By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN

911 Operators are the first line of defense on many New Yorkers’ worst days. Assigned to the New York Police Department’s Communications Section as emergency call takers, they also serve as radio dispatchers of police resources and perform all other administrative duties related to the provision of emergency services.

Previously represented by Local 1549, Police Communication Technicians (PCTs) and Supervising Police Communication Technicians (SPCTs) voted on Feb. 22 to create a new DC 37 local. Local 5911 now represents approximately 1,500 PCTs and SPCTs.

The members formerly populated the 911 Chapter of Local 1549, NYC Clerical-Administrative Employees. The push to organize their own, unique local started shortly after Local 1549 was placed under administratorship by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in September 2022.

But the reasons for separating into a new local didn’t begin there. Members of the 911 Chapter had long advocated for the opportunity to govern themselves, honoring how their work responsibilities and concerns differed from the other clerical and administrative titles they were grouped with under Local 1549.

“From the very beginning, we noticed our work was fundamentally different from aides and clerical staff,” said Barbara Terrelonge, DC 37 Field & Operations Director and a former 911 Chapter Chair under Local 1549. “We had to fight to get the name changed from ‘Police Administrative Aides’ to ‘Police Communication Technicians,’ which suited us better because we were the only sector in the City using computers for our daily communications at the time. This is one of many ways that the chapter stood out.”

The new Local’s executive leadership team, known for being vocal advocates, also noted several differences among the concerns of other job titles in their bargaining unit under 1549.

“When you look at other first responders, you’ll notice they all have their own unions because their job responsibilities and day-to-day experiences are unique and deserve that distinction,” said Arisleyda Estrella-Skinner, the newly elected Local 5911 president. “911 Operators deserve a union that will represent our specific needs and acknowledge all that our jobs entail.”

While separating from 1549 was at times a contentious endeavor, the 911 Chapter was reassured by previous success of other units branching off and becoming their own locals under DC 37.

“We just wanted to make sure that our needs and concerns have the space to be heard, and under this new local, we intend to do exactly that,” Estrella-Skinner said. “We hope through this new representation, we are able to shine a light on the sacrifices our members make each and every day.”

When choosing a number for the new local, members opted for the familiar “911,” preceded by the number “5” as a nod to the five boroughs that make up New York City.

Local 5911 is the 64th local union under DC 37.