"Thanks to responsible elected officials, we've come a long way from Mayor Bloomberg's 'Doomsday Budget.' While the concerns of average New Yorkers have not been fully met, they have been heard, and the City Council should be commended in its role as champion of the people.

"We can all be proud of the important contributions that city workers and their unions have made in stopping many of the proposed service cuts. Our push for greater state funding and an income surcharge on wealthy New Yorkers has paid off. But we too have made sacrifices to save essential services. Rising fees, fares and sales and property taxes disproportionately affect our members.

"While the final budget is far less destructive than what was proposed in April, we will still see a reduction in city services. As we have said over and over again, there is nothing inevitable about service cuts. DC 37 will continue to wage a campaign to get those who can most afford it to bear their full share of the burden of the fiscal crisis.

"I am hopeful that as we resume contract negotiations with the city, the administration will recognize all that union members have done to keep our city working. I am pleased that many recommendations from our union's white papers have been implemented, and have helped to bring in revenue, reduce costs and save jobs. We will continue to work with the mayor and City Council to find additional ways to restore and improve services. Though the process is sometimes difficult, in the end I believe that everyone agrees that quality city services are the key to keeping New York City great."