Public Employee Press

Know your officers
A recorder of union history

DC 37 Secretary Cliff Koppelman, re-elected in January, sees the minutes he takes at Executive Board, Delegates and other meetings as "an important responsibility that gives a complete and accurate official record of DC 37."

"The minutes tell our history," he said.

A court employee since 1969, Koppelman brings decades of experience in the labor movement to the DC 37 Executive Board. He recently completed a two-year term as chair of the union's Ethical Practices Committee.

"Civil servants are the guardians for the public, who rely on us for services that improve their quality of life and allow them to be better citizens," he said.

Since 1996, Koppelman has served as president of Court, County and Dept. of Probation Employees Local 1070, which represents Court Reporters, Interpreters, Secretaries to Judges, Law Librarians and Stenographers in state courthouses and New York City employees in the District Attorneys' offices, Public Administrators' offices and the Dept. of Probation in the five boroughs.

The local's Interpreters speak some 200 languages, helping New York's immigrants and residents navigate the daunting court system and city services.

After serving with the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Germany, Koppelman returned to New York City, and eventually became a Court Reporter. He said military service prepared him for court reporting, which he found similar to listening to Morse code.

"I became a DC 37 member and was active in my local. After a year, I was elected chapter chair," he said. Koppelman credits former Local Presidents Mike Gentile and Paul Shelkin as "leaders and mentors who shared their knowledge with me and showed me the way."

"All over the country, politicians ignore union contracts and outsource work with little or no accountability as union workers are attacked and vilified," said Koppelman, who works every day to dispel the myth of the lazy civil servant. "When disaster strikes, public employees make sure people are safe and work on the front lines to restore normalcy and services. We make this a better city for all."

"We are fighting for opportunities, for dignity on the job, for the chance to earn a decent living and to protect our pensions and benefits. I'm glad to be part of the team that is moving DC 37 and its membership into the future," said Koppelman. He is an avid reader who loves history, studied judo, and lives in Brooklyn with his wife of over 47 years, Natalie.

—Diane S. Williams