News

President Carbone Pushes Civil Service For New Exams For Members

September 27, 2007

Nancy G. Groenwegen - Commissioner
New York State Dept. of Civil Service
Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
Albany, New York 12239

By Mail and FAX

Re: Civil Service Exams for various titles at Division of Housing & Community Renewal

Dear Commissioner Groenwegen:

District Council 37 Local 1359 represents state employees at the Office of Rent Administration (ORA) of the NYS Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR). Please consider this correspondence as a request for the Department of Civil Service to prepare, issue and conduct civil service examinations with respect to the following titles: Rent Inspector 1, Rent Inspector 2, Junior Rent Examiner and Rent Examiner Trainee.

It is to be noted that with respect to the Rent Inspector 1 title, the agency has begun to hire provisional employees because the existing list has been effectively exhausted. By virtue of that fact alone, and based on the requirements of law, an examination for this title needs to be held as soon as possible.

Additionally, the existing lists for Rent Inspector 2, Junior Rent Examiner and Rent Examiner Trainee are virtually exhausted with, at best, fewer than 3 candidates remaining on any of these lists. Based thereon, and pursuant to the requirements of law, civil service examinations are necessary for these titles. It is also important to note that the Junior Rent (grade 9) and Rent Examiner Trainee (grade 13 leading to grade 14) titles are the traditional method for existing lower titled agency clerical employees (grades 6, 7, 9 and 11 as applicable) to transition into higher graded and/or professional lines (with much greater future promotional opportunities). Consequently, the failure to timely conduct such examinations effectively penalizes hard-working civil servants who want to advance in state service and better contribute toward the goals of the agency. Employee morale is also affected by the failure to conduct examinations in such instances as the inability to advance causes cynicism and anger. As I am sure you are aware, the result is a much less effective and productive workforce.

By this letter you are also being requested to review the entire series of transitional and/or promotional Rent Examiner and Rent Program Specialist titles at DHCR to determine whether new examinations need to be held for these lines as well. It is noted that the existing lists for these titles were promulgated in 2002, more than five years ago (and to schedule, conduct and promulgate an exam and list, even if done immediately, would take at least an additional year to actually implement).

While I understand that the Department must examine the employment needs of various agencies through-out the state as well as prioritize the order of examinations, it is clear based upon the facts as shown herein, that Civil Service needs to conduct examinations for the titles hereinabove noted as rapidly as possible.

Please respond at your earliest convenience to the Local's request.

Please feel free to have you or your designee contact me at your earliest convenience if you have any questions concerning the content of this correspondence.

Very truly yours,

/s/
Ralph F. Carbone
President
(718) 262 - 4752
(212) 815 - 1186