By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME

As a procession of union leaders, activists and politicians spoke out in September in memory of the 9/11 dead and on behalf of the many injured, ill and dying workers of the valiant rescue and recovery effort, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton stood by my side.

She took time away from her presidential campaign to join with working people to mourn our dead and fight for the living. And she has kept the promise she made that day to fight for compensation and health care for those who are sick as a result of their selfless service including DC 37 first responders and cleanup crews. She came through for us by joining with Congress members — such as Democrats Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney and Republican Vito Fossella — to introduce new federal legislation to care for the living victims of 9/11. That’s the kind of person she is.

You only have to look at President Bush’s latest vetoes to be reminded how badly we need a change in Washington. With a stroke of his pen, Bush wiped out funding to extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to another 10 million American children. With another vicious veto, he blocked abipartisan effort to fund education, economic development, job training and scientific research, turning his back on services that are vital to America’s workforce and our middle class.

The difference is clear: Bush spends billions of dollars on the never-ending war in Iraq, but he rejects money for jobs, education and doctors for children. At the same time, Hillary stands with labor for the heroes of 9/11.

Any of the Democratic presidential candidates for 2008 would make a better president than George W. Bush, and the three frontrunners — Hillary, Barack Obama and John Edwards — could all be great national leaders.

Based on her positions on the issues, her strength as a campaigner, hertoughness in the face of the inevitable attacks from the right, I believe Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for our members and for the United States.

I am proud to say that our national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has endorsed Hillary as our candidate to take back the White House for America’s working people. Our DC 37 Executive Board, on Nov. 14, and our Delegates Council, on Nov. 27, have also voted to support her. I know Hillary. She’s a fighter like I am. I believe she will fight the hardest for our working families, and I believe she has the ability to win.

District Council 37 played an important role in getting her the endorsementof our 1.4 million member parent union. On the AFSCME ScreeningCommittee, I pressed successfully to make our endorsement before the primaries so we can help Hillary secure the Democratic nomination quickly and decisively and focus on winning the White House in November 2008. DC 37’s two AFSCME vice presidents led the charge for Hillary. Retired Local 2054 President Joan Reed made the endorsement motion, and Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez seconded the motion to back Hillary, which passed overwhelmingly.

Hillary Clinton stands with us on our most important issues — health care for all, promoting public services and fighting privatization, strengthening the working class by supporting union organizing, protecting Social Security, helping with college tuition and making child care affordable, ending the war in Iraq and helping our troops when they return home.

Hillary inspires members and enjoys tremendous support throughout our union. If you are ready to turn that support into activity, you can make a bigdifference for your union and your country by volunteering to join the DC 37 political action team. Just call 212-815-1550.

’Tis the season to help those in need
As we enter December, I want to wish to all our members and their loved ones a happy holiday season and a 2008 of love and peace, with an end to the war and a safe return home for our troops abroad.

And whatever our problems may be, please remember those less fortunate who need our help and our prayers. You can help DC 37 members who have comeon hard times by contributing to the DC 37 Holiday Drive, c/o ExecutiveOffice, 125 Barclay St., New York, NY 10007 (more information on page 27). And please think also of the tens of thousands of homeless victims of Hurricane Noel in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean countries (information on page 3) and Tropical Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.