DC 37 BLOG
- DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in MAY 2024 April 26, 2024DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in MAY 2024: We're Moving!
- “Green Machine” Sets Stage for 2024 March 27, 2024By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN This is a big year for political activity both nationally and locally, with presidential primaries in November and the turnover of 486 congressional seats. At the state level, there are a range of issues at play that could impact New York residents and working families. The “Green Machine,” the historical nickname for […]
- Members Gain “Head Start” in Growing Stronger Together March 27, 2024By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Local 95 President Linda McPherson and her shop stewards are mobilizing their members to push management to meet and discuss workplace issues. On Dec. 18, 2023, Local 95’s Head Start members at each of the three Community Parents Incorporated (CPI) worksites donned their DC 37 green t-shirts to send a message to […]
- Union’s New Research & Negotiations Director Daniel Katz March 27, 2024Story and photo by MIKE LEE In January, the union announced Bronx-born Brooklynite Daniel Katz as District Council 37’s new Director of Research and Negotiations. Katz brings 40-plus years of experience as a labor organizer, educator, and historian to the department. Katz’s professional career includes work as an organizer and union rep for the Service […]
- Contract Win for State Workers at Local 1359 March 27, 2024In another big win for the union, District Council 37 and New York State agreed on a three-year contract for Local 1359 Rent Regulation Services Employees. On Feb. 1, members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract, which runs from April 2, 2023, to April 1, 2026. The agreement covers 316 workers at the New […]
- PSU: Person-Centered Skilled Caregivers March 27, 2024From left: PSU Clerical Support Staff members Shekeria Ferguson and Rosalind Colon-Jimenez, Director Stephanie Kleinberg, and Associate Director Rachel Edricks. Story and Photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ The first challenge for those seeking mental health services is finding a provider who will answer the call. In the age of automation, being able to get in touch […]
- PEOPLE Chair Appointed to Champion Union’s Political Action Fund March 27, 2024Interview and photo by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN Sharon Braxton, president of Local 436 United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists, was recently appointed new chair of the PEOPLE Program. PEOPLE, or Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality, is AFSCME’s political action committee. PEOPLE funds are used for lobbying, grassroots campaigns, and directly supporting pro-worker candidates committed […]
- DC 37 MELS Webinars and Workshops March 27, 2024MELS Tax Filing Tips Webinar Tax season is here before you know it. On Jan. 24, 2024, the DC 37 MELS team discussed tips and tricks to get you to the finish line early, along with filing status, standard and itemized deductions, tax credits, and more! To watch, visit: bit.ly/3wHQ8Ec MELS Housing Webinar Knowledge is […]
- Our Voices Heard: Lobbying for the Union’s Agenda in Albany March 27, 2024By MIKE LEE, JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN & THEA SETTERBO Arriving with a full agenda, District Council 37 leaders and activists spent Tuesday, March 12, in Albany calling on elected New York legislators to act on bills that benefit New York City and essential workers. Following the momentum of two straight months of agreements on retention, alternative […]
- Parks Gardeners, Supervisors Keep Growing in Queens March 27, 2024Frazier showing off a freshly propagated cutting. Gardener Joan Thorp demonstrates the hand crank in the oldest greenhouse, a construction made by Lord and Burnham in the 1920s.Gardner Sally Frazier tending to plants in her care.From left: Thorp, Director of Horticulture Kean Eng, and Frazier at the Queens GreenhousesFrazier and Thorp pull germinated seeds out […]
- Union Wins Back Pay for Brooklyn Children’s Museum Worker March 27, 2024By MIKE LEE Last November, DC 37 and Local 1502 President Wilson Souffrant negotiated a settlement with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum on behalf of Supervising Custodian Michael Graham after the union discovered he was underpaid in comparison to his predecessor. The action followed months after a significant grievance was settled between the local and the […]
- Volunteer Member Organizers Propel Union-Wide Campaign to Sign Up Members March 27, 2024By MIKE LEE District Council 37’s Field Operations team has led staff from several departments and Volunteer Member Organizers (VMOs) to spread the union message to non-members. Called a “blitz", the effort is part of an aggressive, ongoing campaign to build the union’s power in educating City workers and employees in nonprofit and private sector […]
- 911 Operators Secure Compressed Time, Retention Bonuses March 27, 2024Local 1549 PCT/SPCT Communications Chapter at PSAC II 911 Call Center in the Bronx By MIKE LEE After several weeks of intense negotiations, the union won an agreement securing raises, retention bonuses, and compressed alternative work schedules for nearly 1,200 911 Operators in Local 1549 and their supervisors. DC 37 and the Adams administration announced […]
- Union Pushes Administration on Budget Cuts Saves Job Training Program March 27, 2024A new group of JTPs walking the grounds of Flushing Meadows Park in Queens DC 37 Field Rep Viviana Elivo collects a signed union card from a new JTP worker during orientation, Fatima Batchelor in standard uniform at the Workforce Development Hiring Center in Queens Story and Photos by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN District Council 37 made […]
- Union Gets Pay Increase, Bonus for City Lifeguards March 27, 2024By MIKE LEE As negotiations for a unit contract continue, the City’s Lifeguards agreed to a deal on salary increases and retention bonuses for seasonal and chief lifeguards beginning this summer. The Feb. 1 agreement between the Parks and Recreation Department and DC 37 is a lifesaver for the frontline workers who keep the City’s […]
- New Law Guarantees Pension for City Workers in Board of Education System March 27, 2024By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN One of the many perks of being a City employee is a competitive benefits package, including a pension plan to mitigate living expenses after retirement. Those employed by the New York City Board of Education also have access to disability insurance, death benefits, deferred vested benefits, and a tax-deferred annuity program through […]
- New Contract for CUNY Members Secure Wage Increases, Retro Pay March 27, 2024Photo above: CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez and DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido shake hands upon reaching a tentative agreement. Photo: CUNY / Marcus Beasley By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN The start of 2024 brings good news to the members of eight locals whose members are employed by the City University of New York (CUNY). […]
- Your Union Leadership at Work: Trustees Achieve Enhanced Member Benefits March 27, 2024Story and photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ With the start of the new year, DC 37’s Health & Security team is rolling out new benefits to eligible members, thanks to union leaders who serve as trustees for the Health & Security Plan, Cultural Trust Institutions, and New York Public Library (NYPL) funds. Members covered by both […]
- Union, City Agree on Alternative Work Schedules March 27, 2024By MIKE LEE When the union fights for what is right, determination and perseverance always wins. After nearly a year of negotiations, the Adams administration and a committee of union representatives agreed to implement alternative work schedules for tens of thousands of DC 37 members with job titles that do not allow them to work […]
- Union Power Comes From You March 27, 2024When this union meets with management on behalf of our members, we are there to win.After intense negotiations in the past several months with the mayoral administration and state leaders, your union made unprecedented contractual agreements in our demands to provide alternative schedules, retention bonuses, and fair pay for most essential public workers. These successes […]