Public Employee Press

Activists take DC 37's message to Albany
Hundreds joined mass Lobby Day

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts led a contingent of 200 members and local leaders from New York City to Albany March 5 for the annual Lobby Day organized by the New York State units of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. AFSCME, DC 37's national union, represents some 400,000 public service workers throughout the state.

The public employee unionists urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo and members of the state Legislature to provide financial aid to local governments to help provide essential services to the public and stimulate the struggling economies of communities statewide.

"We know we have a fight on our hands," Roberts told the assembled rank-and-file lobbyists. "But the power is in our hands to make a difference before it's too late."

Lobby Day guest speaker New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli joined the trade unionists and warned them to stay vigilant to protect their pension benefits. "If we underfund our pensions that will be a big mistake," he warned. "Those pensions have to be fully funded," he said.

DiNapoli pointed out that public employee pensions are vital "not just to those who have worked hard and earned their pensions and deserve a decent income when they're too old to work, but to our whole economy, because those pension dollars are spent right here in New York."

The day's keynote speaker, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, said the union movement needs to respond to the current wave of attacks on members' rights and benefits by ramping up the level of union activism throughout the country.

Close the loopholes!

"Every time disaster strikes, you are there, committed and dedicated to providing public service. But that reality doesn't carry enough weight with Washington and Albany, where they use public service workers as scapegoats," Saunders said. "We are getting our butts kicked by both Republicans and Democrats. It is time for us to become troublemakers again. If you need our support, your national union will stand strong with you."

In addition to lobbying for more state aid to local governments the union activists also advocated eliminating corporate tax loopholes and increasing the Alternate Minimum Tax for corporations. The AMT was enacted in 1987 when the corporate tax rate was 10 percent, but over the years the rate has been reduced to below 2 percent. Increasing the rate to 3.5 percent would generate as much as $600 million in revenue, which could be used to aid localities and strengthen public services.

State workforce shrinks

Since 2010 the number of state and local employees has fallen by more than 50,000, yet Gov. Cuomo's proposed budget included no financial aid to local governments.

"And yet the governor likes to say that New York is open for business," said New York State AFL-CIO president Mario Cilento.

After the speeches the union members gathered in groups to fan out through the state capitol, visit their legislators and bring them the union's message face-to-face.

"Our issues are critical for everyone whether they work in the city or upstate," said Jacob Azeke, an activist with the DC 37 Retirees Association who came by bus from Manhattan. "And if we have to come back again to make our point we will."