Public Employee Press

City budget hearings
Union demands action on CUNY, hospitals

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

DC 37 took the campaign for a new contract for the 10,000 members who work at the City University of New York directly to the City Council.

Union leaders delivered their message March 2 during the City Council's budget hearing on CUNY.

David Paskin, associate director of the DC 37 Research and Negotiations Dept., expressed the union's concern over Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to shift $485 million in funding obligations from the state to the city.

The increased burden on the city would destabilize the educational system and "blow a hole" in the city's budget, Paskin said. About three weeks later, Cuomo backed off the plan. (See pages, 3, 6 and 7.)

At the council's Health Committee hearing, Local 1549 2nd Vice President Ralph Palladino urged the City Council to support the mayor's budget proposal for additional funding for NYC Health + Hospitals.

The public hospitals face a staggering $500 million deficit.

Union activists are fighting in Albany for legislation to change the funding formula and make the state's contribution of Medicaid funds more equitable. NYC Health + Hospitals receives a disproportionate amount of the state funding for treating its share of the indigent patients in New York.

"The current formula is unfair to the city's public hospitals and needs to be changed," Palladino said. "The money should follow the patients."

Cory McCaskill, treasurer of Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420, spoke at the March 21 Health Committee hearing. He also advocated for a fairer funding formula.

School Crossing Guard and Chapter Chair Denise Ferrante of Local 372 addressed the Public Safety Committee and advocated for increased hours for the SCGs, who work only five hours a day, and she called on the New York Police Dept. to hire more workers.

"The NYPD has failed to recruit and hire enough to get the job done, that's the problem that needs to be addressed," Ferrante said. Recently the NYPD has assigned Police Officers to crossing guard duty because of the shortage.

Peter Stein, president of the Lifeguard Supervisors Local 508, pressed the Parks and Recreation Committee to extend the hours of the city's pools. "The hours of the beaches were extended; our pools should stay open longer too," he said at the March 3 hearing. Joe Puleo, president of Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983, pushed for the hiring of additional Park Enforcement Patrol Officers during the committee hearing.

On March 23, leaders of DC 37 locals representing members at the public libraries and cultural institutions testified about funding and service needs at the City Council.

The city's budget for fiscal year 2017 is supposed to be approved by Mayor de Blasio by June 30.