Judicial employees union calls for review of salaries

Amílcar Gerena Román, the president of the Judicial Employees Association, said a new compensation plan that was implemented for judicial branch employees in 2023 “adversely affected the salaries of our colleagues.”

By THE STAR STAFF

Amílcar Gerena Román, the president of the Judicial Employees Association, has called for a review of the classification plan for judicial branch employees to ensure their salaries are fair.

Recently, the Financial Oversight and Management Board approved a proposal from the Office of Human Resources Transformation and Management to review the salary scales for central government employees next year. In light of that proposal, Gerena Román has requested that judicial employees be treated equally with respect to their counterparts in the executive branch.

“A new compensation plan was implemented for judicial branch employees in 2023. However, this plan adversely affected the salaries of our colleagues,” Gerena Román said in a radio interview. “We are asking for a review of the new salary scales under equal conditions. We want to know if the employer intends to respond to this request, as the [oversight] board did with the state government. We seek to have the new salary scales reviewed in line with market conditions and implemented for judicial employees by 2026.”

If the salary scale adjustment is approved, a courtroom clerk could receive a raise of $278, while an assistant bailiff might see an average increase of $400. Additionally, a social worker could receive a raise of $550.

However, despite the information being provided by the judicial branch, the union leader stated that employees had not received any communication regarding the changes.

“This information is new to us. That’s why we are making our demands public; we need to ensure a level playing field,” Gerena Román said, emphasizing the secretive nature of the judicial branch regarding such matters. “We are public employees just like those in the executive branch. We represent the face of the courts. When citizens visit our judicial centers, they are greeted and assisted by secretaries and bailiffs who provide excellent service.”