By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME

As the budget battle goes down to the wire at City Hall, I have been emphasizing two principles: If there's pain, it must be shared. And with a deficit of $5 billion or more, the city has to take a serious look at ways to close the gap by cutting waste and raising revenues.

On behalf of our members and the public, we are fighting to reverse proposed service cuts that are too large and fall too heavily on poor people, working families and public employees. We are battling the proposed reductions in education, libraries and cultural institutions - where staff reductions are a real threat - and the sharp cuts targeted at health care, social services, parks and other necessities of urban life, which hit those in the greatest need.

As this issue of PEP goes to press, we have been getting a very positive reaction to our "white paper" on how the city can save $600 million without cutting services.

Dealing with a mayor whose background is in business, not politics, we made our case in dollars and common sense. We proved the city can save money by civilianization, by reducing contracting out, and even by increasing staff in revenue-generating areas like tow truck operations. We have explained carefully that these initiatives will produce funds the city can use to provide vital services and to adequately compensate the work force.

Other municipal unions are considering issuing similar proposals in their areas, and Comptroller William Thompson recently completed an audit of the Police Dept. that backs up our proposals on civilianization. (See Comptroller backs civilianization.) Shortly after we released the savings proposal, the MTA agreed to give $750 million of construction management work on the Second Avenue subway to members of Local 375, which has been on the march against contracting out. (See Local 375 wins Second Ave. subway work.)

As we fight these battles, the odds seem high. But it is important to remember that we have been winning some major struggles against privatization and contracting out.

Some of our locals will soon be hearing the applause of public employees from around the country for their victories. Because government employees nationwide are working to keep the private sector from gobbling up public services, our parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, honors locals that show how to fight the privateers
and win.

Sharing our strengths
I will soon be leading our DC 37 delegation to AFSCME's national convention, and I am proud to report that three of our locals have been nominated for awards that will be presented there: