Public Employee Press

Activists take DC 37's message to Albany
Minority caucuses pushed on minimum wage
Black and Puerto Rican legislators honor Roberts

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

DC 37 leaders and activists met with top state officials and lawmakers over the weekend of Feb. 15-17 at the annual Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.

The hundreds of activists and elected officials who converged on Albany united to support raising the minimum wage, honored DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts and Local 768 President Fitz Reid, and participated in workshops and strategy sessions on political issues.

At a reception held by the State Comptroller's office, Thomas P. DiNapoli presented Roberts with a proclamation honoring her dedication and service to municipal employees, as well as an oversized check for $845.63 that the state owed DC 37.

"City employees don't have a bet ter advocate than Lillian Roberts and the union she leads," said DiNapoli. Roberts received another award at the weekend's labor luncheon, and the powerful Westchester Black Women's Political Caucus honored Health Services Employees Local 768 President Fitz Reid for his work in the labor movement. Reid told the group about labor's long struggle to end wage discrimination betagainst women workers.

Members of the DC 37 delegation played leading roles in conference workshops that addressed the criminal justice system, the governor's budget and health care issues. SSEU Local 371 President Anthony Wells was on the panel that discussed managed care, where he charged that the governor's Medicaid redesign team had "forced seniors into managed care and weakened the safety net. It's basically privatized home care."

Panelist Carmen Charles, the president of Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420, decried the closing of hospitals in Brooklyn. "There are only 15 hospitals for all of Brooklyn," she said, calling for the governor to increase state funding: "If we are going to have a public health care system, then that system has to be adequately funded."