By The Star Staff
After 10 months of good faith negotiations, the municipal administration of San Juan and the Puerto Rican Union of Workers reached mutually acceptable terms that allowed them to sign a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The new CBA, which was signed Monday by the parties at a meeting at the San Juan Municipal Tower, went into force the same day and is valid for three years, until June 30, 2027.
The negotiation was touted on Tuesday by San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo as an important step for the benefit of the workers of San Juan resulting from a complete review of all the articles in the CBA. Likewise, the new pact is in line with the legal regulations in force under the Municipal Code of Puerto Rico. Specifically, the parties managed to negotiate 79 articles related to economic and non-economic aspects.
“In my administration, human capital is essential to carry out the first-order work that we are committed to doing,” Romero Lugo said. “As a sign of our commitment to and respect for the public servants of the capital city, yesterday we signed this new agreement, focused on improving their work environment and their quality of life, from a comprehensive public policy perspective, guaranteeing a healthy fiscal administration of public resources.”
Among the most important aspects, on the economic side, the new agreement guarantees wage increases for workers for the next three years. Specifically they will receive a $50 increase this month, another $60 increase in July 2025 and $75 in July 2026. In addition, it was agreed to reinstate the summer bonus in the amount of $200 and a CBA ratification bonus of $300 by the end of this month.
Similarly, benefits that were not contemplated in the previous CBA were agreed upon, such as the granting of full paid holidays on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, subject to the approval of the corresponding proclamation by the governor.
A new four-workday disaster leave was also established, in response to previous experiences such as with Hurricane Maria and other storms, to meet the needs of employees who have suffered the loss of their home or severe damage during duly declared disaster emergencies.
In administrative terms, among the most important achievements is that the parties agreed to standardize the process of complaints and grievances, which will allow, among other things, parties to present their arbitration complaints before the Public Service Appeals Commission, a quasi-judicial body specialized in labor-management matters, and in accordance with the principle of merit and administration of human resources.
Comments