District Council 37 is a huge multi-cultural family that draws strength from its diversity and joyously celebrates each group’s ethnic pride. The union calendar is busy from Martin Luther King’s birthday in January through Chanukah in December. In May and early June, the focus was on the union’s Jews and Puerto Ricans.

With pro golfer Chi Chi Rodríguez leading the way as grand marshal, more than 2 million New Yorkers lined Fifth Avenue June 8 for the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade.

5th Ave. moves to Latino beat
Willie Arroyo of Dept. of Education Local 372 marched with DC 37’s float and band in a large union contingent. “It’s great to see everyone out here smiling and enjoying themselves,” said Mr. Arroyo. On the job as a Senior Neighborhood Worker, he fights to keep students from dropping out.

“Things are getter tougher, but for today everyone puts that aside,” he said. Marching with the labor section was former Bronx borough president and mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer. “This is an opportunity for Puerto Rican labor leaders to show their unity and pride in their heritage,” said Mr. Ferrer, as he greeted the DC 37 members.

The DC 37 group was led by Gloria E. Acevedo, president of Local 436, Magda De Jesús, president of Local 1219, Juan Fernández, president of Local 154, Santos Crespo, executive vice president of Local 372 and Antonia Marte, executive vice president of Local 420. The union’s participation in the parade was organized by the Latino Heritage Committee, which is chaired by Ms. De Jesús; Blue Collar Division Director José Sierra is vice chair.

On May 20, the union’s Jewish Heritage Month celebration drew 500 members to the union for an evening of music, charity, history, kosher food and a stirring address by Rabbi Marla Feldman on the political challenge to Jews and labor.

After an invocation by Senior Police Chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass, a Local 299 member, Jewish Heritage Committee Chair Larry Glickson of SSEU Local 371 greeted participants. DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts welcomed all with a heartfelt “Shalom.” She said, “Because of their history of suffering, the Jewish community has been particularly sensitive to issues of injustice for others.”

Rabbi Feldman explained that a “passion for justice” was deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, citing the biblical command, “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” (“Justice, justice shall you pursue”). She praised the union and Jewish activists who fought to “open the doors of equality and opportunity.” But today, she said, Congress and the Bush administration are trying to “turn back the clock” on civil and women’s rights. She supported affirmative action in the case now before the Supreme Court, saying, “The reality is that race still matters. Opportunity is not shared equally in America.”

Alvin Billings of the Free Synagogue of Flushing presented a slide show on the Jewish view of workers’ rights and organized labor as far back as biblical times. Music came from both the Golden Land Klezmer Trio and the Hal Jeffrin Trio, which received an introduction from Louis Weiser, head of the Council of Jewish Organizations in Civil Service. The committee presented a special award to Co-chair Linda Feldman for her monumental organizational efforts for the occasion.