Public Employee Press

Political Action 2007
Seek Spitzer support for union agenda

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

As District Council 37 awaited the release of the state budget plan Jan. 31, the union hoped its relationships with new Gov. Eliot Spitzer and state legislators would move its political agenda forward for a better New York.

At his State of the State address Jan. 4, Spitzer called on all New Yorkers “to seek changes together to restore New York as a beacon of hope and opportunity.” Supporting DC 37’s political agenda would accomplish that by protecting the vital services its 121,000 members provide for all New Yorkers.

In the last decade, DC 37 fought long and hard against former Gov. George Pataki’s attempts to bleed state and federal funding from public health and education, and other city services. More recently the union waged campaigns to save HHC, stop hospital closings suggested by the Berger Commission, and increase Medicaid funding.

Gov. Spitzer has inherited the daunting and complex task of resolving these and other major social issues that his predecessor failed to address equitably. These issues, which are part of DC 37’s agenda, also include: renewing the state Health Care Reform Act, which expires in June, to improve the Medicaid financing formulas; funding the Campaign for Fiscal Equity for the city’s public schools; improving school cafeterias; retaining a cap on charter schools; and reforming the state’s Workers’ Compensation system to make it more worker-friendly.

Since the Legislature took no action on the recommendations of Pataki’s commission, they will go into effect and eliminate 9,500 hospital beds statewide. DC 37 will continue its grassroots Save Our Safety Net Campaign, a coalition of community groups and labor, to ensure that federal funds are used to improve the quality of health care New Yorkers have access to, and not plump the pockets of banking and insurance interests.

Additionally, DC 37 opposes the possible sale of the Off-Track Betting Corp. and privatization of the New York Racing Association. DC 37 is pressing Albany to protect these revenue generators and hopes legislators will instead revise the OTB revenue formula to give New York City a greater share of its profits. Privatizing NYRA would have adverse repercussions on state finances.

New York Chief Justice Judge Judith Kaye has recommended consolidation of the state court system, which would merge most courts into the state Supreme Court. DC 37 is against this consolidation, which would adversely impact the unions that represent thousands of court employees. DC 37 is pressing to retain the ratio of local members already in place, and opposes the use of automation and tape recorders to replace court reporters.

“We are hoping Governor Spitzer will prove to be a great improvement over his predecessor, George Pataki,” said DC 37 Political Director Wanda Williams. “On most issues we agree and there are some we disagree on, but we are looking forward to a partnership with the governor on many of our shared interests.”