By MIKE LEE

at Care for the Homeless

After a concerted organizing effort kicked off in October 2021, the union recently secured DC 37 representation at 21 of 24 locations at Care for the Homeless, a non-profit that provides services and shelter for thousands of at-risk New Yorkers. The non-profit was founded in 1985 and operates sites across all five boroughs.

The campaign’s success centered on a large-scale effort requiring four highly trained internal organizing committees comprised of workers representing the locations. The campaign was unique because each site required a separate certification election. District Council 37 brought in more than 100 workers after each certification vote passed by an overwhelming majority.

The organizing committees were crucial to the campaign’s success, maintaining unity and focusing efforts on winning recognition.

“The workers realized they were robust in numbers and would win,” Organizer Tanya Miller said. “They believed in one another. They had a plan to prepare for each vote and stuck to it.”

By taking on leadership during the struggle to unionize, Care for the Homeless workers were unstoppable after forming a cohesive, well-informed group of labor activists.

“The workers believed in themselves,” Miller said. “They would say, ‘We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We don’t have a union, so let’s do what we must.’”

Steve Rodgers, a Nurse Practitioner at the central location on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, was enthusiastic about the victory.

“The campaign brought us together and decreased the alienation in our workforce,” he said. “Go, team!”

Angie Salazar works at the Franklin Avenue location in the Bronx and spoke of solidarity among the health care workers at the jobsite.

“It took us 11 long months of hard work to achieve this victory,” Salazar said. “Thanks to the teamwork of the nurses, LPNs, medical assistants, and nurse practitioners, we won and are proud members of DC 37.”

Martin Hill, a Transportation Driver at the main location on Jerome Avenue, agreed.

“We now have a voice for those who are afraid to speak out.”

at Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Stepping up as a determined corps pays off when members come together to fight for better working conditions and respect. This is the case at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM) where Educators are now union members.

The Educators use the museum’s collection and live animals to create a welcoming environment for young people attending classes and events. Their responsibilities include facilitating school programs and activities, workshopping curriculum, and creating educational materials. They also must remain up to date on current practices by engaging in training and professional development.

After a 10-month campaign led by the workers’ Internal Organizing Committee, unit workers voted overwhelmingly last year for recognition as DC 37 members.

“This victory would not have been possible without BCM’s Organizing Committee, specifically Museum Educator Valerie Weisler, who spread the word and got employees involved,” said DC 37 Organizer Anthony Graves.

Weisler noted that among the group’s many issues were mandates to check emails after working hours without compensation.

“When we get scheduled for back-to-back lessons, there are no breaks in between, leaving us no time to clean up, take a bathroom break, or have a moment for food or water,” Weisler said.

Another demand from the group was workplace safety. For more than a year, staff requested active shooter training without avail.

Initially, management fought the unionization campaign, claiming that the workers’ right to organize was invalid. However, the National Labor Relations Board promptly ruled in favor of the workers.

The workers marched into the then-acting Museum president’s office, demanding respect for their right to organize.

“We’re fighting for a future that doesn’t put us as employees at risk, of not being able to pay rent, of dying on the job, of not having the time to provide the best experience for the children we welcome into the museum,” Weisler said.

As PEPtalk goes to press, the Museum’s Education workers are working with DC 37 Organizer Ramon Marrero and Sarah Rim of the DC 37 Research & Negotiations Department to negotiate their first contract.

“It’s incredible to be a part of DC 37, a union that advocates for us to be treated like the valuable employees we are,” Weisler said.