Laid-off members are making use of the resources offered by the union to help them confront the challenge of unemployment and return to the world of regular paychecks.

On June 3 and 6, the union held four-hour meetings for members who lost their municipal jobs to help them obtain unemployment insurance and other benefits and give them information about career development and looking for a new position.

As PEP went to press, the DC 37 Education Fund was preparing for an all-day session June 28 featuring workshops on resume preparation, job searches, and taking civil service exams, with the Personal Service Unit adding stress management workshops.

With more layoffs scheduled in June, the union was planning a new series of programs in July to help laid-off members cope with unemployment and train for new work, said Barbara Kairson, administrator of the DC 37 Education Fund. For more information, members should call (212) 815-1700.

“I hope many of our laid-off members will take advantage of the opportunity to prepare for civil service exams, so they will be eligible for job openings once the city economy improves,” DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts said at the June 3 meeting.
To assist laid-off members, the union is planning to reimburse the fee for their first civil service exam, Ms. Roberts said. The union provided workers who attended the meetings with $4 MetroCards to ease their transportation expenses.

At the meetings, representatives of city and state agencies and labor and community organizations — including the New York City Central Labor Council, the Consortium for Worker Education and Community Food Resources — advised laid-off members about obtaining unemployment insurance, food stamps, housing support and other assistance.

DC 37 Health and Security Plan staff were on hand to inform them about the 60-day extension of their prescription drug benefit and their right to pay to continue their health-care coverage for up to 18 months.

Administrator Barbara Kairson said the DC 37 Education Fund would provide an intensive computer-training program for out-of-work members from July 14 to Aug. 8. Call Manuel Gomez at (212) 815-1679 to see if a seat is still available.

Other speakers included Robert Terruso, director of the DC 37 Personal Service Unit, Howard Van Jones of the Central Labor Council and Associate Administrator Helen Wilson of the SSEU Local 371 Health and Security Fund.

Laid-off members may be eligible for an affordable, publicly funded health insurance program. To find out if you qualify, call 1-888-NYC-6116 or visit the city’s Office of Health Insurance Access Web site at www.nyc.gov/html/hia.

“The union is committed to doing as much as it can to help you get back on your feet,” said Barbara Ingram-Edmonds, director of DC 37 field operations.