Public Employee Press

Political Action 2008
Members set union’s legislative targets

At DC 37’s 33rd annual legislative conference, members and retirees focused on saving public housing and battling budget cuts in the services city workers provide for New York’s most vulnerable as they planned the union’s 2009 political agenda.

“We can be proud of our gains — in 2008 we won the long-awaited permanent agency shop, saved 1,500 jobs at OTB, got funding for Occupational Health Clinics, and saw bills passed that prevent mortgage foreclosure, protect provisional employees and extend 9/11 health studies,” wrote DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts in a welcoming message to participants in the Oct. 25 conference.

As the local economy weakens, revenue shrinks and budget deficits expand, DC 37 is fighting to preserve services. “We have our work cut out for us in 2009, and that is why you are here today — to prepare to make our voices heard in Albany and City Hall,” said Associate Director Oliver Gray.

Save NYCHA
The Political Action and Legislation Dept. organized the conference, which featured a panel on the threat to community centers, jobs and services at the New York City Housing Authority. Panelists included James Vacca, chair of the City Council Senior Centers Committee, outgoing state Sen. Serphin Maltese, who helped save jobs at the Off-Track Betting Corp., President Faye Moore of SSEU Local 371 and former President Darryl Ramsey of Local 768, whose members face potential layoffs at the Housing Authority. Eleven DC 37 locals represent NYCHA employees and over 15,000 members and retirees live in public housing.

“NYCHA needs to be less management-driven and more people-driven,” said Vacca. Since the Bushadministration stopped funding public housing eight years ago, maintenance and security at NYCHA projects have declined. Now the city threatens to close dozens of NYCHA community centers and senior centers.

“The centers provide day care for working families, meals for seniors, and a safe place for recreation for youth after school and in the summer. They make a huge difference in people’s lives,” said Moore, who represents 1,000 NYCHA and 400 center employees. “NYCHA is in a state of emergency. We have to be willing to take our fight to the state and federal levels.”

DC 37 is pressing the City Council to require NYCHA to give communities 60 days’ notice and a chance to respond to announced closings and urging the city to help close NYCHA’s budget gap by waiving its charges to NYCHA for police, sanitation, water and electricity. In the question-and-answer session that followed, members and retirees who live in public housing told of broken elevators, busted plumbing and the lack of security.

“Tenants have rights that must be exercised,” said Political Action Director Wanda Williams. During the afternoon session, DC 37 staffers and Retirees Association President Stuart Liebowitz led workshops that adopted proposals on pensions, child care, safety and health, health care and retirement for the union’s legislative agenda (see box).