I want to thank every member who joined in our mighty rally on April 29. You made it DC 37’s largest demonstration ever, a bright sea of people power stretching 10 blocks up Broadway from City Hall Park to Franklin Street. The record participation was a tribute to intense organizing efforts by our local presidents and staff. I was thrilled to see so many New Yorkers — DC 37 members, workers from other unions and our community allies — fighting together to keep our great city working.

Make no mistake about it: We are in a battle for the future of New York City! A battle to keep our city from going backwards to the 1970s. A battle to convince the mayor not to balance the budget on the backs of those who can least afford it. To bring back the city’s good years, we need a budget that does not work against the city workforce.

And we need a budget that preserves the services our members provide for the people and communities of New York City.

By the thousands, we told the mayor it’s time to take a serious look at the billions of dollars wasted on private contractors. It’s time to ask those who have become rich off the lifeblood of our city to give a little back. Speaking with one mighty voice, we said, Mr. Mayor, now is the time to cut the waste and tax the wealthy!

We will not let the mayor balance the budget on the backs of our members! We will not let him take away the paychecks and the dignity of those who work so hard to keep our city working. We will not bear the burden of this budget crisis alone!

The tremendous turnout at City Hall renewed my pride in leading the 175,000 members and retirees of District Council 37. You are the unsung heroes who make this city work.

In this struggle, the leadership of DC 37 will not rest. We will go to the streets, to the airwaves and to the courts. We will fight over every job! We will do whatever it takes to defeat the mayor’s plan to eliminate vital services and destroy our city.

We fight for all New Yorkers
I was also very proud of the broad participation in the rally. Peace activists, members of many unions and just plain people who live and work all over the city joined us. Our elected officials and community leaders stood with us. They knew this fight is not just about city employees or DC 37 alone. This is a fight for the quality of life of all New Yorkers — rich and poor, men and women, young and old, black, brown, yellow and white.

In poll after poll, New Yorkers say they don’t want services cut. They don’t want layoffs. And they don’t want wars that take from our children and seniors and give to the Pentagon and the large corporations. It’s time the mayor listened to the people of New York.

The solutions to this crisis are right in front of us. The thousands of private contractors that take billions of dollars out of our budget every year. The millionaires and corporations that pay too little. The tax cutting, budget busting, militaristic administration in Washington. And the governor in Albany who wants to achieve a high office in Washington on the backs of New Yorkers, by cutting our health care and raising our tuition.

Our battle has just begun.

We will not rest until the mayor joins us in our fight for fairness in Washington, in Albany, and here in New York. We will not rest until the mayor hears the call of New Yorkers to cut the waste and tax the wealthy!