Public Employee Press

Allies meet in Albany

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

DC 37 activists and civil rights and community leaders from around the state converged in Albany on the weekend of Feb. 14 through 16 for the 43rd annual New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus. The group's 43rd annual legislative conference featured workshops and panel discussions on education, health care, social services, affordable housing and the state budget. It focused on the theme "Reclaiming Our Sons and Daughters."

At the weekend summit's traditional Saturday afternoon labor luncheon, the Distinguished Service Award went to DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido and the Illustrious Service Award surprised SSEU Local 371 activist Aurea Mangual.

"This award is a tribute to the great work our rank-and-file leaders have been doing," Garrido said.

Mangual works in the office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz and is an active member of the union's Political Action Committee. During the campaign to re-elect President Barack Obama, she joined unionists in central Florida who were drumming up support for the president. "The award is a nice surprise, I really appreciate it," she said.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by State Assembly member Nick Perry at a Sunday afternoon reception hosted by the state Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators.

"New York City's municipal workers are better off because of Lillian Roberts," said Perry. Garrido, DC 37 Political Director Wanda Williams and a bevy of local leaders accepted the award on her behalf.

Local 372 President Santos Crespo Jr. participated with education activists in a Saturday morning panel discussion on improving school governance. He advocated increasing parental involvement, which he said had been extremely limited under the Bloomberg administration. "The voice of parents should be heard when making policy for the schools that educate their children," he said.

Senior Assistant Director Moira Dolan of the union's Research and Negotiations Dept. participated on the panel on health care and the state budget with Judy Wessler of the Commission on the Public's Health System.

Wessler advocated spending the $8 billion available through a recent federal Medicaid waiver for the city's public hospitals, where more than 10,000 DC 37 members work. "They are the ones who service the most vulnerable New Yorkers," she said.

Dolan criticized the current state Medicaid redesign initiative for failing to use civil service employees. She called the governor's plan "a model for privatization" and pointed to the success of the MetroPlus program as an example of a much better plan. "MetroPlus is enrolling more people at a much lower cost and providing better access to healthcare," Dolan said