PEP, May 2005: 1,500 at statewide lobby day

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

As state legislators made 11th hour decisions on the 2006 budget, more than 1,500 AfsCME members from across New York State — including 300 from DC 37 — converged on Albany April 12 for Lobby Day.

From the Big Apple to Buffalo and municipalities in between, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, representing more than 400,000 workers in New York State, delivered a four-point message to legislators:

Save public hospitals
End workplace violence
Make agency shop permanent
Hold contractors accountable

“AFSCME members do the difficult job of keeping New York safe and running,” said Jim Cullen, AFSCME New York field services director. “Let politicians know they need to invest in and preserve public services. They can’t continue to take us for granted by underfunding public services and cutting jobs. We need adequate funding so services won’t deteriorate any more.”

The huge gathering of union members heard from guest speakers Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, as well as Denis Hughes, president of the state AFL-CIO, DC 1707 Executive Director Raglan George Jr., CSEA President Danny Donohue and DC 37
Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“New York has the finest public workforce in the country,” Silver said. “We acted to show appreciation by putting in place a safety net for public health care and adding $848 million more for the public schools.”

“We know what’s needed to do a better job, have a safer workplace and avoid outsourcing to companies who fail to create jobs here,” Bruno said, echoing labor’s message. Bruno said legislators also allocated an initial $2 million dollars for child care.

“In the desperate battle to protect public services,” said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee in a video message, “we have to stand for what we believe in as families who depend on paychecks — and not trust funds.”

As the crowd of unionists fanned out into the capitol to visit their state representatives, Hughes reminded them: “Stand strong, be united, be committed and do not compromise on our issues!”