Union Memberships
When you are appointed to a position in the court system, you are advised as to whether you are represented by a union. If you are represented by a union, membership in the union is optional. If you choose not to join the union, you will nevertheless be required by New York State law to pay an “agency shop fee”. Questions concerning union dues and agency shop fees should be directed to your union representative.
A copy of collective bargaining agreement between the court system and the union that represents you may be obtained from your administrative office or union office. Collective bargaining agreements and a union directory are available on the court system’s intranet.
The unions representing employees in the 9th Judicial District are:
- Civil Service Employees Association
CSEA web site - Ninth Judicial District Court Employees Association
Rockland & Westchester Counties NJDCEA
NJDCEA Web site - NYS Supreme Court Officers Association
SCOA web site
Management/Confidential Unrepresented Employees
Section 201(7)(a) of the Civil Service Law provides that the Public Employment Relations Board may designate certain employees as managerial or confidential based upon the duties and responsibilities they perform. There also are a limited number of positions in the court system that are eligible for representation by a union but are not represented. The rights and benefits of managerial or confidential and unrepresented employees are found in the Rules of the Chief Judge.
Grievance Procedures
Grievances are claims made by an employee or union that a certain management action or inaction was inappropriate or improper. Each union has a collective bargaining agreement with the court system that specifically defines what constitutes a grievance and establishes a formal procedure for resolving grievances. (Represented employees in the 9th Judicial District Employees see Article 15 of the CSEA contract.) For unrepresented and Management/Confidential employees, the grievance procedure is found in Part 23 of the Rules of the Chief Judge. If you are unable to resolve a problem with your supervisor, you have the right to file a formal grievance as outlined in the applicable agreement or the Rules of the Chief Judge. Note that there are specific time limitations for the filing of a grievance. You must adhere to these limitations and should gauge the time available when waiting for an informal response from your supervisor.
If your grievance is related to your job duties and responsibilities, you must perform the at-issue duties until the grievance is resolved, unless performing the at-issue duties would be detrimental to your health or safety or that of others.