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PEP May 2011
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Public Employee Press

Rage against the cuts

By ALFREDO ALVARADO



Unionists, community groups and students united March 24 in anger at Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget cuts and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's proposed layoffs and service reductions.

In the Day of Rage Against the Cuts protest, DC 37 activists joined more than 10,000 New Yorkers who rallied at City Hall and marched to Wall Street.

In addition to the DC 37 members, the demonstration brought together members of Transit Workers Union Local 100, day-care workers from DC 1707, college professors from the Professional Staff Congress, education activists from the Grass Roots Education Movement, Teachers for a Just Contract, environmental activists from the Green Party and Brooklyn City Council member Charles Barron.

Wealthy need to pay

Addressing the rally, DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray called on the mayor to stop trying to balance the budget on the backs of working people and the poor.

Gray also blasted Bloomberg for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars by contracting out jobs covered by DC 37 union contracts to the private sector. Citing the CityTime payroll computerization project he said, "If you take all the money that has been embezzled on this wasteful project, the mayor could use it to prevent all of the layoffs he's proposing."

The student, community and labor groups came together to plan the protest when Gov. Cuomo announced his plan to close the state's budget gap by slashing millions of dollars from health care, the public schools, community colleges and the state university system.

Since July 2008, according to AFSCME, New York State has lost more than 56,000 public sector jobs, and the governor's budget could wipe out thousands more.

In addition to calling for less contracting out, the demonstrators pressed for continuing the personal income tax surcharge known as the "millionaires' tax." Gov. Cuomo, Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Mayor Bloomberg all opposed the extension, which was not included in the budget approved March 31. Unless the Legislature passes a separate extension, the tax will expire at the end of 2011.

"It's time for the wealthy to contribute their fair share, especially during this crisis," said Retirees Association activist Jacob Azeke as he made his way to Wall Street with a contingent of members. "Instead, the working families end up paying higher user fees and transportation fares and workers are constantly threatened with layoffs."





 
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