Public Employee Press

Grassroots lobbyists press members' issues in Albany

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Busloads of DC 37 Green Machine political activists traveled to Albany early May 6 for the union's annual Lobby Day. They met with elected officials to press for legislation that would create more jobs, improve access to cancer screenings, protect employees with disabilities and strengthen the civil service system.

Led by Executive Director Lillian Roberts, Associate Directors Oliver Gray and Henry Garrido, Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin and Political Action Director Wanda Williams, the rank-and-file lobbyists rallied at the Convention Center before meeting with the legislators.

Roberts told the group that fixing the city's improper use of the one-in-three rule is a top legislative priority for the union. The rule - which lets management select at will from among the top three eligible candidates on a civil service list - has been misused to "cherry- pick" among candidates and choose management favorites.

"This undermines the intended purpose of the civil service system," said Roberts. "Promotions should be based on merit and fitness for the position, not favoritism."

The grassroots lobbyists explained to members of the state Senate and Assembly the bill DC 37 is supporting, which would allow municipalities to require civil service promotions to be made in strict list order instead of using the 1-in-3 rule. The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Diane Savino, a former DC 37 member and who spoke at the rally.

Savino praised the union's leadership for being in the forefront of important issues. "Many of the issues that DC 37 has supported are now front and center, like universal pre-kindergarten," said Savino, who chairs the Senate Labor Committee.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who received union support from the Green Machine in their election campaigns, also addressed the rally.

DiNapoli assured the members that their pension systems are among the best managed in the country. "When you retire, your pension will be there waiting for you," he said. Proposals to replace defined benefit pensions with defined contribution plans that put retirement benefits at risk in the stock market - which have been floated by some politicians - "will not happen on my watch," he promised.

Silver promised to continue fighting against the privatization of public services and praised DC 37 members and leaders as "the heart and soul of the municipal workforce."

The legislative priorities the Lobby Day contingent brought to their representatives in Albany included support of the OTB Catskill Expansion into New York City, the Omnibus Cancer Screening bill and amending the 55-a program to better protect the job security of employees with disabilities.

• In 2010 the city's Off Track Betting parlors, which once generated $1 billion in annual revenue for the state, were closed, leaving 1,500 union members jobless. The union would like to see the OTB parlors reopened in New York City under the management of the Catskill Region leadership.
• The union is advocating improvements to the 55-a program to give employees with disabilities who were appointed as noncompetitive employees in competitive class positions seniority starting from the first day they were appointed. Lacking seniority, these members have been vulnerable to unjust layoffs.
• The Omnibus Cancer Screening bill would grant employees up to two days a year of excused leave time for cancer screenings.

Union activists discussed the cancer screening bill with state Sen. Bill Perkins, who represents the 30th Senate District in upper Manhattan, in an afternoon lobbying session. "This is one of the best meetings I've had all year," said Perkins, of his discussion with 25 DC 37 members. "That's because I'm learning something from my constituents."

Members also had productive meetings with Senators Kevin Parker and John Sampson and Assembly members N. Nick Perry and Herman Farrell.

Paula Forbes, a Local 420 member who works at Kings County Hospital, was one of the dozens of activists who came to Albany and had the opportunity to share the union's agenda with Sen. Perry. "When we show up in large numbers, they listen to us and we're able to make our points," she said. "That's why it's important to come to Albany."