Public Employee Press

DC 37/ AFSCME Strong: Mobilize, Agitate and Educate
Activists reach out to members

"What's at stake, not just for Local 1549 members but for all DC 37 members and all city workers, is the survival of the civil service system." —Thelma Eason, Local 1549

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

When Thelma Eason, a Clerical Associate III at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, first heard people talking about the DC 37/AFSCME Strong campaign, she wasted no time in signing up.

"I wanted to find out what I can do to help the members," the Local 1549 member said.

Eason has been helping members as a shop steward for more than a dozen years. Now as an activist in the union campaign, she's committed to engaging members in one-on-one conversations to help make the union stronger by explaining the many benefits of belonging to a powerful labor union.

Every Tuesday around lunchtime, Eason leaves her office in the billing department to talk to members. Going from desk to desk in some of the hospital's eight buildings, Eason noticed the increase in temp workers. Eason scheduled a meeting with management and encouraged them to stop hiring temps and instead fill the positions from the civil service list.

"We have plenty of people who have taken the civil service tests and are eligible for those jobs. They should be hiring from that pool," Eason said.

Privatization of the municipal workforce has been a continuous battle at most city agencies here and around the country. This is an issue Eason explains to the members during her lunchtime meetings.

"What's at stake, not just for Local 1549 members but for all DC 37 members and all city workers, is the survival of the civil service system," Eason said. "I explain to the members that we have to fight to protect the system and our union."

The goal of the DC 37/AFSCME Strong campaign is to build union power in the workplace by encouraging members to get involved, especially when public sector workers and their unions are being attacked all over the country. A pending U.S. Supreme Court decision could cripple public sector unions by throwing out a law that requires workers who don't join a union to pay their fair share for collective bargaining representation.

While unions are under attack in the courts and the political arena, DC 37 is carrying out the organizing campaign at a time when public support for organized labor is actually on the rise. A recent Gallup poll shows that 58 percent of Americans approve of unions, up from 48 percent in 2009.

"It's clear to the vast majority of working families that they are falling behind while the 1 percent has pocketed virtually all of the income growth since the Great Recession," said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, saying that in these tough economic times, the union hopes to tap into the growing support for unions through the DC 37/AFSCME Strong campaign. "People are increasingly recognizing that unions are the country's best defense against inequality and the best hope for leveling the playing field," he said.

Like Eason, DC 37/AFSCME Strong activist Anthony Scruggs also uses his lunch break to engage in one-on-one conversations with his coworkers at the Dept. of Health.

Scruggs organized a team of members that meets regularly to familiarize themselves with the collective bargaining agreement and the significance of Weingarten Rights, which entitle a member to union representation during an investigative meeting. He also explains the numerous benefits they have as union members, benefits they are sometimes not aware of and not taking advantage of.

Scruggs spoke to one member who needed legal help and hired a private attorney instead of contacting the union's Municipal Employees Legal Services, a benefit all members are eligible for. The MELS staff helps members deal with landlords and will represent them in housing court, help them fight harassment from creditors and even write up a will, all done without members paying a dime.

Scruggs understands now he can't assume members know about their benefits. "It's our job to reach out and educate them," he said. Scruggs said he makes sure to suggest to members they read their union newspaper. "It's right there in front of them, information about free computer classes, meetings; it's our best resource," said the Local 768 member and executive vice president.

The month of October will be a busy time for the campaign with two training sessions on the agenda.

The next DC 37 /AFSCME Strong training for members of Local 1549 will be held Saturday, Oct. 3, at union headquarters. And the next session for Local 372 will be held Saturday, Oct.17, also at union headquarters.

"I recommend the training because it's not easy to motivate people, but you learn how to approach the members and what issues to raise," said Eason.

Locals that want to schedule a training session for their members can speak to DC 37 Director of Organizing Barbara Terrelonge at 212-815-1221 or send an email inquiry to DC37Strong@dc37.net.