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PEP Archives | July-August
2002 Table of Contents | Public Employee Press Archives
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Protecting public services, at home and nationwide
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By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME
As the budget battle goes down to the wire at City Hall, I
have been emphasizing two principles: If there's pain, it must be
shared. And with a deficit of $5 billion or more, the city has to
take a serious look at ways to close the gap by cutting waste and
raising revenues.
On behalf of our members and the public, we are fighting to reverse
proposed service cuts that are too large and fall too heavily on poor
people, working families and public employees. We are battling the
proposed reductions in education, libraries and cultural institutions
- where staff reductions are a real threat - and the sharp cuts targeted
at health care, social services, parks and other necessities of urban
life, which hit those in the greatest need.
As this issue of PEP goes to press, we have been getting a very positive
reaction to our "white paper" on how the city can save $600
million without cutting services.
Dealing with a mayor whose background is in business, not politics,
we made our case in dollars and common sense. We proved the city can
save money by civilianization, by reducing contracting out, and even
by increasing staff in revenue-generating areas like tow truck operations.
We have explained carefully that these initiatives will produce funds
the city can use to provide vital services and to adequately compensate
the work force.
Other municipal unions are considering issuing similar proposals in
their areas, and Comptroller William Thompson recently completed an
audit of the Police Dept. that backs up our proposals on civilianization.
(See Comptroller backs
civilianization.) Shortly after we released the savings proposal,
the MTA agreed to give $750 million of construction management work
on the Second Avenue subway to members of Local 375, which has been
on the march against contracting out. (See Local
375 wins Second Ave. subway work.)
As we fight these battles, the odds seem high. But it is important
to remember that we have been winning some major struggles against
privatization and contracting out.
Some of our locals will soon be hearing the applause of public employees
from around the country for their victories. Because government employees
nationwide are working to keep the private sector from gobbling up
public services, our parent union, the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, honors locals that show how to fight
the privateers
and win.
Sharing our strengths
I will soon be leading our DC 37 delegation to AFSCME's national convention,
and I am proud to report that three of our locals have been nominated
for awards that will be presented there:
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Board of Education Employees Local 372. Last year, Local President Veronica Montgomery-Costa, who is also president of DC 37, led the fight that beat back former Mayor Giuliani's plan to hand over five schools to Edison Schools, Inc.
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EMTs and Paramedics Local 2507 and EMS Lieutenants and Captains Local 3621. Intensive lobbying by presidents Patrick Bahnken and Donald Rothschild reversed city plans to privatize 75 of 589 daily ambulance tours.
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Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375. When the city said it would hire the giant Bechtel Group, Inc. to replace 60 union members who were coordinating the Ground Zero recovery, Local President Claude Fort mobilized a victorious fight back that stopped the privatization plan with an assist from AFSCME in Washington, D.C.
We will return to New York with new ideas and strategies from AFSCME activists nationwide that will help us win better pay, benefits and working conditions. And we will come home with renewed dedication to the struggle for dignity for public workers and economic and social justice in our nation.