Public Employee Press

2012 ELECTION
DC 37 backs Obama at Democratic Convention

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

An eight-member delegation from DC 37 led by Executive Director Lillian Roberts helped bring the union message to the 30,000 activists at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., where Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party nomination for re-election as president of the United States.

"It was truly a people's convention," said DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray about the convention, which occurred during the week of Sept. 3. Gray was a member of the New York delegation. "The Republican convention was more like a corporate board meeting; the DNC was a very diverse celebration," he said.

Like many people, Gray was impressed by the speech delivered by former President Bill Clinton. "It was a perfect mix; he told an engaging story but was very factual too," he said.

The DC 37 group, a part of the New York delegation, also included union Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin, Political Director Wanda Williams, Local 299 President Jackie Rowe-Adams, and Yudelka Tapia of Local 1407, Vanessa Tirado of Local 154 and SSEU Local 371 retiree Julia Rodriguez. Gray and Rodriguez were elected as delegates in their home districts, and Roberts and Williams were named at-large delegates by the Obama campaign.

During the convention, the DC 37 contingent attended morning and afternoon strategy caucuses together with other union activists from DC 37's national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Democratic Party leaders House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. John Kerry and Congress member John Lewis addressed the caucuses.

"It was a very exciting convention," said Roberts. "Everyone is extremely motivated to get to work on behalf of President Obama. The president can count on our members on election day, that's for sure."

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