Public Employee Press


DC 37/AFSCME STRONG: ENGAGE & EDUCATE
CUNY campaign continues

BY ALFREDO ALVARADO

An increase in pay was on the mind of most of the 150 workers who attended a lunch-time union meeting at the City College of New York campus in Manhattan.

When DC 37 organizers Ana Nowlan and Nicole Laing-Garcia met with the members on April 15, they provided a large canvas so the members could write down the message they wanted delivered to the management at City College.

"Rent is increasing, everything is increasing except our paychecks," wrote Lisa Harris on the canvas banner.

"We need better work conditions and a better salary," wrote Local 1597 member Virginia Fabian.

The large banner with the CUNY contract campaign logo will be taken to more meetings and eventually to the contract negotiations.

"Writing messages on the banner is a way to give our members a voice in this campaign," Laing-Garcia said.

She also organized a Member Action Team, made up of volunteers who serve as liaisons between the union and members on the CUNY campus.

Gloria Daniels, a Local 384 member and Office Assistant who works in the City College library, was one of the first members to leave a message. She's noticed the number of employees on the Manhattan campus is not growing to keep up with the expanding student population.

"When people retire, those positions go unfilled," Daniels said. "Management does not hire anyone to take their place."

In addition to the meeting at City College, the organizers also held lunch- time meetings during April at Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn College and the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

The union's CUNY contract campaign hit the city's colleges in March with visits at 25 campuses in every borough where organizers met with members and talked about the campaign during lunch time meetings.

With their contract expired, workers haven't seen a raise in seven years. The union is pressing CUNY management to get the stalled contract talks back on track.