By MIKE LEE, JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN & THEA SETTERBO

Arriving with a full agenda, District Council 37 leaders and activists spent Tuesday, March 12, in Albany calling on elected New York legislators to act on bills that benefit New York City and essential workers.

Following the momentum of two straight months of agreements on retention, alternative work schedules, and contract settlements with the city and state, DC 37 members spent the day aggressively lobbying for a diverse list of priorities.

After the group arrived on buses to the capital, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido spoke to more than 200 members about the union’s success in showing strength at the state level.

“We’re here today to meet face-to-face with our legislators,” Garrido said. “They need to hear us not only as union members who make the city run, but also as the constituents of their districts.”

Afterward, participants went into breakout groups to discuss agenda items and assignments before visiting the offices of senators and assemblymembers to argue for crucial union priorities.

Topping the union’s priority list were cost-of-living Adjustments (COLA) for human services workers and Tier 6 pension reforms needed to re-establish a standard of fairness in compensation for recent and future public workers.

Court Interpreter Jean-Paul Le, Chapter Chair for Local 1070 Court, County, and Department of Probation Employees, said he and his colleagues want to close the gap between tiers to draw more employees to the public sector.

“We’re strapped too thin and we need to be able to hire more people,” Le said. “We need to be able to improve compensation and attract more people so we can continue to run New York.”

Another discussion with legislators centered around pay increases and improved working conditions for human services workers. The bills in front of the state legislature include a COLA for statewide, nonprofit human services contracts and the creation of a wage board to investigate and recommend fair wages in the human services sector.

“Home care workers like me need a COLA,” said Cora Ellison, member of Local 389 Home Care Employees, at a meeting with State Senator Julia Salazar. “There is no other way to increase our wages. Many of my colleagues work for two or three different agencies just to make ends meet.”

In the meetings, members brought up proposed legislation regarding affordable housing and reforming Workers’ Compensation to include coverage for PTSD-related issues. The union also lobbied for a fair minimum wage for home care workers, including costs of overtime, transport, benefits, and taxes in reimbursements for providers.

DC 37 activists also joined 32BJ SEIU and the Hotel Trades Council at a rally in support of affordable housing on the fabled “Million Dollar Staircase” in the lobby of the State Capitol. The unions collaborated on supporting a bill to build more affordable housing units and strengthen tenant protections against eviction.

On the bus ride back to New York City, activists talked about the day’s events, reflecting on the first in-person Lobby Day for the union in more than a decade.

“This has been a really powerful experience,” said Olivia Duong, President of Local 3778 NYPD Technical Professional Employees. “It’s really eye-opening to see how far the union can take you, to have a direct audience with elected officials who can actually do something about your issues. I’ve loved every moment!”