Public Employee Press

Election 2013
DE BLASIO
New leadership for New York
New fairness for city workers

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

District Council 37's army of volunteers will put boots on the ground citywide on Election Day, Nov. 5, to bring out the vote for Democrat Bill de Blasio as the next mayor of New York City. Delegates representing the union's 121,000 members and 50,000 retirees voted overwhelmingly Sept. 24 to endorse de Blasio.

De Blasio would reverse the rising economic inequality of the Bloomberg years with an agenda focused on creating affordable housing, fixing an education system that is failing the city's working and poor families, curtailing the waste of contracting out and working with municipal unions to identify funds for pay increases for public service workers.

Pay raises for city workers

His powerful drive for fairness motivates de Blasio's plans for public employees and education. "Nothing is more important than getting contracts for the people who keep our city running," he told DC 37's Executive Board. And with 68,000 4-year-olds eligible for pre-kindergarten, but only 20,000 able to find full-day slots, de Blasio is calling for a small tax increase on New Yorkers making $500,000 or more a year to fund pre-K for all city children and expand after-school programs.

"Universal pre-K is essential to strengthen the future of the middle class, build a quality workforce and maintain New York City's thriving economy," he says.

A de Blasio administration would rein in the contracting out of city jobs to the private sector, which soared out of control during the Bloomberg years. "I believe in the quality and ability of public employees," he said. "I am not in favor of privatization or contracting out."

De Blasio aggressively tackled city residents' desperate need for affordable housing as a City Council member and as Public Advocate. Since most tenants don't have a lawyer when they face eviction in Housing Court, he launched a program that provided free legal counsel to tenants in danger of losing their homes. As mayor he would expand that program, fight to retake control of rent regulations from Albany and build or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing. As mayor, he would use available federal funds to end the lengthy repair backlog that degrades life for many public housing residents and reverse the current Bloomberg policy by making Section 8 vouchers and Housing Authority apartments available to families leaving homeless shelters.

"Bill de Blasio sees clearly that the rising economic inequality of the Bloomberg years has caused widespread suffering," said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. "That is why I urge our members and all New Yorkers to vote for Bill de Blasio."