District Council 37

  • Check Your Check
    Story & Photo by MIKE LEE Depending on the City agency you work for, whether you are employed at a cultural institution, or are in the nonprofit human services sector, the structure and terminology of your paycheck may vary. One line in a paycheck is the Recurring Increment Payment (RIP), an additional amount of pay based on the length of City service, irrespective of previous titles. Another line added to the base salary, usually called either Longevity Differential or Service Increment, is based on years of continuous service in the same occupational group or the same Local. Past part-time service is prorated for either amount if employees become full time. Recently, Local 375 member Omar Ortiz, a City Planner 1 at the NYC Department of City Planning, received $20,000 in back pay for RIP and Longevity Differential that he should have started to earn in 2014 when he transitioned from part time to full time serving as a City Planning Technician. Ortiz began his career in the Department in October 2006 as a part-time City Planning Technician working 34 hours a week. In 2017, he passed the Civil Service Exam for City Planner 1 and was promoted. “The first thing [...] — Sep 22
  • City Strikes Budget Deal
    Story by MIKE LEE New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Mayor Eric Adams agreed on a preliminary City budget, shaking hands at a ceremony at City Hall on June 27, three days before the deadline. The nearly $116.9 billion Fiscal Year 2026 budget was voted on and approved by the Council on June 30. It is the largest budget in New York City’s history. Despite Wall Street exchanges bouncing back and forth after the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on dozens of countries, the City expects to receive revenues of $116 billion. This maintains the legal requirements for the City budget to remain balanced and have sufficient cash reserves. Sunday Library Service, Culturals Funding The Fiscal Year 2026 budget substantially raised funding for the city’s three library systems. The $32.7 million library budget includes $2 million earmarked to expand services on Sundays for ten library branches, increasing the number to 17. As PEPtalk goes to press, these branches are yet to be determined. This had been a central focus for DC 37 and the union’s library locals that represent workers at the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens public libraries. The City’s cultural institutions received $75 million for next [...] — Sep 22
  • Federal Budget, New Health Plan On The Agenda At Town Halls
    By MIKE LEE Union leaders and reps met with members across the five boroughs this summer to share information and answer questions about the targeting of public services by the Trump administration and a tentative new health plan for city workers. The effort was aimed at educating members about the impact of the “Big Beautiful Bill” to their bottom line and informing them about the upcoming improvements to their health care. Cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are expected to cause more than 1.2 million job losses nationwide, including nearly 115,000 jobs in New York. The cuts to Medicaid alone will have a devastating impact on low-income communities and the public workers who serve them. Many public and private sector members represented by DC 37 are already experiencing the fallout. At the Harlem Hospital Town Hall, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke of the crisis. “There is a lot in this budget bill that directly impacts us,” Garrido said. “The cuts to Head Start, Home Energy Assistance, and other programs will hurt services and cause layoffs for many of the workers providing them.” Ebony McIntosh, a Patient Care Associate and member of Local 420 at Harlem Hospital, said the Town [...] — Sep 22
  • City Workers Show Off Creative Sides
    Story & Photos By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ More than 80 works of art by DC 37 members were highlighted this summer in the WorkWell NYC “Art if Life” exhibition in downtown Manhattan. This annual public exhibit features the visual, digital, live performance, and literary artworks of city employees. This year’s theme, “Life Lessons Learned,” celebrated learning in the face of adversity and overcoming challenges. Workers submitted photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, music, and movement pieces inspired by their reflection on perseverance. Local 375 member Marc Brown’s / “BUZ163” collage piece “Mum-Mum in the Kitchen” Caption: Local 375 member Marc Brown poses next to his collage. Brown said: “It’s funny, many people recognize and react to the cabinet. Previously when the piece was on view, a woman said, ‘Ah I love the chinero! We had one, too.’” Local 375 member Marc Brown, exhibiting as “BUZ163,” contributed his piece “Mum-Mum in the Kitchen,” a collage depicting his grandmother chopping vegetables in the kitchen, seen from the doorway of a dining room. Opposite her is a wooden china cabinet, a familiar, nostalgic sight across many cultures. Brown cut each piece of material by hand, including film, wallpaper, parquet, and vinyl. SSEU Local 371 member Jorge [...] — Sep 22
  • Bargaining Committee Overcomes Negotiation Obstacles With Museum Of Jewish Heritage
    Story & Photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Local 215 members at the Museum of Jewish Heritage are celebrating the ratification of a hard-won contract. The private sector members worked under an extended contract for six months while they faced off at the bargaining table with museum management. The museum workers’ crash course in contract negotiations and labor history began when they joined the Bargaining Committee just three months after becoming shop stewards. Negotiator Amena Black of DC 37’s Research & Negotiations Department channeled the team’s curiosity and eagerness into generative strategy sessions. “It was a tedious process, but the committee was excited to learn about bargaining and fight for a better contract,” Black said. “It was refreshing to work with such passionate workers.” The new committee met with previous members to learn about management’s past resistance. Black prepared them to meet with the museum’s lawyer by interviewing the entire unit. “The membership was quick to point out what they wanted and what they could compromise on so that their feedback informed our strategy,” Black said. Late in negotiations, the committee faced a setback when mediation was canceled by a March 14 executive action that reduced staffing at the Federal Mediation and [...] — Sep 22