Public Employee Press

DC 37 and the Fight for $15

HENRY GARRIDO
Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

The fast-food workers movement has helped make the plight of low-wage workers a major political issue in New York and around the country.

We strongly back the fast-food workers’ Fight for $15 campaign, which calls for a $15 hourly wage and union representation. And one of our greatest concerns at DC 37 is to fight at the bargaining table and in the political arena for our own members with low-wage jobs.

Locally, we are pressing for a new contract with the City University of New York, where 12,000 members have gone without a raise for seven years and thousands earn less than $15 an hour. Nationally, we are closely watching the presidential primaries because as public employees we know very well that our livelihood will be deeply affected by the candidate voters choose for president.

The CUNY contract battle reflects the union’s commitment to improve the lot of all the low-wage workers we represent. Earlier this year, we reached an agreement with the city to raise the floor of three modestly-paid job titles (School Crossing Guard, Job Training Participant and City Season Aide). An estimated 20,000 city and state employees earn less than $15 an hour.

We are encouraged the country’s four decades of stagnating wages has caught the attention of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Last month, the state Dept. of Labor issued an order to raise the hourly pay of fast-food workers to $15.

As he wraps himself in the mantle of a champion of low-wage workers, Cuomo is also calling for an increase in the state’s minimum wage from $8.75 to $15 an hour.That’s great. But the governor must also address the needs of low-wage workers in his own house.

CUNY and other state employees are not covered by the state minimum wage law, something the governor could push the legislature to change. He also has the option of issuing an executive order granting state workers $15 an hour.

Contract talks have been stalled for 11 months. It’s time for the CUNY administration — with the governor’s support — to get serious and make an economic offer.

The Republican low-wage agenda

Regarding the presidential race, we are happy Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin dropped out. His platform was all about harming low-wage workers, public employees and unions. But too many of the Republican candidates back much of his anti-union poison and don’t care about fixing our low-wage economy. Consider:

• Sen. Rand Paul wants to take away the collective bargaining rights of postal employees and implement right-to-work throughout the country.
• Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey brags about eliminating teacher tenure and rolling back pension benefits of public employees.
• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush describes teacher unions as more interested in protecting the economic interests of adults than educating kids.

Walker’s departure is a sign that his attack on unions and public employees does not sit well with voters. Immigrants, minorities, women and working-class voters appear to be increasingly seeing how GOP policies don’t address their needs.

Indeed, a recent national poll shows that a solid majority of Americans support unions. We are counting on that support as we fight for the low-wage and other more highly-paid workers at CUNY.

As we try to put end an end to the wage stagnation and gross inequality that sadly characterize our times, we will continue to work with allies who care more about the poor and middle class than billionaires.

And we hope the success of the Fight for $15 in New York will spread across the entire country and win back the shared prosperity that used to be the hallmark of the United States.