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Union’s Health & Security Fund Launches Benefit Fairs By MIKE LEE Union members and retirees gather at an information table at the first H&S Benefit Fair in DC 37 headquarters. Now that DC 37 has returned to 125 Barclay St. in lower Manhattan, the union’s headquarters serves as host for many member events, including the new DC 37 Health & Security Fund Benefit Fairs that kicked off Jan. 28. The fairs strive to educate DC 37 members and retirees on their eligible benefits and enhanced services. Staffers from every Health & Security Plan unit answered members’ questions, assisted in updating records, and handed out information about partner health care providers. William Bifulco, Administrator of the DC 37 Health & Security Plan, was pleased with the turnout and interaction with members. “We are here to serve the needs of our eligible workers and retirees,” Bifulco said. “Hosting these fairs at our beautiful renovated headquarters is key to ensuring our members understand how comprehensive their benefits are and how to best utilize them.” H&S plans to host the benefit fairs twice per month to reach as many members as possible while welcoming them into their new union home. “It is clear that when our members see our updated facility, they [...] — Mar 18
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Museum Workers Rally Against Layoffs By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ With light from the setting sun illuminating the front of the historic Brooklyn Museum, members from Local 1502 and United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2110 rallied to protest the reckless layoff of more than 40 staffers, including curators, assistants, conservators, retail workers, educators, and security guards. More than 200 people chanted on the picket line outside, while inside, the executives’ invite-only “Chairman’s Dinner” honored trustees, donors, and their guests. Under Director Anne Pasternak’s leadership, the museum faces a looming $10 million deficit. Management is seeking to cut costs by laying off union members making between $42,000-$80,000 while taking just a 10% cut to management salaries, the highest of which is more than $1 million. In 2024, the museum celebrated its 200th anniversary with extravagant events, an overhaul of branding, and the opening of a new restaurant. There is currently a 2026 renovation planned for its Arts of Africa collection. Local 1502 President Wilson Souffrant noted the museum recruited management with high salaries to oversee the new developments, but their lack of success meant cuts to workers who make the museum run. “We are the backbone of this museum,” Souffrant said. “This was a deficit management created, not [...] — Mar 18
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DC 37 Executive Board Sworn In for Three-Year Term By JUSTINA RAMLAKAHN On the evening of Jan. 28, delegate members from each local union represented by DC 37 convened at the union’s new headquarters. At the top of the agenda for their first meeting of the year was the swearing in of DC 37’s executive board, including newly re-elected Executive Director Henry Garrido, Board President Shaun D. Francois, I, Treasurer Maf Misbah Uddin, and Secretary John Hyslop. The slate was unanimously approved during a vote at the delegates meeting on Nov. 26, 2024. As a result, seven new vice presidents joined the DC 37 Executive Board: Renee Belmar, President of Local 1070, Court, County and Department of Probation Employees Richard Kowalczyk, President of Local 3599, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Technical Professional Employees Anthony Lackhan, President of Local 1549, NYC Clerical-Administrative Employees Lenore McShane, President of Local 384, City University of New York and Educational Opportunity Centers Vinny Musillo, President of Local 1508, Uniformed Park Supervisors Samantha Rappa-Giovagnoli, President of Local 3005, NYC Health Department Technical Professional Employees Ron Riccardi, President of Local 1087, NYC Prevailing Rate Employees Though the tone of the evening was celebratory, a heaviness hung in the air as earlier in the day President Donald [...] — Mar 18
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Trojan Horse Health Care Bill a Threat to Union Rights By MIKE LEE New York City Council Member Christopher Marte has introduced Intro. 1096-2024, a bill that would impede New York City municipal unions’ ability to collectively bargain — the most fundamental of labor rights. The bill intends to amend the City’s Administrative Code to lock in a specific health care requirement for retirees without identifying any source of funding to pay for it. Intro. 1096 would also violate the Taylor Law and the City’s Collective Bargaining Law, setting a dangerous precedent in future contract negotiations. “This bill would take a sledgehammer to the tenets of collective bargaining and put legislators in charge of negotiating the very benefits we enjoy as union members,” said Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director. As of press time, the following Council Members signed on to the bill: Joann Ariola, Erik D. Bottcher, Gale A. Brewer, Shahana K. Hanif, Robert F. Holden, Shekar Krishnan, Linda Lee, Kristy Marmorato, Mercedes Narcisse, Vickie Paladino, and Inna Vernikov. DC 37 members and retirees should contact their City Council member and urge them not to support Intro. 1096. “If our right to negotiate health care is taken away, it opens the door for other anti-union interests to come in [...] — Mar 18
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A Look at This Year’s Budget Proposals Story and Photos by MIKE LEE Against the backdrop of the dramatic ongoing changes in Washington, D.C., New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued their initial executive budgets in January. State of the State In her State of the State address on Jan. 14, Hochul presented her vision for a stronger, safer New York with an array of proposals, from an emphasis on public safety to providing financial assistance for working families. The proposals include: A $110 million Child Care Construction Fund to build new child care facilities and repair existing sites; $300 “inflation refunds” for taxpayers who make less than $150,000 per year; A proposed 5% reduction in taxes for those earning $323,000 or less; Universal school meals to ensure every student has access to free breakfast and lunch; and Opportunities for New Yorkers ages 25-55 to enroll at the State and City Universities of New York (SUNY, CUNY) and earn degrees for free in high-demand fields, such as nursing, engineering, teaching, and technology. Although the state constitution requires the budget to be adopted by April 1, negotiations in recent years have delayed the process beyond the deadline. State of the City On [...] — Mar 18