Story and photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ

With the start of the new year, DC 37’s Health & Security team is rolling out new benefits to eligible members, thanks to union leaders who serve as trustees for the Health & Security Plan, Cultural Trust Institutions, and New York Public Library (NYPL) funds.

Members covered by both the Cultural Institutions and Health & Security Plan trusts are now eligible to receive $300 per week for short-term disability benefits and a $250 optical benefit through a voucher or reimbursement. As of Jan. 1, members at DC 37’s Cultural Institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Bronx Zoo, the Central Park Zoo, Wave Hill, Brooklyn, Queens and NY Botanical Gardens, New York Aquarium, also regained access to the DC 37 Dental Center at 115 Chambers St. NYPL members will be eligible for the $300 short-term disability benefit on April 1 and the $250 optical benefit on May 1.

“As trustees, we have two important duties. One is to protect existing benefits for members and the second is to make sure they have benefits in the years to come,” said Local 154 President Juan Fernandez, who serves as chairman and trustee of the Health & Security Plan. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to our members­. We understand that as our main duty.”

DC 37 is constantly working to enhance benefits across membership sectors. Employers make contributions to welfare funds that are managed by a group of union trustees. Trustees consult with members about what benefits they want to optimize, cautiously watch the financial markets, intentionally monitor vendor agreements, and plan carefully. One of the main challenges trustees face is securing benefits with a sustainable plan in place to retain those services going forward.

Joseph Reece, Vice President of Local 374 Quasi Public Employees, is especially happy to make a difference in members’ lives. He serves as Secretary of the NYPL Fund Trust, which voted on March 8 to incorporate the new benefits.

“We have these funds to take care of members and one of the best ways to utilize the funds is to increase their benefits,” he said.

President Raul Domenech of Wildlife Conservation Society Local 1501 and Wilson Souffrant of Local 1502 (Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and Brooklyn Academy of Music) serve as trustees of the Cultural Institutions Health & Security Fund. Both began working more closely with the union after speaking out against issues they faced with management. During the 2008 economic crisis, Domenech was laid off and demoted to a lesser position, filed a grievance with the shop steward, and saw what the power of the union can do for its members. DC 37 secured his old salary even with the lower title.

Domenech has since served as a shop steward, executive board member, treasurer of his local, and has represented approximately 440 members as president for the last five years. He said he looks forward to what more the trustees can accomplish together.

“I’m happy to be in this position and produce impactful change for our members; it’s very satisfying,” Domenech said. “The Cultural trustees have rallied to create more unity and get these benefits for our members.”

Souffrant joined DC 37’s Brooklyn Museum in 1997 after working with 32BJ SEIU at the World Trade Center. At the Brooklyn Museum, he observed and spoke out about management’s unfair treatment of union members. When the former president retired, Souffrant was elected to serve his local’s 165 members.

“Everything comes down to unity,” Souffrant said. “We are the union together, and we are here for you. I’m a union guy, and I use union power to protect and fight for my members. We must always remember that the union is our backbone when working. With no union, I wouldn’t be in the same institution for the past 26 years.”

Today, the Cultural Institutions have a slightly different set of benefits from general municipal members, but the Cultural trustees have been working to close the gap in recent years based on feedback from their members. In 2020, Cultural Trustees celebrated the restoration of Municipal Employee Legal Services (MELS) for eligible members.

Restoring access to MELS and the DC 37 Dental Center were Souffrant’s biggest priorities as a trustee. He said the key to making members’ lives better is to promote unity across the union, be accountable to members, and make diligent progress in securing better benefits. These tasks are no easy feat.

Members may be surprised to learn there’s a great deal of work behind not only expanding benefits, but also maintaining the benefits trustees have worked so diligently to put in place. Fernandez stressed the importance of working together with Health & Security Plan staff, directed by Administrator Will Bifulco, to secure greater gains for members.

“This is teamwork, and without teamwork, we can have great aspirations but cannot put them into practice,” Fernandez said.

Bifulco works to ensure benefits are provided in accordance with the plan document, a formal structure that defines benefit delivery.

“My day-to-day is consistently making sure that DC 37 provides benefit access to all eligible participants, whether they’re members, retirees, or their family members, and to do it as fast as humanly possible, at the highest quality, with great customer experience, good staff experience, and in tightest compliance with our plan document,” Bifulco said.

While managing the business of the benefits under the direction of the trustees, Bifulco also advocates for members to utilize preventative care benefits like Delta Dental, so they can save money in the long term and live a happier, healthier life. Members can sign a “white card,” or Health & Security Plan Benefits Enrollment form, on the DC 37 website at www.dc37.net/benefits/health/eligibility.

Member feedback and consistent engagement help trustees identify what is working and what needs development. The trustees all encouraged members to take advantage of everything that has been negotiated on their behalf.

“This is collective work we cannot take for granted,” Fernandez said. “This is part of the work the union does for you. The union gives us the power to negotiate a plethora of benefits. Learn about each of the benefits provided for you and your families’ health, legal services, and pensions. Don’t leave money on the table!”