Public Employee Press

Political Action 2006
New law unlocks political handcuffs

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

District Council 37 pushed for — and won — legislation that nullifies a 2004 Campaign Finance Board rule which had severely restricted labor’s political voice and the funds unions could contribute to local campaigns.

“The new law reverses an attempt to marginalize labor’s participation in the political process,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “I am proud that we spearheaded the legislation that restored unions’ rightful place in our democracy and amplified the voices of working families.”

In one broad stroke, the CFB painted unions as a monolith and pictured their political contributions as coming from a single source.

The rule limited to $2,750 the total amount a union and all its affiliates could contribute to any political campaign. In effect, it kicked unions out of the democratic process, Roberts said.

The CFB rule lumped together as one source of contributions DC 37’s parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, its six New York State councils, including DC 37 and its 56 locals. In truth, each of these unions is autonomous.

DC 37 strongly opposed the CFB ruling and led a campaign of letter writing and phone banking to reverse the rule in coalition with other unions and allies in the City Council. DC 37 Assistant General Counsel Len Polletta and AFSCME attorneys in Washington, DC, crafted Intro 564A to nullify the single source law, and Council members Leroy Comrie, Bill DeBlasio and Bill Perkins introduced the bill.

The single source law affected the vast majority of City Council incumbents, who were facing elections in 2005. “Intro 564A became a political football that was tossed around until after the November general elections,” said DC 37 Political Director Wanda Williams. And DC 37 limited its participation in last November’s elections to five contests where the union endorsed challengers, who won their races.

Campaign funds held up
“Since City Council failed to act in its own interests regarding Intro 564A in the 2005 election cycle, DC 37 put its contributions to Council members’ campaigns on hold,” said Williams. The move really hurt since about 80 percent of their much-needed campaign funds usually come from labor and working families.

Although the mayor was expected to veto Intro 564A, he took no action, and 30 days after the City Council passed the bill it automatically became law on Jan. 15. DC 37 released its campaign contributions to City Council members soon after.