings between May 2020 and August 2021, the Constitution Committee unanimously recommended our Constitution, which was written by staff. ALE members voted unanimously to adopt the Constitution in October 2021. You can read the Constitution here: https://bit.ly/ALEconstitution.

• Equity@ALE: For a summary of ALE’s emphasis on equity and how we apply it in practice, please see the Equity Summary here: https://bit.ly/ALEequity.

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9. How did ALE respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?

We had not yet won our first contract but ALE continually pressed the Speaker’s Office regarding COVID health and safety issues at Council headquarters and in the 51 Council district offices. We successfully delayed the return of Central Staff to 250 Broadway, blocked the Council's attempt to end hybrid flexibility for Central Staff, advocated for paid hours for staff who receive vaccination boosters, and demanded better communication from the Council to employees regarding safety measures.

 

This is a reflection of our determined health and safety campaign so far, but there are still important changes we need to see. Council Member Aides have no hybrid flexibility, unless it is provided by their individual Council Member. Insufficient communication and support for staff in District Offices remains a pressing issue. ALE wants the City Council to be a safe place for all staff and the public.  We are pressing for:

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• Hybrid flexibility for all Member Aides – with the option of working remotely at least 2 days per week.

• Clearly designated Site Safety Monitor in every Member office — to facilitate Council oversight of COVID safety compliance, especially in district offices. 

• Contingent on rising COVID-19 case numbers, resumption of mask requirement for all Council offices and public spaces, including the Chambers and hearing rooms. Requirement to be consistently and clearly communicated.

• For healthy workplaces --

  • Regular provision of test kits to Council staff to facilitate testing before reporting to work in-person.

  • Time off so staff can obtain their COVID boosters. 

  • Funding from the Speaker’s Office for regular district office cleanings.

• Direct communication from the Council -- not individual Council Members -- to Member Aides regarding safety measures for both the District Offices and 250 Broadway.

• A clear system to report COVID cases and receive urgent updates. 

• Consistent and clearly communicated protocols for non-staff/members of the public in all Council offices, including district offices.

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Want to be part of ALE's advocacy on health & safety? Email us at nyccouncilunion@gmail.com.

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10. How can I get more involved?

With both union certification and our first contract successfully completed, we are now in an important transition period where we are building ALE’s infrastructure. (And negotiations for our next contract will be here before we know it!)

 

There are a range of important roles that we need members to step into for a strong union. Learn more here!

• Become a Union Steward in your office to serve as a bridge between ALE and staff. Sign up here.

• Participate in the October 2024 ALE Leadership Elections, as a voter and/or candidate.

• Join the ALE Membership or Solidarity Committees. 

• Help support one of our ongoing projects: social media outreach, tracking workplace issues, building a resume bank for Member Aide job transitions, drafting anti-harassment and other by-laws for our Constitution, and more!

• Run for the next Contract Bargaining Committee.

 

Most importantly, we hope you will join our historic new union of, by, and for staff at the City Council. Submit your membership card today!

Questions? Just email ALE at nyccouncilunion@gmail.com.

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