Public Employee Press

Allies in the battle
Black and Puerto Rican Caucus


By ALFREDO ALVARADO

As tens of thousands of union members in Wisconsin protested Gov. Scott Walker's drive to wipe out government employees' bargaining rights, activists from DC 37 joined hundreds of others who mapped the fightback against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's threats to public services and public employees in meetings with Albany legislators over the Feb. 18-20 weekend.

High on the agenda at the 40th annual conference weekend of the Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators were the governor's plans for deep cuts in education, health care and other essential public services. Also under scrutiny was Mayor Michael Bloomberg's drive to wipe out civil service protections for workers and the public, which would require state legislation.

In a panel moderated by DC 37 Associate Political Action Director Lawrence Kenchen with the assistance of Political Analyst Leo Morris, activists examined the devastating effects that Cuomo's plan for the largest Medicaid cuts in history would have on the public hospital system.

"Our members in hospitals are already doing more with less. We have to stop the Medicaid cuts," said Local 1549 Recording Secretary Carmen Flores. About 18,000 DC 37 members work for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corp.

HHC Vice President LaRay Brown explained that Medicaid provides 70 percent of the budget of HHC, which she called "the lifeline" for 1.3 million people, including a soaring population of the uninsured.

Kenchen said continual cuts in jobs and services could leave many people unable to afford housing, food and medical care and "ready to follow the lead of their brothers and sisters in Wisconsin, Tunisia and Egypt."

DC 37 members and leaders participated in a panel discussion on contracting out and the civil service system. DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido, a panel member, attacked the excessive cost of the city's contracting out and blasted "the myth that the private sector can do everything better." In fact, contracted-out work is often plagued by delays, cost overruns, poor performance and corruption.

"Private contractors have to be held accountable," said Darlene Mealy, who chairs the City Council Contracts Committee.

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio participated in the discussion and stressed the importance of winning over public opinion on the contracting out issue.

"The mayor is trying to eliminate civil service rights so he can do whatever he wants with the workforce, just like in the private sector," warned SSEU Local 371 President Faye Moore, who chairs DC 37's Civil Service Committee. "We are urging legislators to stop his plan."

Building a movement

Local 1549 Vice President Ralph Palladino moderated a panel on the budget that included Frank Mauro, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, Dean Fuleihan of the state Assembly Ways and Means Committee, Ron Deutsch from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, and Robert Megna, the state budget director.

The weekend summit ended with a gala dinner featuring speeches by keynoter and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Gov. Cuomo, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Senate Minority Leader John Sampson.

Brooklyn City Council member Charles Barron and a contingent of activists greeted Cuomo with chants of "Tax the rich!" that quickly grew louder as hundreds throughout the hall joined in.

Schneiderman emphasized the importance of building a grassroots movement to counter the threats to labor. "We are up against a movement," he said. "We have to build a movement so government can go forward to do great things."