By DIANE S. WILLIAMS DC 37 and Local 983 recently settled an Article 78 petition filed in State Supreme Court that led to the hiring of 11 High Pressure Plant Tenders (HPPTs) by New York City Transit Authority and more than 80 provisional HPPTs at various New York City agencies. “We successfully protected our civil service members and the civil service process through this vigorous and thorough case to challenge Transit’s illegal hirings,” said Joe Puleo, President of Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983. DC 37 Assistant General Counsel Samuel Jackson who handled the case said, “The examination and appointment procedures required under the State Constitution and the Civil Service Law are intended to ensure that competitive appointments are based on merit and fitness. When a public employer fails to adhere to these obligations, it undermines this objective and is unfair to candidates who work diligently to obtain higher examination scores.” The union filed the action in March 2021 alleging that NYC Transit and DCAS violated civil service law when they hired applicants from the 2019 HPPT Civil Service Exam No. 9033 list and bypassed others who had placed higher on the list. DCAS investigated the union’s charges against NYC Transit [...]— Jun 30
Story and Photo by MIKE LEE DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido joined other union leaders and health care advocates at City Hall Park to demand action on exorbitant hospital prices and the financial stranglehold the five private hospital systems have on health care in New York City. The April 25 rally, organized by the Coalition for Affordable Hospitals, is the latest in a campaign by the city’s unions to demand that New York City and the state legislature step in to save taxpayer dollars and use the savings to fund the public services that New Yorkers need in these times of economic distress. Currently, New York City is overcharged $2.393 billion in hospital costs by private hospitals. By taking action to push back against these overcharges, the money saved could be spent instead on the city’s public schools, social services, housing, and community support. This also will alleviate the pressure on union health plans, such as DC 37’s Health & Security Fund. “Our municipal workers kept our city running throughout the pandemic, providing the vital services New Yorkers depend on. Now we need to stand up for those workers and their families. We need to stop protecting these private [...]— Jun 27
After more than two years of this pandemic, it is time we stand up for what is right, move forward, and engage the city to come to the table and negotiate a fair and just contract. Everyone should have received a bargaining survey as part of DC 37’s negotiating team’s efforts to work out a new contract with Mayor Eric Adams. This survey gives you a democratic voice in winning the best possible agreement. Surveys are essential because for us to fine-tune and finalize all our demands, we need to know yours. We are undoubtedly heading into a long, drawn-out series of bargaining sessions with the city so we need to be fully prepared for what’s to come. In addition to addressing the economic needs of our members, we also need to pinpoint your non-economic needs in this new era. To win the best possible contract, we need to have a priority list so we know what our members consider the most important and then we can work our way down the list. As we review your responses, we thank you for participating in the survey. It will genuinely help us prepare for our next steps. This will be a [...]— Jun 24
TAKE ACTION with DC 37 TODAY to PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS RALLY/MARCH TODAY, JUNE 24, at 6:30 P.M., WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK COMMUNITY CARE TO FOLLOW AT UNION SQUARE at 8 P.M. Bans Off Our Bodies! Today the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and nearly 50 years of precedent, eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion, and stripping people of the right to control their own bodies. It is as dangerous as it is shocking, and it opens the floodgates for states across the country to ban abortion. The consequences of this devastating decision will fall largely on people who already face the greatest barriers to healthcare due to this country’s legacy of racism and discrimination, including Black, Latino and Indigenous communities, people with low incomes, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants and those living in rural areas. New York City must be a welcoming place for all people seeking abortion care. Join DC 37 in these calls to action to protect abortion access for those who need it: RALLY/MARCH AT WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK | 6:30 P.M. Join organizers to express your rage at the Supreme Court’s decision WEAR GREEN and mask up March will take place immediately following the rally CARE/COMMUNITY SPACE AT [...]— Jun 24
PRIMARY DAY IS TUESDAY! INFORMATION ON THE 2022 NEW YORK STATE ELECTIONS We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines! Time is running out to vote in the New York State Primary Election for Governor and Assembly. Find out who we’re supporting in your area here. You can vote at your nearest early voting site until June 26 or vote at your election day polling site on Tuesday, June 28. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Contact 311 or 1-866-VOTE-NYC for more information about your poll site location. Changes in Election Calendar There are important changes to the 2022 election calendar that you and your family should know. As a result of challenges to the initial redistricting process, New York State will have two primary elections in 2022. Primary elections for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Senate, and New York State Assembly will take place on Tuesday, June 28. Primary elections for the New York State Senate and U.S. House of Representatives will take place on Tuesday, August 23. As originally scheduled, the general election will be on Tuesday, November 8. Get Out The Vote! Do you want to make a difference? We need your help to Get Out the Vote for [...]— Jun 24
