Public Employee Press

New governor listens to labor, funds health care and schools

Under the leadership of Gov. David Paterson, Albany legislators pulled together to enact a $122 billion budget for 2008-09 that expands Child Health Plus to cover 400,000 uninsured children across the state. The fiscal plan also increases state aid to New York City schools, hospitals and transportation as it tightens the belt on state spending and includes federal and state funds to help close a $4.6 billion gap.

“By all estimates, this governor has listened to us,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.

New Yorkers have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in state taxes in recent years without getting a fair share of aid from Albany, but the new budget finally includes steps to do more for residents of New York City. After longstanding pressure from the union and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity to comply with the landmark DeGrasse decision, this year the state will raise aid to city schools to $8.33 billion, $1.4 billion more than in 2006-07.

The budget expands Child Health Plus by fully funding the program to provide access to health care for all 400,000 uninsured children in the state. Legislators expanded eligibility requirements to 400 percent of the federal poverty level to cover more children.

The budget shifts $200 million from inpatient to outpatient care, redirecting Medicaid funds to physicians’ offices, and community-based clinics. The budget includes an additional $5.3 million for the Staten Island Ferry and the city Dept. of Transportation and provides $7 million for the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program.

DC 37 unionists have lobbied state lawmakers to raise revenues by closing gaping tax loopholes. This year legislators responded by ending the Personal Income Tax credit for the Big Apple’s richest residents, who earn more than $250,000 a year; forcing financial institutions to begin to pay their fair share, and reinstating the quarter-cent local sales tax. By collecting sales tax on New Yorkers’ purchases from Web sites like Amazon.com, the state expects to recover $50 million and bring in $26.5 million in 2009.

“Despite our challenging economic circumstances, New York City is a vital fiscal engine for the state and a strong partner,” said Gov. Paterson in a statement. “The state tightened its own belt so it could continue critical support to local governments like New York City.”

“The governor and our friends in Albany worked out a budget that, while not perfect, funds the vital services our members provide,” said Roberts.

School kitchens
Local 372’s long campaign for health and safetyimprovements in school kitchens resulted in a state budget appropriation of $4.9 million. The union is working to ensure that the Dept. of Education performs neglected maintenance on ventilation equipment with current funds and devotes the new $4.9 million to air-conditioning the kitchens.

Based on inspections of selected kitchens in each borough by the union and experts from the state Labor Dept., the state Commissioner of Labor issued a report showing that many workers suffer migraines, nausea and lightheadedness when heat levels reach their highest. The report helped the union win the $4.9 million in the budget.

“Now we have to make sure this money is used to provide as much relief as possible for our members,” said Veronica Montgomery-Costa, president of Local 372 and of DC 37.