By 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 the member-powered force that carries out District Council 37’s political program, is hard at work for the current legislative season. This machine is comprised of members and their families who commit their free time outside of work as Volunteer Member Organizers (VMOs) with DC 37’s Political Action and Legislative Department. Members become intimately experienced with the daily operations carried out by the union, with opportunities to look behind the curtain as an active participant in the union’s political program. VMOs are compensated for their time with a stipend and traditionally expected to complete a shift of four hours per day. VMOs under the supervision of the Political Action Team engage in phone banking, canvassing, lobby visits, and other civic engagement activities. “I have enjoyed the experience I’ve had as a VMO with the Political Action Team,” said Seeta Singh, a member of Local 768 New [...]— Mar 27
By 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 management that united, they will not be ignored. "Just about every member participated that day,” McPherson said. “Parents asked about our shirts and we explained that we’re trying to push the director to reconsider having a labor-management meeting to hear our concerns.” Local 95 members at CPI perform a wide variety of tasks onsite as Lead Teachers, Assistants, Family Assistants, Cooks, Custodians, and Secretaries. Each member powers the Head Start early child development program by ensuring that parents receive help with a wide range of family needs, including housing, employment, and parenting education. Each site must be a safe, positive learning environment not only for children and parents but also the workers. “When staff representatives went out to the sites, they met with members who all had concerns at the job," McPherson said. "One main site had a strong, mysterious odor coming from the building [...]— Mar 27
Story 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 Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, American Federation of Teachers, and Doctors Council of New York City. As an educator, Katz most recently served as Interim Associate Director of Worker Education and taught at the City University of New York’s Murphy Institute (now the School of Labor and Urban Studies). Before CUNY, he was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Metropolitan College, and Professor of History and Provost of the National Labor College. Katz was also an associate professor of history at the State University of New York, Empire State College, where he was chair of the Master of Arts in Policy Studies program. His focus on the labor movement reflects his vocation: a hardworking representative for transformative change. “When I attended the University of Wisconsin, I worked as a part-time dishwasher at the student union. It was unionized by an independent union called the [...]— Mar 27
