Public Employee Press

Union honors green machine volunteers

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

More than 600 DC 37 members celebrated their hard work and important accomplishments at the Political Action Volunteer Party at union headquarters Dec. 4.

“We showed that DC 37 is a political powerhouse, we showed that money does not make an election — people do!” said Political Action Chair Lenny Allen, the president of OTB Employees Local 2021. Allen thanked the corps of proud volunteers at the Political Action and Legislation Dept.’s annual holiday fete for their outstanding get-out-the-vote effort in November.

This year the department honored activist Doris Carney with the Erin Isbilir Award, named for the late PAL staff member. The department gave eight volunteers Chairman’s Recognition Awards and 18 DC 37 staff members received certificates for community service. PAL staffer Erica Vargas was named Employee of the Year and PAL recognized DC 37’s Blue Collar Division for its volunteer activism.

DC 37’s Green Machine army of volunteers worked overtime at the union’s five auxiliary offices in communities from Coop City in the Bronx to Stapleton in Staten Island. And on Nov. 3, voters across New York City turned out overwhelmingly in support of the candidates endorsed by DC 37.

With more than 1,500 volunteers, DC 37 helped Comptroller John Liu and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio win 70 percent of the electorate and narrowed the margin of victory to less than five points between Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Democratic challenger Bill Thompson.

“We can be proud that we backed Bill Thompson, a candidate with smarts and integrity, and we accomplished so much,” said DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray, who spoke on behalf of Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

“We made a difference in this election and the polls show we have the people on our side,” said Political Director Wanda Williams. She noted that despite spending $105 million on his re-election campaign, the incumbent won by only 4.6 percent, or just under 51,000 votes. In the months and weeks leading to the general election, said Williams, the media discounted Thompson, “but Lillian Roberts knew better.”

Williams said that because Roberts pushed for strong participation by union volunteers, DC 37’s efforts helped elect 98 percent of the candidates the union endorsed for City Council.

“We made this election about New Yorkers, about labor and about the community,” Gray said. “We stood together and we are a stronger, more politically engaged union. There’s no shame in our game and we are better for it.”