Groundbreaking Victory for Puerto Rico’s Rehabilitation Employees

September 26, 2006

September 26, 2006

Seven months of arduous contractual negotiations paid off for Puerto Rico’s Rehabilitation Employees Union, Local 3251 (Servidores Publicos Unidos/Council 95). The unit’s members, who work for the island’s Vocational Rehabilitation Administration, are now operating under an exceptional three-year contract, which includes wage hikes, productivity bonuses and increased benefits.

“Our negotiation was extremely successful, especially if we look at the fiscal situation that Puerto Rico is going through, where only a few months ago we had a government shutdown that left thousands of people temporarily unemployed,” says Local 3251 Pres. Jose Ramirez Montalvo.

The agreement, which was ratified after garnering a 98 percent favorable vote among the unit’s 805 eligible voters, establishes a $100 per month wage increase as of Oct. 1, 2006, and two more $100 monthly hikes in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The contract also raises the employers’ share of medical benefits from $100 per employee per month to $150 a month for the next two years and $160 a month during the third year.

“This is in all likelihood the best possible contract we could get,” adds Ramirez Montalvo after the end of negotiations. The previous contract expired on June 30.

Rehabilitation employees will receive additional lost time pay for union activities, productivity bonuses ranging from $150 to $350 per activity, and contract ratification bonuses of $100 to $130 depending on the employee’s rank and years of service.

This agreement is the first contract negotiated and ratified by SPU since the fiscal crisis and the government shutdown that affected Puerto Rico during the first two weeks of May.