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PSU: Person-Centered Skilled Caregivers From left: PSU Clerical Support Staff members Shekeria Ferguson and Rosalind Colon-Jimenez, Director Stephanie Kleinberg, and Associate Director Rachel Edricks. Story and Photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ The first challenge for those seeking mental health services is finding a provider who will answer the call. In the age of automation, being able to get in touch directly with support staff for resources is rare. Eligible DC 37 members calling the Personal Services Unit (PSU) during business hours can expect to speak directly with an actual person, and within three days, be connected to a therapist ready to assist with resources, counseling, or referrals. With client confidentiality and a care-centered work ethos, PSU’s team of professionals is equipped to help all members who call. One of the supportive professionals who members may encounter during this process is Rosalind Colon-Jimenez, one of three clerical support staff members who answers calls and handles a range of requests. “When you’re calling for situations that may be a crisis, you just want to hear a person’s voice,” Colon-Jimenez said. “That connection is an important part of our service.” Colon-Jimenez joined the PSU team last year after 16 years of working with the Dental Unit and MELS, [...] — Mar 27
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PEOPLE Chair Appointed to Champion Union’s Political Action Fund Interview and photo by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN Sharon Braxton, president of Local 436 United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists, was recently appointed new chair of the PEOPLE Program. PEOPLE, or Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality, is AFSCME’s political action committee. PEOPLE funds are used for lobbying, grassroots campaigns, and directly supporting pro-worker candidates committed to addressing the needs of DC 37 members and retirees. Recently, support from the PEOPLE program helped pave the way to victory for Congressmember Tom Suozzi in the Feb. 13 special election to replace expelled Congressmember George Santos, securing a pro-worker ally in the House of Representatives. By law, DC 37 is restricted from using money from members’ dues for political campaigns. Contributions to PEOPLE are voluntary and empower members to help fulfill the union’s mission of strengthening and defending working families by electing pro-labor candidates who champion the rights of workers. Braxton steps into the PEOPLE Chair role in her 29th year as a DC 37 member. She first joined the union when she became a Junior Public Health Nurse in 1995. She is currently a Supervising Public Health Nurse in addition to serving her second term as president of Local 436, which represents [...] — Mar 27
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DC 37 MELS Webinars and Workshops MELS Tax Filing Tips Webinar Tax season is here before you know it. On Jan. 24, 2024, the DC 37 MELS team discussed tips and tricks to get you to the finish line early, along with filing status, standard and itemized deductions, tax credits, and more! To watch, visit: bit.ly/3wHQ8Ec MELS Housing Webinar Knowledge is power! On Dec. 6, 2023, MELS Housing Attorneys answered questions about rent withholding, obtaining repairs, mold, lead paint, bedbugs and rodents, rent increases, lease renewals, and security deposits, noisy neighbors and construction, water and property damage, smoking, roommates, breaking your lease, legal notices, and much more! To watch, visit: bit.ly/3TmQetA MELS Bankruptcy Webinar Have you considered filing for bankruptcy? Do you have more questions than answers about the process? If so, this workshop is for you! On Dec. 13, 2023, the DC 37 MELS Department discussed what kinds of debts you can discharge, the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, the potential impact on your credit, and much more! To watch, visit: bit.ly/3T4KTpJ — Mar 27
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Our Voices Heard: Lobbying for the Union’s Agenda in Albany By MIKE LEE, JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN & THEA SETTERBO Arriving with a full agenda, District Council 37 leaders and activists spent Tuesday, March 12, in Albany calling on elected New York legislators to act on bills that benefit New York City and essential workers. Following the momentum of two straight months of agreements on retention, alternative work schedules, and contract settlements with the city and state, DC 37 members spent the day aggressively lobbying for a diverse list of priorities. After the group arrived on buses to the capital, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke to more than 200 members about the union’s success in showing strength at the state level. “We’re here today to meet face-to-face with our legislators,” Garrido said. “They need to hear us not only as union members who make the city run, but also as the constituents of their districts.” Afterward, participants went into breakout groups to discuss agenda items and assignments before visiting the offices of senators and assemblymembers to argue for crucial union priorities. Topping the union’s priority list were cost-of-living Adjustments (COLA) for human services workers and Tier 6 pension reforms needed to re-establish a standard of fairness in compensation for recent [...] — Mar 27
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Parks Gardeners, Supervisors Keep Growing in Queens Frazier showing off a freshly propagated cutting. Gardener Joan Thorp demonstrates the hand crank in the oldest greenhouse, a construction made by Lord and Burnham in the 1920s.Gardner Sally Frazier tending to plants in her care.From left: Thorp, Director of Horticulture Kean Eng, and Frazier at the Queens GreenhousesFrazier and Thorp pull germinated seeds out of an incubator Eng purchased to assist with production. Story and photos by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Just beyond the Forest Park Carousel in Queens, on an unassuming road leading to a rusted roof barn, is an oasis of greenery in the midst of the bustling city. Three sophisticated and highly organized greenhouses are the domain of park support staff in multiple DC 37-covered City titles, including Local 1507 NYC Department of Parks Gardeners and Local 1508 Uniformed Park Officers. Gardeners Joan Thorp and Sally Frazier propagate, survey, and grow flowers and foliage that are later transported to municipally-owned public parks in Queens and Brooklyn. These greenhouses are responsible for producing hundreds of thousands of plants needed annually. With automated temperature controls and windows for ample sunlight, the greenhouses remain fairly temperate year-round, allowing gardeners to grow plants and flowers from seeds and cuttings regardless of the [...] — Mar 27