By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

Hundreds of union members attended DC 37 community association meetings this spring in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Harlem, Queens and Staten Island.

To help punch up the union’s political clout and meet members’ needs, DC 37’s Political Action and Legislation Dept. is revitalizing its associations, its core of activists in neighborhoods where vast numbers of members live and work.

“We believe people are the backbone of this union. The members make it strong,” said Zachary Ramsey, a DC 37 deputy administrator. He spoke at association meetings in Harlem and Co-op City in the Bronx about timely developments such as the Medicare Part B Bill and the new contract. He also fielded questions from members.

More than 150 members attended each of the meetings in Harlem and Staten Island. Members completed surveys to help the union select topics for future discussions.

This year — as New Yorkers make political history by electing new leaders for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, four borough presidencies and 36 City Council seats — DC 37 is mobilizing its army of volunteers. The union is revitalizing the community associations to make sure gains made at the bargaining table are not lost in the legislative halls.

“A strong field component is critical to victory in the upcoming elections,” said Diane D’Alessandro, assistant director of the DC 37 Political Action Dept.

The associations will broaden their reach by working with other community-based organizations and institutions. Association activists volunteered May 19 during the union’s citywide voter registration drive, and many took special classes to help City Council candidates in coming petition campaigns. The volunteers will also work to get voters to the polls on Primary Day, Sept. 11, and Election Day, Nov. 6.

Officials who will move DC 37’s legislative agenda forward are often invited to speak at meetings. Kevin Parker, a special assistant to State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, talked to the members at the Central Brooklyn Association May 15 about proposed HHC clinic closings, the race to build electric power sites and public education problems. Because of underfunding, “public schools no longer have music or athletic programs, while youth violence and street gangs are steadily increasing,” he said. “It’s up to us to take advantage of our position now so this opportunity won’t become a missed opportunity.”

Carolyn Askew, a community association coordinator who planned the Brooklyn meeting with retiree Emma Franklin, suggested: “When your children turn 18, before you give them a birthday present, give them a voter registration card.”