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Letter from the Executive Director – A Year of Discontent Brings Hope We welcome the end of this year of uncertainty and turn our sights to the hope that 2026 holds. As we witnessed the second Trump administration unfold, each Executive Action chipped away at the American dream. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” paid off billionaires and corporate interests with massive tax breaks while placing the burden on working people and cutting Head Start, SNAP, Medicaid, and other essential federal assistance programs. The same chaos we became acquainted with during the president’s first term has only hardened our resolve to fight back and protect our members. We will not give up. Fortunately, beams of light lit our path through the darkness of the year. We defeated an attempt by the Brooklyn Museum to lay off workers with next to no notice. We kept the pressure on management and pushed for funding at the City Council, preventing the layoffs and helping make the museum whole. We continued our organizing efforts, expanding our membership and negotiating first-time contracts in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. We made inroads with other cultural institutions like the Museum of Math and negotiated first contracts with the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) and additional Care for the [...] — Dec 10
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Local 1559 Museum Specialists Buzz with Activity Story & Photos By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Many know the American Museum of Natural History features a planetarium, live butterfly vivarium, fossils, and rare gems. What patrons may not be familiar with are the massive collections tended to by the Museum Specialists of Local 1559. Beyond where the public gathers, Museum Specialists are busy documenting, researching, and cataloging hundreds of specimens. “Our collection is mammoth, and most of it is not on display to the public,” said Christine LeBeau, Museum Specialist and President of Local 1559 American Museum of Natural History. “Our collection has millions of specimens and functions as a lending library. We send material to scholars so they can study it and oftentimes compare it to other specimens to make identifications or identify new species.” Colmenares proudly displays the Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), a tarantula collected in South America, in a jar of ethanol. The specimens range from insects, nests, and arachnids to fossils, textiles, and archaeological objects. There are hundreds of years’ worth of specimens collected from all over the world. They come in crates, vials, and cases waiting to be preserved, identified, and filed into a database. The specimens are dried and stored in glass cases, submerged [...] — Dec 9
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DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS, and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in DECEMBER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER On behalf of the DC 37 family, we hope you enjoy this holiday with family, friends, and loved ones! We’re grateful for all the labor our members put in every day to make this the city that never sleeps. District Council 37 and its associated funds will be closed on November 27-28 in observance of Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Monday, December 1. DC 37 SAFETY & HEALTH DEPARTMENT The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Memorial Scholarship This scholarship provides tuition assistance to children of workers who have died in a work-related accident or who are declared disabled by the New York State Workers Compensation Board. This Scholarship is named after a horrific fire that occurred in 1911, when 146 workers died at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. This fire, the deaths, and the deplorable working conditions are what led to the creation of fire and safety codes, the unionization of garment workers, and the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law. This Memorial Scholarship was created to memorialize the fire, honor those who died, and to turn this tragedy into something that benefits workers and their families. Apply HERE. Food Pantry Information For our members who may need extra resources [...] — Nov 24
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DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS, and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in NOVEMBER MONTHLY NEWSLETTER DC 37 POLITICAL ACTION DEPARTMENT Vote Early Through Sunday, Nov. 2! You can vote early in the NYC General Election through Sunday, Nov. 2! Find your early voting poll site HERE. Contact 311 or 1-866-VOTE-NYC for more information. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Don’t forget to bring your ID and a family member or neighbor to vote with you! You can review the full list of citywide endorsements HERE to see which candidates DC 37 is supporting in your neighborhood as well our position on the NYC Charter Revision Ballot Measures. Attend Political Action Committee Meetings Join us for our monthly Political Action Committee Meetings to find out more about what’s happening in City Hall and Albany. Meetings usually take place on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Next meeting: Thursday, Nov. 20 on Zoom | Register HERE. Join the fight to get pro-worker candidates elected – support the DC 37 PEOPLE Program! Under the new presidential administration, government jobs, safety net programs, and remote work options are under attack. It’s important that we support candidates who will fight against attempts to cut jobs and the advances we’ve fought hard for. By joining the PEOPLE Program – [...] — Oct 30
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Do you have a voting plan? DC 37 POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE Early Voting Begins Tomorrow! Tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in the New York City Primary Election! Register to vote or update your voter registration HERE. You can vote early beginning tomorrow, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 2! Find your early voting poll site HERE. Contact 311 or 1-866-VOTE-NYC for more information. Don’t forget to bring your ID, a family member or neighbor, and your list of DC 37-endorsed candidates! NYC Charter Revision Ballot Measures For the Nov. 4 General Election, voters will decide on five ballot proposals (Props 2-6) to revise the New York City Charter. A city charter is the foundation of a local government and functions as the municipal equivalent of a constitution, setting out guiding principles for governance and the basic rules for governmental operations. Read on for each proposal and why DC 37 delegates voted to oppose each one. Proposition 2: Fast-track affordable housing review process The proposal allows for some publicly funded affordable housing projects to seek zoning relief from the Board of Standards and Appeals instead of going through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) process. DC 37 opposes. The current process maintains City Council oversight, and [...] — Oct 24