Union leaders gather with City Council members Feb. 26 at the DC 37 City Council Legislative Breakfast.

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

DC 37 leaders presented the union’s budget and legislative priorities to the city’s top political leaders at a breakfast meeting on February 26.

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and over 20 local legislators and legislative aides attended the annual District Council 37 City Council Legislative Breakfast at union headquarters. They met with the union’s elected officers, local presidents and political activists.

The union and council leaders agreed to work together to help address the city’s fiscal crisis by fighting for additional revenue. The city faces a budget gap projected at almost $4 billion in fiscal year 2004, which begins July 1.

“We have put forth a legislative agenda that not only helps our members but also makes sense for the city as a whole,” DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts told the visiting City Council members.

“Whether it’s keeping open the doors of our most cherished cultural institutions and public libraries or ensuring access to quality health care services for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, we share a deep commitment to social and economic justice,” Ms. Roberts said. “Working together, we can get past this dark moment, but we must use all of our skills and energy to do so.”

City Council’s “Fair Share” campaign
Mr. Miller asked for DC 37 to support the council’s “Fair Share” campaign to lobby for more state and federal funds. The campaign aims to draw public attention to the fact that the city provides Albany and Washington, D.C., with much more in revenue than it receives in state and federal assistance.

“DC 37 and the City Council constitute a very powerful partnership that is committed to fighting for the community and union members,” said Wanda Williams, director of the DC 37 Political Action and Legislation Dept. Ms. Roberts discussed the union’s effort to publicize how the city wastes millions of dollars by contracting out the work of civil servants. The union provided the council members with copies of DC 37’s three white papers on government waste and contracting out. Several council members signed a union petition that calls upon Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to establish a commission on contracting out, waste and inefficiency.

Ms. Roberts also discussed the union’s local and statewide legislative and public policy priorities. At home, the union is pushing to restore budget cuts and pass legislation promoting educational opportunities for welfare recipients, provide forms and services in languages other than English at health and human services agencies and extend rights to gay and lesbian partners in domestic relationships.

At the state level, the union supports:

• improved funding for Medicare and the Health and Hospitals Corp.
• commuter and stock transfer taxes
• a property tax on absentee landlords
• rent regulation renewal and vacancy decontrol
• an increase in federal revenues to the city and state, and
• restorations to the state budget.

Union leaders and activists backed the City Council’s Fair Share campaign. Information about the campaign is available at www.nycboosters.com.

“Just last year, New York City sent Washington $6.3 billion more than we got back, and we sent Albany $3.5 billion more than we got back,” Mr. Miller said. “Simply put, we pay more than our fair share and we get back less than our fair share,” Mr. Miller said. “This has been going on for decades. It costs our city jobs and growth, and it is making it far more difficult for us to recover from our economic crisis.”

Ms. Williams described the meeting as an invaluable opportunity for the union and council to map out a strategy for resolving the city’s fiscal crisis while protecting vital services. “DC 37 and the City Council constitute a very powerful partnership that is committed to fighting for the community and union members,” said Ms. Williams. “As the budget situation heats up, we will be working very closely together to protect the essential services provided by our members.”