Public Employee Press

DC 37 helps New Deal legacy campaign


DC 37 is supporting a project that will commemorate public works sites from the New Deal period in the city.

The union hosted a planning meeting coordinated by the Columbia University Seminars program on June 7. DC 37 Assistant Associate Director Jahmila Joseph welcomed the group.

The New York City chapter is a local affiliate of the Living New Deal, which aims to keep the legacy of the New Deal alive by mapping its projects and building a national database of thousands of documents, photographs and personal stories about public works. It aims to rekindle interest in the era to show how government investment in public works addresses the needs of ordinary people in difficult times.

The New York group has identified 50 top sites in the city funded by the New Deal. The Lincoln Tunnel, the Triborough Bridge and LaGuardia Airport are among the sites, which also include places where DC 37 members work, such as the Staten Island Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Lincoln Hospital and Bellevue Hospital. The local group plans to launch its program next year.

— Gregory N. Heires