C. Centralized Job Referral System
As detailed in the IRO's Tenth Interim Report, certain changes to the centralized job referral system were approved by my office. The changes have been implemented by the District Council and have dramatically improved the effectiveness of the system. The aggregate amount of daily time needed to dispatch jobs has been drastically reduced from an all day endeavor to generally less than three hours per day. This has been accomplished through the use of centralized dispatch and computerized programming
The new rules have not, however, significantly reduced the length of time members must wait on the list before they are dispatched. It has been reported to my office that some members have waited over fourteen weeks before being dispatched to a job. The District Council has informed us that the average wait is approximately 8-10 weeks long. This is puzzling given that the New York City construction industry is in one of its busiest periods in quite some time.
This office has received accusations that part of the reason for the long wait on the job referral lists is due to misuse of the referral system by business agents and contractors. My office is currently investigating certain instances where it appears that business agents are manipulating the dispatch system in ways that allow certain persons to receive preferential treatment and long-term positions as stewards.
Although most of the changes to the job referral rules enumerated in the IRO's Tenth Interim Report are now in place, the new certification process for shop stewards has still not been fully implemented. The District Council has only recently began the new process of certifying stewards. The expected completion date of the first members to receive certification is June 29 and 30, 1999. Further classes are scheduled throughout the rest of the year.