DC 37 BLOG

• 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 […]
• Another Important Update Regarding the DOE Vaccine Mandate September 24, 2021
  Dear DOE Employees, I am writing with a correction to yesterday’s update. Yesterday’s email incorrectly stated that any early childhood education programs housed outside DOE buildings are exempt from next week’s vaccination mandate. That is not accurate. Some federal Head Start programs are exempt. To find out whether you fall into that category, please contact your union […]
• An Important Message From ED Henry Garrido to Employees Regarding the DOE Vaccine Mandate September 23, 2021
  Dear DOE Employee,I am writing to you with an update regarding your workplace. Last night, Judge Love decided to lift the temporary injunction (or temporary restraining order, “TRO”) that had been set in place to stop the Department of Education from moving forward with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Now that the TRO was lifted, the […]
• 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
  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.  However, tenants are still encouraged to […]
• The LATEST NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE   August 24, 2021
  MELS NEW YORK EVICTION MORATORIUM The US Supreme Court issued an injunction suspending New York’s Eviction Moratorium. This means that tenants who filed a hardship declaration are no longer protected and landlords can now ask the court for the necessary permission needed to evict. This does not mean that tenants who owe rent or are […]
• Local 1482 Member Awarded for Library Cleanup August 16, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS For singlehandedly cleaning up debris left from a huge July 4th celebration near Bay Ridge Library, a Local 1482 Library Custodian received an Outstanding Citizenship award from City Council Member Justin Brannan. An early morning July 5 Twitter post alerted Brannan to the mounds of trash littering the intersection of 73rd […]
• MELS: Eviction Moratorium Update August 11, 2021
  In May 2021, Governor Cuomo signed a bill continuing the eviction moratorium to August 31, 2021.  Any tenant who has not served their landlord with a New York State Hardship Declaration form or filed the form in Housing Court can do so at any time before August 31, 2021 to secure coverage under the Act. […]
• The LATEST NEWS, UPCOMING EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE   August 10, 2021
  EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES “Post-pandemic, it is important to prioritize your health and wellbeing. Be proactive. A lot of things can be caught early.”   – MSK Cancer Survivor DC 37 has partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) to help raise awareness about the importance of cancer screening and prevention. Screenings help detect cancer early […]
• Alyce’s Story: Colon Cancer Survivor August 4, 2021
  She was being stubborn. Alyce knew her age and race put her at higher risk for colorectal cancer. But she did not want to have a colonoscopy, something she felt would be too uncomfortable. Still, her family encouraged her to schedule the procedure. “I’ll do it, if you do it,” said Alyce’s sister. Alyce could […]
• PSU Use Rises as Union Responds to Members’ Needs August 3, 2021
  By DIANE S. WILLIAMS When a DC 37 member lost multiple family members and coworkers to COVID-19, their deaths affected her deeply. She developed paralyzing anxiety and could not leave her home for fear of contracting coronavirus. Another member struggled with substance misuse that put his job at risk even as he helped fellow New […]
• Schumer and L. 420’s Charles say: FEMA pay H+H $860M for COVID NOW!   July 28, 2021
  BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS In July, DC 37 leaders stood with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Congress member Ritchie Torres at Lincoln Hospital to demand $860 million in emergency reimbursements that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, owes New York City Health+Hospitals. As New York City quickly became the epicenter of the COVID-19 […]