DC 37 BLOG

• STUDENT LOAN FORBEARANCE UPDATE October 19, 2021
  The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services, MELS, has provided the following update on student loan debt forgiveness: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Temporary Waiver: On October 6, 2021, the US Department of Education temporarily waived a number of the requirements borrowers who qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) must meet. The waiver period expires […]
• Union Settles Illegal Transfer of TEA III October 8, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS The union settled a grievance filed on behalf of a Local 983 member, Gary Pearson, who the Police Department wrongfully transferred from the Queens Tow Pound, where he had worked for nearly 30 years, to the Manhattan Tow Pound. The settlement paid him a lump sum of $1,250. Pearson had 36 […]
• Last Principal Parks Supervisor Retires October 7, 2021
  BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS After a 44-year career in the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Local 1508 Principal Parks Supervisor Vincent Cascella will retire in October. “The highlight of my career has been helping others learn to do the job well and to see them move up to full-time parkies and […]
• Voters to Answer Five Referendum Questions on November Ballot October 6, 2021
  On Nov. 2, New York City will hold a general election. In addition to New York City races, the following referendums will appear on the ballot. Below you will find a summary of each of the Constitutional Amendments. DC 37’s Executive Board voted on each on Sept. 14 after PEP Talk went to press. You […]
• DC 37 NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE October 6, 2021
  BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, an ideal time to take action on your health. Here’s how Ariel took charge of hers: Ariel was a healthy, 38-year-old mother of two when she was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. “We were all so surprised because I have no family history of […]
• Union, College Leads to Promotion and Raise for Local 372 School Cook October 5, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS With help from DC 37, Staten Island school cook Patrick Marino graduated with honors from CUNY’s LaGuardia Community College in May. He earned an associate’s degree in Nutrition and Culinary Management, a program designed for Local 372 members working in food services. “I attended college when I was younger but I […]
• Union, DOE, NYC Health+Hospitals Reach Agreement on COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Employees October 4, 2021
  District Council 37 and the New York City Department of Education announced an agreement for nearly 20,000 DOE employees regarding the COVID-19 mandate, which initially had a deadline of 5 p.m., Friday, Oct.1. Under the new agreement, DC 37 members who have not provided proof of at least one dose of the vaccine will have […]
• Local 983 Responds to Tow Pound Vandalism September 29, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS An irate motorist smashed the front windshields of 10 vehicles parked near the NYPD Bronx tow pound on August 26. At least half of the damaged vehicles belong to NYPD traffic agents that Local 983 represents. “I am flippin’ outraged. I don’t feel safe at work,” Faithlyn Manzano, an NYPD tow […]
• Delayed Implementation of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate September 28, 2021
  Dear DOE Employees, I am writing with another update on the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in your workplace. Last night the mayor announced that the deadline to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has been extended to Friday, October 1, at 5 pm. As a reminder, to file for a medical or religious exemption, click here and […]
• Get Vaccinated September 22, 2021
  Earlier this year, on Feb. 26, I received my first dose of the Moderna vaccine. This was one of the most difficult choices I’ve had to make recently as a father, a husband, and ultimately, for myself. It was a long struggle to come to this decision. I discussed the issue with my family, going […]
• U. S. CITIZENSHIP WEBINAR TONIGHT SEPT. 22, 6PM September 22, 2021
  The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS), the Building Service 32BJ Legal Services Fund,  CUNY’s Citizenship Now! Program and the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) are jointly presenting a citizenship seminar tonight, Wednesday Sept. 22 at 6 pm on Zoom. Learn how to become a U.S. citizen and the benefits of citizenship. To join the Benefits […]
• Local 983 Rangers Lead Tennis Fans to Safety September 21, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS As Hurricane Ida deluged Flushing Meadow Park, Local 983 Urban Park Rangers and City Seasonal Aides fought the cold, driving rains to lead U.S. Open fans to safety. “These brave members went above and beyond. They made outstanding rescues of people stranded in one of the worst storms on record,” said […]
• DC 37 NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE September 21, 2021
  DC 37 EVENTS: U.S. CITIZENSHIP WEBINAR SEPT. 22, 6PM The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS), the Building Service 32BJ Legal Services Fund, CUNY’s Citizenship Now! Program and the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) are jointly presenting a citizenship seminar on Wednesday Sept. 22 at 6 pm on Zoom. Learn how to become a […]
• Leaving Absence: 9/11 Memorial Designed by a DC 37 Member September 20, 2021
  By MIKE LEE When you visit Leaving Absence, the memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, you are struck by its expression of poignancy and an overwhelming sense of creating a place for contemplation and healing. The memorial rests at the footprint of where the Twin Towers of the World Trade […]
• Sen. Schumer, Charles: FEMA to Reimburse NYC H+H $880 Million for COVID September 20, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS In a victory for public hospitals, New York City Hospitals Employees Local 420 President Carmen Charles, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres secured an additional $620 million from FEMA to reimburse NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) for COVID-19 care during the pandemic. “New York City’s public hospitals […]
• U. S. CITIZENSHIP WEBINAR SEPT. 22, 6PM September 15, 2021
  The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS), the Building Service 32BJ Legal Services Fund,  CUNY’s Citizenship Now! Program and the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) are jointly presenting a citizenship seminar on Wednesday Sept. 22 at 6 pm on Zoom. Learn how to become a U.S. citizen and the benefits of citizenship. To join the […]
• Local 983 Members Clean Up After Ida September 13, 2021
  BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS Torrents of rain poured down as remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through New York City, flooding subways and turning roadways and streets into rushing rivers on Sept. 1. The historic deluge dumped over three inches of rain in an hour and overloaded the city’s vast and aging drainage systems. It created […]
• Never Forget: 20th Sept. 11 Remembrance September 10, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS This Sept. 11 marks the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. District Council 37 remembers that horrific day and what New York’s public employees did to save thousands of lives. The union also recounts what its leaders did to protect staff […]
• The LATEST NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE September 7, 2021
  IMPACT of 9/11 TOXINS 20 YEARS LATER and the FEDERAL RESPONSE THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 9:30 am to 12 pm and 2 to 3:30 pm FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 9:30 am to 1 pm Join this live-stream, two-day event from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This program will bring together health professionals, legal experts, […]
• IMPORTANT UPDATES on the NEW YORK STATE EVICTION MORATORIUM and the CDC FEDERAL EVICTION MORATORIUM August 27, 2021
  By WILLIAM WHALEN, Esq., MELS Director New York State lawmakers agreed on September 1 to extend sweeping protections against evictions. The state’s amended eviction moratorium, extended through January 15, 2022, is one of the most extensive protections put into place in the nation. Under the amended law, landlords can challenge a tenant’s declaration of hardship.  […]