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DC 37 Executive Board Sworn In for Three-Year Term By JUSTINA RAMLAKAHN On the evening of Jan. 28, delegate members from each local union represented by DC 37 convened at the union’s new headquarters. At the top of the agenda for their first meeting of the year was the swearing in of DC 37’s executive board, including newly re-elected Executive Director Henry Garrido, Board President Shaun D. Francois, I, Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin, and Secretary John Hyslop. The slate was unanimously approved during a vote at the delegates meeting on Nov. 26, 2024. As a result, seven new vice presidents joined the DC 37 Executive Board: Renee Belmar, President of Local 1070, Court, County and Department of Probation Employees Richard Kowalczyk, President of Local 3599, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Technical Professional Employees Anthony Lackhan, President of Local 1549, NYC Clerical-Administrative Employees Lenore McShane, President of Local 384, City University of New York and Educational Opportunity Centers Vinny Musillo, President of Local 1508, Uniformed Park Supervisors Samantha Rappa-Giovagnoli, President of Local 3005, NYC Health Department Technical Professional Employees Ron Riccardi, President of Local 1087, NYC Prevailing Rate Employees Though the tone of the evening was celebratory, a heaviness hung in the air as earlier in the day President Donald [...] — Mar 18
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Trojan Horse Health Care Bill a Threat to Union Rights By MIKE LEE New York City Council Member Christopher Marte has introduced Intro. 1096-2024, a bill that would impede New York City municipal unions’ ability to collectively bargain — the most fundamental of labor rights. The bill intends to amend the City’s Administrative Code to lock in a specific health care requirement for retirees without identifying any source of funding to pay for it. Intro. 1096 would also violate the Taylor Law and the City’s Collective Bargaining Law, setting a dangerous precedent in future contract negotiations. “This bill would take a sledgehammer to the tenets of collective bargaining and put legislators in charge of negotiating the very benefits we enjoy as union members,” said Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director. As of press time, the following Council Members signed on to the bill: Joann Ariola, Erik D. Bottcher, Gale A. Brewer, Shahana K. Hanif, Robert F. Holden, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Kristy Marmorato, Mercedes Narcisse, Vickie Paladino, and Inna Vernikov. DC 37 members and retirees should contact their City Council member and urge them not to support Intro. 1096. “If our right to negotiate health care is taken away, it opens the door for other anti-union interests to come in [...] — Mar 18
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A Look at This Year’s Budget Proposals Story and Photos by MIKE LEE Against the backdrop of the dramatic ongoing changes in Washington, D.C., New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued their initial executive budgets in January. State of the State In her State of the State address on Jan. 14, Hochul presented her vision for a stronger, safer New York with an array of proposals, from an emphasis on public safety to providing financial assistance for working families. The proposals include: A $110 million Child Care Construction Fund to build new child care facilities and repair existing sites; $300 “inflation refunds” for taxpayers who make less than $150,000 per year; A proposed 5% reduction in taxes for those earning $323,000 or less; Universal school meals to ensure every student has access to free breakfast and lunch; and Opportunities for New Yorkers ages 25-55 to enroll at the State and City Universities of New York (SUNY, CUNY) and earn degrees for free in high-demand fields, such as nursing, engineering, teaching, and technology. Although the state constitution requires the budget to be adopted by April 1, negotiations in recent years have delayed the process beyond the deadline. State of the City On [...] — Mar 18
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Labor Turns Out For 2025 Mayoral Forum From left: DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Rev. Michael Blake, Former Assembly Member Scott Stringer, Former City Comptroller, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, City Comptroller Brad Lander, and State Senator Zellnor Myrie. With Mayor Eric Adams dropping from the program just hours before, DC 37’s members-only Mayoral Forum kicked off at 6 p.m. sharp on Feb. 26 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center in lower Manhattan. Adams’s absence proved irrelevant to the nearly 700 union members who packed the crowded theater to hear the declared candidates make their case for becoming New York City’s next mayor. The six candidates engaged in lively and direct responses to members’ questions, which were submitted prior to the event and moderated by Executive Director Henry Garrido. Click HERE to view the recording of DC 37’s Mayoral Forum. — Mar 18
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A Labor of Love: Restoring the Brooklyn Bridge By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN From left, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, Local 375 member Caroline Pasion, and Kriss Roebling, great-great-grandson of John A. Roebling, the engineer who designed the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo courtesy: Caroline Pasion Once called “America’s Eiffel Tower,” the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects lower Manhattan to downtown Brooklyn, is a famous global landmark. At the time of its completion in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was also briefly the tallest structure in North America. An estimated 120,000 vehicles, 30,000 pedestrians, and 4,000 cyclists use the iconic, 140-year-old bridge each day. Generations of dirt, grime, and pollution distorted the bridge’s towers from their original gray color to the brown shade the bridge is known for. The bridge’s recent restoration by the Department of Transportation featured meticulous cleaning of every individual stone and brick, along with repointing and patching masonry. The project also included the installation of 56 new energy-efficient LED lights to illuminate the bridge’s distinctive towers. The restoration took approximately four years and the cooperation of multiple city agencies. Like any work done on a historic site, the process began with an application to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) seeking approval to [...] — Mar 18