City Council member John Liu tells colleagues,
"Lift residency restrictions on City workers"


City Council member John Liu (D-Queens) says Council must pass bill supporting the right of thousands of public employees to live in the six surrounding counties - Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Orange and Putnam - without loosing their jobs. Liu made a plea for passage of Intro. 452-A while appearing on DC 37's radio show "It's Your City, It's Our Job."

Presently, residency restrictions mean some 45,000 public employees, predominantly people of color and members of District Council 37, must live in the five boroughs. This restriction does not apply to police, firefighters, sanitation workers and teachers.

Council member Liu said, "There have been hearings and multiple discussions about this issue. I certainly hope that it will come up for a vote in the City Council. I certainly will support it."

DC 37 Political Action Director Wanda Williams noted that while the union wants members to have the freedom to move to the surrounding six counties if they need to, "we don't believe there will be a mass exodus from the City the way some opponents fear. It's an issue of equity. We want our members to have the same right as other city employees."

During an October 6 hearing before the City Council's Civil Service and Labor committee, chaired by Queens Council member Joseph Addabbo, District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Robert was joined by other union leaders echoing her demand for support of Intro 452-A.

"We believe that residency requirements should be the same for all city employees," Roberts said. "It's a matter of fairness. Many members of the city's workforce don't have to worry about residency restrictions. The 45,000 DC 37 members who don't have the freedom to choose where they live deserve the right to do so."

Appearing with City Council member John Liu on the DC 37 radio show were DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray, DC 37 Political Action Director Wanda Williams, and Frank Vazquez, a member of DC 37 NYC Sewage Treatment and Senior Sewage Treatment Workers Local 1320. The show aired today over WNYE 99.5 FM. The show repeats on Sundays, November 2 and 9 at 8 p.m., and Wednesday, November 5 at 1:30 p.m. over WNYE 91.5 FM.

DC 37 is New York City's largest public employee union, representing 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.