Public Employee Press

Coalition battles NYCHA job cuts

Inside City Hall June 12, the mayor and City Council members fine-tuned the 2008 budget, with its record $4.4 billion surplus.

Outside, District Council 37 and a coalition of unions, politicians, public housing residents and advocates demonstrated against the New York City Housing Authority’s plan to eliminate 500 jobs by layoffs and attrition and cut back services for residents.

“It is outrageous that layoffs are even being considered,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “Instead we need to press Washington to come through with the funds to prevent the loss of these critical jobs and the loss of affordable housing.”

In the weeks following NYCHA’s May 29 threat to cut jobs, Roberts and other DC 37 leaders met with Housing Authority Chair Tino Hernandez to avert layoffs of members. The authority has not indicated which titles would be affected. More than 15,000 members of DC 37 work for or live in Housing Authority apartments. The union team included presidents Walthene Primus of Local 957; Maf Misbah Uddin, Local 1407; Claude Fort, 375; Ed Hysyk, 2627, and union staff.

The rain subsided for the rush-hour demonstration, where Roberts, invited by Teamsters Local 237 leaders, stood with City Council members Charles Barron, Leticia James and Darlene Mealy, and a crowd of about 1,000 supporters who were penned into a corridor along six blocks of lower Broadway.

Union leaders and politicians led the crowd with chants of “No justice, No peace,” and “You say cut back, we say fight back!”

“NYCHA’s annual deficit is $225 million. The $18 million they could save by layoffs wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket,” said Primus, whose members work for the Housing Authority.

Over the last decade, the federal government hasdrastically cut its funding for public housing, New York State ended its support in 1997, and New York City stopped paying its fair share four years ago but recently restored $100 million. Together, the cuts are cripplingthe sources of affordable housing for more than 408,000 low and moderate-income families, the disabled andseniors.

The lack of government support has leached away millions of dollars that would pay employees’ salaries and maintain buildings, many of which are more than 50 years old.

The agency spends millions of dollars on layers of high-paid managers and consultants, labor leaders said. The burden of maintenance and upkeep rests on residents’ backs, since the authority now charges residents for utilities, parking and repairs.

Thousands of NYCHA residents and employees lined the streets to protect their jobs and their homes. The protestors said they’d rather see their tax dollars be used for NYCHA. “This is a crucial issue,” Roberts said. “Let’s stand together and send a strong message to Washington: We need those federal dollars now! And no layoffs!”

— Diane S. Williams