Public Employee Press

Met Hospital members applaud benefits

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts led a contingent of local presidents and union staff to Metropolitan Hospital on June 7 for a well-received and informative meeting of members from several DC 37 locals.

“Your union cares about you in more ways than one,” Roberts told the audience of more than 100 members. She encouraged the participants to take advantage of all the union programs that are available.

DC 37 Assistant Associate Director Henry Garrido provided an overview of the union’s affordable housing program, encouraged all of the eligible members to apply and shared some of the program’s early success stories.

Helen Chappell and Catherine Browne of the union’s Education Fund encouraged members to sign up for courses that would enhance their job skills.

“That’s something that I’ve been wanting to do,” said Nurses Aide Benjamin Peter when he heard them speak about the computer classes that are available.

“This is your union,” said Darryl Ramsey, president of Local 768. “But you have to participate and be a part of it, because you are the union.”

Barbara Ingram-Edmonds, director of field operations for DC 37, said the council-wide union meeting at Metropolitan Hospital was the first of a series Roberts will be holding to involve members of all the DC 37 locals that represent Health and Hospitals Corp. employees.

“While the locals also hold their own meetings to deal with their particular issues, at these meetings we put together the strength of all DC 37 members at an institution and get out information about the benefits and programs DC 37 offers for all its members,” she said.