Public Employee Press

Political Action 2005
Saving services in city budget

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Nine DC 37 leaders spoke out at City Hall June 6 to tell the City Council what it would take to save city services. Although the mayor’s proposed election year budget came gift wrapped with a $3.3 billion surplus, it also sought cuts in vital services DC 37 members provide.

“Citizens would be hit hard by multimillion-dollar cuts in education, cultural institutions, libraries and health care services,” said DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray. “Our members can best speak to the long term damage this would have on the quality of life for New Yorkers.”

“Working people are being nickeled and dimed in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2006,” said City Council Finance Committee Chair David I. Weprin. At the June 6 hearing, Council members heard union leaders, public advocates and concerned citizens testify that under the mayor’s plan, the city would face cuts of $844 million. However, budget enhancements under consideration by the Council would allocate $900 million to restore services and preserve jobs.

Invest in city services
“The city has lost 18,000 jobs since 2000. Instead of doing more with less, we are doing less with less,” said Ralph Palladino, 2nd vice president of Clerical-Administrative Local 1549. “It’s time to increase services and invest in our city.”

Local 1549 Chapter Chair Alvin Carter urged the Council to support implementation of the landmark civilianization case DC 37 won against the Police Dept. “Walk around your block and count the cops on the beat, then go to your precinct and count the cops behind desks,” Carter said. “The city needs to put able-bodied Police Officers back on the streets and clerical-administrative employees behind the desks.”

DC 37 also urged an end to corporate welfare and tax breaks, which contrary to business propaganda, generally fail to stimulate job growth. The union also testified that ending contracting out and unfair bidding practices would save the city $120 million.

Laborers Local 924 President Kyle Simmons told the Council his members have not had a raise in three years. He and Local 375’s Jon Forster pointed out examples of city waste, understaffing and overwork.
“We are the scientists and artists who build exhibits that must educate and entertain. We complete with the Disneys,” said Museum of Natural History Local 1559 President Jackie Beckett. Metropolitan Museum of Art Local 1503 President Robert Schirmer said the budget’s $2.9 million cut to museums would hurt institutions that draw millions of tourists to New York.

Presidents Lynn Taylor of New York Public Library Local 1930, Maurice Dickenson of Quasi-Public Employees Local 374, and John Socha of the Queens Library Local 1321, testified against the budget cuts and potential layoffs facing their members and the public.

Hard hit would be Wave Hill, an institution recently organized by DC 37, said Dickenson. “This beautiful public garden in the Bronx has workers who voted 2-to-1 to unionize in March. The mayor would cut $75,000 from Wave Hill’s budget when more funding is needed to bring workers up to the city’s collectively bargained pay schedule.”

“Sixteen million dollars would bring us up to snuff, and $7.7 million would allow us to maintain what we have,” said Socha. Like other DC 37 leaders at the hearing, Socha asked City Council members to, “Do the right thing by borough residents.”