Public Employee Press

DC 37 celebrates diversity
Caribbean Heritage

The Caribbean is more than a vacation destination. It has a strong and diverse culture and a labor movement with a long history of fighting for workers' rights. That was the message as DC 37 kicked off Caribbean Heritage Month on June 4 with a ribbon cutting at union headquarters.

"We are very proud of our roots," said Caribbean Heritage Committee Chair and Municipal Hospital Employees Union Local 420 President Carmen Charles. She thanked the committee members for their hard work and dedication.

"It is great to see our union family come together to celebrate a rich tradition," said DC 37 and Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez. "Our union is a mosaic of members from over 200 countries working as one," said DC 37 Treasurer and Accountants, Statisticians and Actuaries Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin.

In the keynote address, Jamaican United Nations Ambassador E. Courtenay Rattray spoke about his country's contributions to labor progress, such as establishing sick and maternity leave with pay for public workers in the 1970s.

Rattray, who is living in New York City for the first time in his life, saluted DC 37 members.

"The union helps make this one of the greatest cities in the world," he said. Committee Vice Chair and Health Services Employees Local 768 President Fitz Reid pointed to the power of the Jamaican labor movement as a model for the United States.

"We produce the wealth; we should not limit ourselves to receiving meals of only bread and butter," Reid said.

— Joseph Lopez