District Council 37

  • Providing Care With Paid Family Leave
    By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Paid Family Leave (PFL) is a New York State policy that grants up to 12 weeks of protected job leave, intermittently or consecutively, for workers to care for their families. During this time, eligible workers can receive up to 67% of their paycheck while caring for a spouse, domestic partner, child or stepchild, parent or stepparent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling. Most full-time workers are eligible for PFL after 26 consecutive weeks of employment and most part-time workers receive the benefit after 175 days. Bonding With Children Bonding Leave is a type of PFL that applies to parents welcoming a new child. Parents can take time off to bond with their new child within the first 12 months of the child’s birth. Bonding Leave can be used to care for newborn children, a spouse’s or domestic partner’s children, legal wards, adopted children, foster children, and grandchildren, though it cannot be used for prenatal conditions — it is specifically for new births or adoptions. For men in New York City, paternity leave is on the rise. Nationally, men take paid family leave at a lower rate than women, but male workers at the City of New York utilize [...] — Sep 22
  • Workwear: Get To Know The Uniforms And Gear Of Fellow DC 37 Members
    Story & Photos by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Get to know the uniforms and gear of fellow DC 37 members. Local 461’s New York City Lifeguards keep aquatic enthusiasts safe while enjoying NYC Parks Department beaches, outdoor pools, and indoor pools in all five boroughs. Clad in vivid orange swimsuits, these water guardians stay alert whether poolside or on the sand, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice to rescue swimmers in distress. Luis Martinez has been a pool lifeguard for 15 years. When he arrives at Manhattan’s Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center, he dons his lifeguard uniform, checks the equipment, and hydrates before his watch begins over the indoor pool. As an NYC lifeguard, he has completed the lifeguard training program, passed a written test, and successfully completed the swimming test. With safety as the top priority, Martinez has important advice for all poolgoers making a splash. “The two most dangerous behaviors are running on the pool deck and diving in head first,” he said. “Also, it’s essential to maintain supervision of all children at all times, because they run and are unpredictable.” A lifeguard’s poolside uniform and equipment includes: Whistle: “The most important piece of equipment we use on a [...] — Sep 22
  • NYC Parks Apprenticeships Address Historically Hard-to-Recruit Titles
    Story & Photos by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Beyond securing job protections and negotiating contracts, DC 37 invests in its members by building pathways to better careers with higher earning potential. That’s why workers in the NYC Parks Department are encouraged to apply for the Parks Gardener and Climber & Pruner training programs. Subject matter experts from Local 1505 NYC Attendants, Park Service Workers, City Park Workers & Debris Removers, and Local 1507 NYC Parks Gardeners helped develop the apprenticeship programs in conjunction with NYC Parks Workforce Development to address difficult-to-fill titles. Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn is delighted that her members have the opportunity to grow their careers and become qualified candidates for positions struggling against attrition. “I care about my members and want to change their lives for the better,” Benn said. “They wouldn’t make this amount of money in my Local, so with this program, they can make more and learn more.” The 12-month Parks Gardener Training Program is open to all active, full-time Parks employees who want to expand their skills and knowledge of horticulture, botany, and gardening. Each person receives instruction from former gardeners, takes classes at the New York Botanical Garden, gains necessary certifications, and is [...] — Sep 22
  • Union Gears Up For November Election Backs Mamdani For Mayor
    Story By MIKE LEE, Photo By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ On a sunny Tuesday in July, DC 37 leaders and supporters joined Executive Director Henry Garrido in announcing the union’s endorsement of New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City. “We’re proud to reaffirm our support for Zohran to lead New York City forward as its next mayor,” Garrido said. “DC 37 members helped power him to victory in the mayoral primary, and we will do it again — stronger, louder, and united for a better future.” Mamdani surpassed expectations by overtaking former Governor, Andrew Cuomo, in polls leading up to Primary Day. After the first round of ranked choice votes was counted, it was evident that Mamdani was on the path to victory. He ultimately won the Democratic Primary with 56% of the vote. A relative unknown at the beginning of a crowded field, Mamdani impressed DC 37’s rank-and-file members at the union’s candidate forum in late February. Throughout Primary season, Mamdani hustled where it mattered and won the hearts and minds of New York City’s Democratic voters, including young progressives who enthusiastically responded to his vision. “New York City’s largest labor union and the workers who [...] — Sep 22
  • Unions, Activists Send Message To Wall Street
    … You Say ‘Power’ Story and Photos by MIKE LEE In what was among the largest protests in New York City since President Donald Trump’s Jan. 2025 inauguration, DC 37 members and activists joined several thousand demonstrators on Aug. 29 for the March on Wall Street. The march was sponsored by the National Action Network and included progressive groups and several of New York’s major labor unions. DC 37 and its national union, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), showed force in a sea of green T-shirts. DC 37 members gathered early at 125 Barclay to prepare for the march. In his remarks at the union hall, AFSCME President Lee Saunders outlined the union’s priorities in taking to the streets to protest the Trump administration’s priorities and Wall Street’s response in adopting anti-DEI policies. “They don’t care about unions; they’re trying to destroy us,” said Saunders, who served as DC 37’s Administrator from 1999 to 2002. “We cannot take this attack lightly because it is real.” Saunders also spoke at the rally in the Financial District, emphasizing that unions will stand up against the attacks on public workers and the billionaire bankers who benefit from their [...] — Sep 22