labor

How the Coronavirus Pandemic May Be Causing Support of Labor Unions to Rise

February 2, 2021 // 0 Comments

By ABIGAIL JOHNSON HESS However, as wealth inequality accelerates, essential workers organize for pandemic protections and President-elect Biden makes promises to be “the most pro-union president you’ve ever seen,” public support for unions is rising. In 2018, researchers at MIT found that approximately 48% of nonunion workers would join a union if they could — representing some 58 million workers and nearly half of the nonunion workforce. Gallup estimates that as of 2020 65% of all Americans approve of labor unions; including 83% of Democrats, 64% of independents and 45% of Republicans. Gallup’s figures indicate that public support for unions peaked in the 1950s, when as many as 75% of Americans agreed about the benefits of unionization. Support appears to have dipped during times of economic difficulty, including the [More...]

MLK: Social Justice Pioneer

January 18, 2021 // 0 Comments

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS DC 37 remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who would have turned 92 on January 15. For more than 25 years MLK Day on Jan. 18, is a day of service to others and the community, a time to work together for unity, support and equality. As an architect of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. King made good trouble. He pioneered a nonviolent social justice movement for Black people, the marginalized, the poor and the disenfranchised. He spoke boldly to the conscience of our nation. He shone light on the lives and struggles of a people America relegated to second-class citizenry, those who were made invisible in plain sight in a very separate, unequal and divided society. Dr. King worked alongside other freedom fighters to dismantle America’s apartheid Jim Crow system using the courts, boycotts, peaceful marches, civil disobedience and nonviolence to push for [More...]

We Say No Layoffs!

September 30, 2020 // 0 Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic, a sudden public health crisis that has gripped our country since March, came as a shock and has taken an emotional and financial toll unprecedented in the history of New York City. Immediately, our city became one of the major epicenters of the outbreak. The consequences were sudden. Plans were changed, futures diminished, and lives were ruined as thousands died from this deadly virus. But the city’s public workforce was ready. Our front-line workers stood up, and since the first cases were reported in late February, they did everything that was asked of them—and more. As the pandemic raged on, tens of thousands of municipal workers bravely served the public, risking their lives daily to provide and maintain needed services despite long odds against them. Their service was exceptional under conditions that included many not having proper personal [More...]

Local 1407: We vote. We win.

February 13, 2020 // 0 Comments

By MIKE LEE Local 1407 honored the history, heritage and achievements of African Americans at union headquarters on Feb. 10. Along with an entertaining performance by the Simba Dance Group, the event featured speakers who focused on the struggles ahead at a critical moment in this nation’s history. Maf Misbah Uddin, DC 37 treasurer and Local 1407 president, honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, how they transformed the nation and built a more-inclusive labor movement. Following Uddin, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke of Dr. King’s legacy: “What we see here is that we celebrate the poetic existence of Dr. King and what he stood for.” “But we need to talk about institutional racism, and talk about segregation and talk about government providing for the very few, at the expense of the many. You cannot divorce the idea of what [More...]

Jim Tucciarelli, Union Leader and Activist, Retires

September 25, 2019 // 1 Comment

Jim Tucciarelli, a DC 37 leader for more than three decades and a staunch advocate for fellow responders who worked at Ground Zero in the aftermath of 9/11, has retired. Tucciarelli, longtime president of Sewage Treatment and Senior Sewage Treatment Workers Local 1320, was a member of the DC 37 Executive Board and sat on the Judicial Panel of DC 37’s national union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). He fought tirelessly to protect jobs, and improve the lives of, sewage treatment workers whose dedicated service keeps New York’s communities safe, clean, and healthy. Local 1320’s members operate the Department of Environmental Protection’s 14 wastewater treatment plants and collection facilities. Throughout the years, Tucciarelli played a key role in organizing political and legislative campaigns in New York and around the country. In a 2016 [More...]

Union Supports Legislation to Create Universal Savings Program for Private-Sector Workers

September 24, 2019 // 1 Comment

By GREGORY N. HEIRES DC 37 members joined elected officials, seniors and other activists in the rotunda of City Hall on September 23 to support proposed legislation to create a universal retirement savings program for the approximately 1.5 million private-sector workers in the city who lack access to a savings plan through their employer. “Retirement security should be a right and not a privilege,” DC 37 Assistant Associate Director Jahmila K. Edwards said. “New Yorkers are working harder than ever and they have nothing to show for it.” The event preceded a City Council hearing on the legislation, which is sponsored by members Ben Kallos and I. Daneek Miller. Mayor de Blasio spoke in favor of the proposal. “We have people who are working and don’t know whether they can retire,” de Blasio said. “This is not what we signed up for. This is not the American Dream.” He [More...]

CUNY Labor School Advances Worker Careers and Solidarity

June 25, 2019 // 3 Comments

By GREGORY N. HEIRES Where else but in New York City could you expect a college graduation ceremony to open with the singing of the historic labor song “Solidarity Forever,” along with the country’s national anthem? That occurred at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, which recently celebrated the graduation of the new public university’s first graduating class. Nearly 30 DC 37 members were among the proud graduates. “Our mission is directed toward the public good and social justice,” Gregory Mantsios, the founding dean, said at the opening of the ceremony. The university aims to serve as an incubator of labor ideals, a vehicle for career advancement and advocate for the labor movement and greater community.” Nicholas Pineda, a Data Processing Employees Local 2627 member, was the undergraduate student speaker at the June 14 ceremony. “Fellow graduates, we are [More...]

Union to CUNY: Do the Right Thing, Pay Workers Now!

May 8, 2019 // 0 Comments

By MIKE LEE Workers at City University of New York are outraged that, despite having reached a quick economic agreement with the city in November 2018 and voting overwhelmingly to ratify that contract the following month, they have yet to receive their pay increase and retroactive pay. Citing unforeseen technical problems in their accounting systems, the university system has failed to issue checks that reflect the new terms of the contract. The union is pushing the university hard to resolve this issue, and union activists joined local presidents to speak out before CUNY’s Board of Trustees at LaGuardia Community College on April 30. “Our members our loyal employees who work hard. Way back in December we ratified a contract with you,” Local 2627 President Laura Morand told the trustees. “You have failed to keep up your end of the contract. Why must we wait so long to get what [More...]

NYC Labor History on Display

May 7, 2019 // 0 Comments

By MIKE LEE The story of New York’s labor movement is told by each new generation of workers and activists, adding voice to the chorus of a social and political movement that helped transform a city—and a nation. On May 1, International Workers Day, the Museum of the City of New York opened a new exhibit that focuses on this important, fascinating and on-going story. The exhibit: “City of Workers, City of Struggle: How Labor Movements Changed New York,” traces the history of organized labor in the city; from its beginnings with organizing in the early 1800s by local artisans, through the intense worker struggles of the 20th century to the inclusive, diverse movement that it has become. The exhibit includes a variety of artifacts and interactive displays to enhance the narrative. DC 37 is featured prominently in “City of Workers.” In particular, it highlights the role the [More...]

Concerned About Your Personal Finances? Attend a Free ‘Financial Empowerment’ Course at DC37

January 12, 2019 // 0 Comments

By GREGORY N. HEIRES Are your credit card applications being denied? Are you having difficulty being approved for a mortgage? Are you being turned down for affordable housing even though you meet the income requirement? We are here to help. DC 37 is holding a personal finance course to offer members guidance on their finances so they will have excellent credit scores to qualify for lottery housing, credit and home purchases. About 70 people from the union and the community attended the first class, which was held on Jan. 9. Director of Community Outreach Paul Rodriguez encourages anyone interested in attending the remaining classes to register for the course. The second class will be on Wednesday, Jan. 16, in Rooms 2 and 3 at DC 37 headquarters at 125 Barclay St. in Lower Manhattan. The class will help you understand your credit and debt profile, the basics of borrowing, and how to [More...]