Public Employee Press
BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS
Member wins a scholarship from national union
Dmytruk, 24, is a Local 983 High Pressure Plant Tender at the Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services who pressured legislators in Albany with the union to help win a better contract for City University of New York employees.
His essay on that experience has earned him this year’s Gerald W. McEntee scholarship, named after the longtime AFSCME president who retired in 2012.
“President McEntee’s legacy and leadership have inspired me to protect unions and union members, carry out a wide variety of measures to support public services, and fight for progressive legislation,” wrote Dmytruk in his winning essay.
“I had to help my fellow union members get a new contract and help persuade legislators in Albany to cover university funding,” Dmytruk said. “As a graduate student at CUNY, I understand the importance this university system is to providing educational resources and opportunities for immigrant employees and low-income students.”
Dmytruk, who is studying for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at CUNY’s City College, was one of thousands of workers who struggled financially as their wages lagged and incomes fell farther behind while CUNY delayed contract bargaining. Dmytruk felt the economic squeeze and he stepped up and got involved.
“We made an early-morning trek to Albany in February 2016,” Dmytruk wrote. “City University of New York was facing a massive $485 million budget cut. Ten thousand of us were without a contract and had no raises for seven years…. We belonged to different locals, but we had a common goal: to alleviate the strain on CUNY and get a new contract.”
When the union won a new CUNY contract on June 10, 2016, Dmytruk was thrilled. “I am proud to be a part of one of the most politically involved and effective unions,” he said. “The positive outcomes we achieved from union activism fall in line with President McEntee’s legacy of political power for working people, support for public services, and union political action.”
“We are very proud of Alex and happy AFSCME chose to recognize him with this scholarship,” said Local 983 President Joe Puleo.
To learn more about AFSCME scholarships visit: https://www.afscme.org/members/scholarships/gerald-w-mcentee-scholarship.
