Public Employee Press

Battling Bloomberg's budget:
Fiscal plan favors rich
Tech Guild

Gearing up for DC 37's massive fightback demonstration, Local 375 leaders and supporters rallied at City Hall June 10 and denounced Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's proposed budget as an attack on municipal unions, the middle class and the poor.

They warned that the harsh budget plan would cripple city services and aggravate unemployment by eliminating 10,000 municipal jobs through layoffs and attrition.

Activists at the rally, emceed by Local 375 Organizing Chair Michael McCasland, carried placards saying, "Stop Cutbacks in City Services," and shouted, "We need fair share taxation."

"Mayor Bloomberg's executive budget is a political budget that serves the interests of bankers, Wall Street, the wealthiest and greediest groups," said Local 375 President Behrouz Fathi.

DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray blasted the administration's failure to collect an estimated $800 million in outstanding revenue. Collecting that revenue would make downsizing and services cuts unnecessary, he said.

Eddie Rodriguez, president of DC 37 and Local 1549, urged the demonstrators to respond with "Shame on you!" each time he mentioned the mayor's name.

DC 37 Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin noted that the city's $60 billion budget - which pays 300,000 workers - is a pittance compared with Wall Street's payroll of $160 billion for only 60,000 employees.

"The budget is being balanced on the backs of municipal workers," City Council member Letitia James said. "The mayor is trying to end unions as we know them."

Other speakers included Local 375 chapter leaders Ricardo Hinkle and Gale Harris, Local 372 President Santos Crespo, Local 371 Vice President for Organizing and Education Ingrid Beaumonth, City Council member Robert Jackson, CWA Local 1180 President Arthur Cheliotes, District Council 1707 Executive Director Raglan George and Association of Staff Analysts Chair Robert Croghan.

Community supporters included Ava Farkas of the Living Wage New York City Campaign and health activist Yetta Kirkland.