Public Employee Press

This is what democracy looks like
Thousands fight back against Bloomberg's war on workers

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Some 20,000 city workers and community allies joined DC 37's massive City Hall fightback rally June 14 to protest Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's plan to lay off thousands of employees and gut city services.

Undeterred by occasional rain, the huge throng sent the billionaire mayor a loud message: No layoffs! Save community services! Stop contracting out and union-busting! Hands off our pensions!

"We are serving notice on City Hall: You cannot balance the budget on our backs!" said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. "Bloomberg spends $10 billion a year on contracting out, and the city has $800 million in uncollected taxes on cell towers and real estate, yet he's threatening to lay off city workers and teachers and close day-care centers, libraries and swimming pools.

"Mr. Mayor, don't undermine the middle class with senseless policies," Roberts said. "Enough is enough! Use the city's $3 billion surplus to save jobs and keep New Yorkers working!"

Lee Saunders, secretary-treasurer of DC 37's national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was the rally's keynote speaker. He asked the crowd, "What does democracy look like?" They thundered back, "This is what democracy looks like!"

"The American Dream is at stake," Saunders told the vast expanse of union members that jammed Broadway from the tip of City Hall Park to past Chambers Street. "We are here to stop the assault on labor. It's time for politicians to clean up this mess, and no one has done a better job of exposing the waste, fraud and outright theft of tax dollars than DC 37."

Saunders introduced AFSCME activists Willie Wallace of Indiana and LaTonya Johnson, a day-care provider from Wisconsin, who emphasized that DC 37's fightback is part of a nationwide battle to defend public service workers.

"AFSCME never runs from a fight. We protest. We are family," Johnson said. "We are a union 1.6 million strong and we are ready to take back our government, our jobs and our rights as workers."

"We're here to dispel the money myth," said rally emcee DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray. "Contractors get rich, workers get layoffs. The city doesn't give us pensions, we pay for them! We say no to layoffs, no to corruption! Stop contracting out now!"

DC 37 used the rally to call out Bloomberg for his failed leadership. Many said he should resign or unions should organize voters to have him recalled in November.

"We will give them hell until they give us what we demand," said Maf Misbah Uddin, DC 37 treasurer and Local 1407 president. "CityTime is a crime, the mayor should resign!"

Save jobs and services

"We are not the enemy," said DC 37 Secretary and Local 1070 President Cliff Koppelman. "We are not going to take any guff! Stop the war on unions! If politicians are unresponsive, we will vote them the hell out!"

With signs that read, "A better New York for all," "Stop the war on workers!"and "Save city jobs and services!" thousands marched across the Brooklyn Bridge and joined the crowd flooding Broadway outside City Hall.

Eddie Rodriguez, president of DC37 and Local 1549, said the protest echoed AFSCME's fightback spirit in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. Addressing himself to business and the wealthy he said, "We may not have your money, but you don't own our souls. Unions are here to stay!"

A large contingent of political leaders from the City Council aligned themselves with DC 37. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio said, "With cuts to libraries, child-care services and education, the mayor is undermining the future by not investing in our children."

DC 37 Associate Director Henry Garrido introduced as "our friends in the struggle" a number of elected leaders who spoke against the misguided budget cuts, including Borough Presidents Scott Stringer and Ruben Diaz Jr., City Council members Charles Barron, Vincent Gentile, Brad Lander, Melissa Mark-Viverito and James Sanders.

Supporting the union on stage were City Council members Margaret Chin, Leroy Comrie, Mattieu Eugene, Julissa Ferraras, Leticia James, Robert Jackson, Diana Reyna, Debbie Rose, James Vacca, Jumaane Williams and others.

"In this time of the city's worst fiscal crisis since the 1970s," Stringer said, political leaders should "respect and work with the city workers and unions that brought this city back from the brink of bankruptcy. DC 37, UFT and the Sanitation Workers stepped up to save this city and are now being disrespected."

"Bloomberg and Governor Andrew Cuomo just don't get it," Saunders said. "They ask us to make sacrifices, but they let Wall Street weasel out of their obligation to pay! They took us from the land of promise and prosperity to the land of poverty.

"They put a target on our backs, but we are fighting back," Saunders said. "We are on the road to freedom and we shall not be moved! It's up to each of us to win this fight! One day longer one day stronger!"