Public Employee Press

LOCAL LEADERS BUILD SOLIDARITY

Dozens of DC 37 local heads strengthened their solidarity by getting to know each other better and sharpened their skills at the joint DC37/AFSCME Local Presidents Leadership Training program on the weekend of May 4 to 6.

"New and old presidents were able to learn from each other - even some who didn't know each other well before," said DC 37 and Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez, who initially called for the conference.

"The training was very useful to me as a local president and strengthened us all for the fight against privatization and layoffs," said Local 1482 President Eileen Muller.

Almost three-fourths of DC 37's local presidents participated, said Associate Director Oliver Gray, and cohesion grew as each told of the incidents and the motivations that shaped them as they got active in the union and rose to their leadership roles. "This kind of dialog had never occurred before among this group," said Gray.

"Our days were full and hard-working as we discussed issues and studied leadership skills, said Retirees Association President Stu Leibowitz. "And through the personal histories and informal interaction we built a strong feeling of camaraderie."

"I gained a better idea of what our union is all about by learning about other local leaders," said Electronic Data Processing Personnel Local 2627 President Robert Ajaye.

"We also learned a lot from the talks by DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts on our struggles with a mayor who seems to have declared war on civil service workers and by AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Lee Saunders on the battles he is involved in all across the country to save benefits and collective bargaining itself," said Local 1320 President JamesTucciarelli."

Roberts said she considered the program so important to DC 37 that "I would like to repeat it more frequently."

She said the organizational work and talents of Associate Directors Oliver Gray and Henry Garrido and Field Services Director Barbara Edmonds as well as AFSCME's Mike Sukal, Elissa McBride and Yolanda Medina deJesús contributed greatly to making the conference a success.