Public Employee Press


Culture and Diversity
Caribbean heritage honors labor activists

The DC 37 Caribbean Heritage Committee on June 7 kicked off a month of celebrations honoring the nation's Caribbean community, which has emigrated from more than 30 nations to the United States for over a century.

The diverse cultures and the historically strong labor movement in the Caribbean region instilled the community to be advocates of social justice as they became more active when entering the workforce as public employees in the United States. Their activism helps to rejuvenate the labor movement.

The Caribbean people's contributions are all the more important at this critical time because unions face an array of right-wing attacks funded by corporate donors.

DC 37 leaders stressed that members should vote on Election Day, Nov. 7 against a ballot question asking whether New York should hold a constitutional convention on. Local 420 President Carmen Charles, the chair of the Caribbean Heritage Committee, said, "We do not want to wind up like Wisconsin." She warned that a convention could have damaging consequences, including altering the constitution to include anti-labor provisions.

"We come to this country with activism in our veins. We came here to succeed. We are city workers and must become more involved in the union, because if we do not come together we will all lose," Charles said.

In her remarks, the keynote speaker, Guyana's counsel general for New York, the Hon. Barbara Atherly, also stressed the power of labor, and praised the contributions of rich and diverse cultures from the region to American culture and governance.

Local 768 President and committee co-chair Fitz Reid, and Maf Misbah Uddin, DC 37 treasurer and Local 1407 president, also spoke at the event.

— Mike Lee