Public Employee Press

Rochelle Mangual heads Retirees Association

Rochelle Mangual was elected president of the 27,000-member Retirees Association of DC 37 April 9 without opposition, as were all but two members of her slate.

She succeeds Stuart Leibowitz, who died last year. Mangual previously served as the association's recording secretary. Before retiring, she was a member of Local 384 as a clerical worker at the City University of New York.

The other top officers of the association are incumbent Executive Vice President Audrey Iszard, incumbent Secretary-Treasurer John Hardisty, and new Recording Secretary Edward Hysyk, a former president of Local 2627.

Mangual said they have a lot of work on their plate, "but we are up to it."

Nationally, she will work with DC 37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, to stop the "budget hawks" from gutting Social Security and Medicare.

Locally, she will fight to prevent the city from cutting retirees' health and other benefits, including the reimbursement of their annual contribution to Medicare Part B.

Mangual said she hopes to win legislation to provide health insurance coverage for surviving spouses of retirees and for Off-Track Betting Corp. retirees who reside outside the state. In May, the association endorsed New York City Comptroller John Liu for mayor.

Elected with Mangual were Lou Albano, Iona Allen, Betty Anderson, Nellie Arce, Rhonna Bonsu, Celeste Council, Don Eisenstein, Johnnie Ekpo, Adrienne Ensley, Mel Fox, Neal Frumkin, Julia Jorge, Carmelo Mallia, Dominic Martino, Dempsey Phillips, Sallie Robertson and Reggie Wing. The two challenged candidates, Roberta Garden and Mary Livingston, defeated their opponents in a mail-ballot vote counted May 29.