National AFSCME News
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MELS UPDATE: COVID-19 Mortgage Relief MORATORIUM ON FORECLOSURES There is currently a moratorium on all foreclosures through June 11, 2020. After the moratorium ends, foreclosures that are in process will resume, and new foreclosures may be initiated. FEDERALLY GUARANTEED MORTGAGES If you have a federally-guaranteed mortgage (FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, VA.) and are having difficulty making payments because of a COVID-19 related hardship, you may call your mortgage servicer and request a forbearance of your payments for 180 days, and up to 12 months. During the forbearance period interest will continue to accrue, but late fees should not be charged, and there should be no negative reporting to the credit reporting agencies. At the end of the forbearance period, the entire deferred amount will become due. The missed payments will not be forgiven. We encourage those who can continue to pay their mortgages to do so. If you had unpaid mortgage arrears before March 1, 2020, you may not be eligible for COVID-19 forbearance. HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A FEDERALLY GUARANTEED MORTGAGE? If you have an FHA mortgage, you will find a clearly-labelled FHA number printed on the mortgage and/or the note. FannieMae: https://www.knowyouroptions.com/loanlookup FreddieMac: https://ww3.freddiemac.com/loanlookup/ WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE [...] — Apr 7
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Remembering Dr. King By DIANE S. WILLIAMS On the 52nd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination April 4, 1968, we reflect on his life’s legacy: the peaceful pursuit of liberty, justice, equality for all, and service to others. Dr. King would have been 91 this year had he lived, but his life was cut short in 1968 at the age of 39 in Memphis, Tennessee. At the invitation of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME, DC 37’s national union), Dr. King traveled to support Black sanitation workers who were striking for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to belong to a union. AFSCME pressed Dr. King to speak to Black Local 1733 members who daily bore humiliations and earned poverty wages. The last speech he ever gave, in which he famously declared that he had “been to the mountaintop,” was delivered at the Mason Temple in Memphis. Dr. King embraced labor’s cause as a microcosm of the struggles his upcoming Poor People’s Campaign would amplify. Dr. King recognized that, “the labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” Organizers T.O. Jones, AFSCME’s Bill Lucy, and others, helped Memphis [...] — Apr 4
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Local 372 on the Frontlines of COVID-19 Feeding Kids and Seniors BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS One group of unsung heroes stepping up to help vulnerable New Yorkers during the global pandemic of coronavirus are Board of Education Employees Local 372 members. “We are seeing 15 or more of our members working in poorly ventilated kitchens to feed kids. DOE has not provided protective equipment for them. I am outraged!” Shaun D. Francois I, said in a phone interview. Last week he delivered 3,000 safety masks donated by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to school kitchen workers, cooks, and Loaders and Handlers, who are preparing nutritious Grab and Go hot meals for thousands of school children and teenagers. The meals are distributed at 400 public schools, down from 650 schools, in underserved communities in the five boroughs, Francois explained. The City has expanded the food services program to also to feed seniors at dozens of Parks Dept. recreation centers. Francois and Local 372 Executive Vice President Donald Nesbit are working to protect the health of their members and their families. “We see our members working hard. They are worried. Social distancing cautions are sidelined in school kitchens as managers press workers to get it done,” Nesbit said. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and [...] — Apr 3
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As Museums Close, Local 1503 Members Stand Guard By DIANE S. WILLIAMS William Vance is a Special Patrolmen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He works the day shift, where normally the museum is bustling with thousands of visitors touring and dozens of delivery trucks are coming and going at New York’s 150-year-old, iconic institution. “It’s strange to walk the halls of a vastly empty museum,” said the Local 1503 member. Since the mid-March state-imposed shutdown of public spaces in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vance said, “I don’t see people.” MMA houses rare collections of artifacts from ancient empires of Africa and Europe — Ghana, Mali, Egypt, Rome and Greece, rare photographs and films of New York and more. Vance patrols the museum and maintains crowd control. As a Peace Officer, he can arrest unruly visitors, though it is a rare occurence, he said. Vance guards an MMA entrance where deliveries are trucked in daily, but as the global coronavirus pandemic continues, that has stopped. These are not normal times. Museums are closed to visitors in response to the lethal viral outbreak. MMA invites visitors to take virtual tours online and practice social distancing to stave the spread of COVID-19. “I watched as this developed and saw [...] — Apr 2
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PSU Can Help You Cope with COVID-19 Stress and Anxiety The DC 37 Health and Security Plan is here to help members cope with the stress and anxiety of COVID-19. Many people feel Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in the face of the uncertainty of COVID-19. If these feelings are overwhelming you, the Personal Service Unit (PSU) can help. The following are common symptoms to look out for: Emotional: Anxiety, Depression, Sadness, Loss, Isolation, Mood Swings, Worry Physical: Disrupted Sleep or Appetite, Chest Palpitations, Upset Stomach, Headaches Behavioral: Outbursts, Short-Tempered Communication, Difficulty Making Decisions HOW CAN A DC 37 PERSONAL SERVICE UNIT (PSU) SOCIAL WORKER HELP? We offer a safe place to discuss and process feelings through confidential individual counseling sessions. We are offering teletherapy during COVID-19. Assist our members challenge negative thoughts and develop a more optimistic outlook. Teach mindfulness and stress management techniques. To contact PSU for Confidential Telecounseling Services, please call 212-815-1250 or 212-815-1260 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Apr 1