Public Employee Press

Part 4 in a series on mismanagement at the New York City Housing Authority
New NYCHA network hits slum conditions

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Following a series of town hall meetings on public housing issues and the mayoral race this summer, DC 37 plans to create a union-tenant network to fight slum conditions at NYCHA.

"We were encouraged by the response to our outreach this summer and hope to build on it to establish a permanent network of union and public housing activists," said Wanda Williams, director of the DC 37 Political Action Dept.

At the five gatherings, elected union leaders and staff and representatives of city Comptroller John Liu's campaign heard tenants' concerns and urged residents to get involved politically to fight for improved conditions in their communities.

"We represent the workers responsible for servicing the New York City Housing Authority community and we have 15,000 members who live in public housing," said DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido. "We want to unite those groups with other NYCHA activists and housing advocates to create a network that will be at the forefront in the fight for better conditions."

Union offers poltical power

"We didn't reach as many people as we wanted this summer, but it was an important start," said Walthene Primus, president of Housing Authority Clerical Employees Local 957.

"The message I want to get to our members and the tenants is that the union is ready to help them to fight for better working conditions and improved living conditions," Primus said. "As an organization representing public employees, DC 37 can use its resources to press the city, state and federal city governments to increase funding for public housing," she said.

A small but significant victory of the summer campaign resulted from the political advertising in the Daily News and elsewhere coordinated by veteran labor reporter Bob Hennelly, a communications consultant for DC 37. The ad (at right) described the deplorable housing conditions endured by NYCHA tenant Robin Johnson, a retired civil servant. On the day it came out, NYCHA phoned her to schedule repairs she had been requesting for two years.

"They are getting things done in my apartment," Johnson told PEP. NYCHA crews were painting, plastering and repairing damaged ceilings and a collapsing wall.

The union is also working on the NYCHA outreach with the Community Voices Heard organization.

"In these difficult times, it is in the interest of progressive unions and community organizations to work closely together," said the group's executive director, Sondra Youdelman.

CVH activist Eugene Woody attended a DC 37 town hall meeting at the Dewitt Clinton Houses in Manhattan, where Hennelly showed a video about conditions at a housing project. Woody described the video as a good organizing tool for mobilizing tenants.