Public Employee Press

DC 37/ AFSCME STRONG: MOBILIZE, AGITATE AND EDUCATE
Activists share union message

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

The DC 37/AFSCME Strong campaign spent 2015 reaching out to thousands of members, spreading the union message at their workplaces. The campaign wrapped up the year by organizing nine lunchtime meetings in December at the offices of the Dept. of Education in Queens and in downtown Brooklyn, and at the New York City Housing Authority and Dept. of Finance in Manhattan.

Community Coordinators Wilbert Flores and Ralphy Cabrera were among the dozens of employees who took advantage of the noon time meeting on Dec. 14 at the DOE in Queens. Though many of the workers just had to walk out of their offices and down the hall to attend the meeting, Cabrera and Flores traveled all the way from Brooklyn.

The newly-hired Community Coordinators made the 30-minute trip to Queens to speak with union representatives and learn more about their benefits and work rules.

"We figured this would be the perfect place to get answers to some of our questions," said Cabrera.

They were able to meet individually with a council rep from the Schools Division who was available at the meeting to discuss an issue regarding overtime. They also spoke with
Board of Education Employees Local 372 President Shaun D. Francois I. "These meetings give us an opportunity to talk with new employees and encourage them to become active in the union, especially the younger ones," Francois said.

Big turnouts in Brooklyn and Queens

More than 200 members attended the lunchtime meeting on Dec. 16 at the DOE offices in downtown Brooklyn. Lynette del Rio, a member of Local 1251, was encouraged to attend by one of her coworkers. "I'm glad she convinced me to come," said del Rio, who has worked for the city for 10 years. Keenan Britt, a member of Local 2627, was impressed by the big turnout. "This is exactly what we should be doing, reaching out and mobilizing our members," said Britt.

Local 957 member Sandra Edmond attended the Dec. 17 meeting at NYCHA offices in downtown Manhattan and found it helpful. With a daughter about to graduate from college Edmond was interested in the union's student debt clinics. "That's something I'm going to have to check out," said Edmond, whose daughter will be graduating from the University of Pittsburg.

The DC 37/AFSCME Strong campaign, in partnership with DC 37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is a national campaign to build a more powerful voice for workers on the job. The goal is to reach out to 50,000 members, conducting one-on-one conversations by spring and to get the members to become more involved.

"Our membership has to become more active in the union," said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. "Public sector unions like ours are being attacked all over the country and we have to build a movement to respond to those attacks."

Locals interested in scheduling a lunchtime meeting for their members or to find out if there is a meeting scheduled near you, please contact the union's Director of Organizing Barbara Terrelonge at 212-815-1221 or send an email inquiry to DC37Strong@dc37.net.