Story and Photo by MIKE LEE

When the year began, prospects for New York City’s budget looked dire, with massive cuts to the City’s parks, libraries, cultural institutions, and other agencies. However, after months of negotiations, Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council passed a $112.4 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 on June 30, that restored funding for several of the union’s priorities.

“We fought for adequate staffing and increased funding for the City institutions that serve our communities,” said DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “It was a long struggle, but coming out of it, we moved toward completion of long-overdue school improvements across the City, secured more funding for our parks, and restored seven-day service for our libraries.”

Schools, Pre-K and Daycare

The City’s schools received $20 million to hire 1,000 more school food worker positions lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant restoration.

The FY 2025 budget adds $150 million to complete cafeteria improvements in middle and high schools citywide, while the Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists (SAPIS) program received $2 million in funding. Funds were also set aside for future collective bargaining agreements and to bring back food nutrition committees comprised of cooks, parents, and students to improve food quality and choices.

“Finally, the City has provided the necessary funding to bring these kitchen workers back to provide healthy meals for our children,” said Shaun D. Francois I, DC 37 President and President of NYC Board of Education Employees Local 372. “We look forward to the modernization projects for our cafeterias and addressing the severe temperatures our members face in school kitchens.”

The budget adds $92 million to replace expiring federal stimulus funds and $20 million for 3-K and Pre-K seats. The total of $112 million will ensure opportunities for placements for families who have yet to receive seats for their children.

The City allocated $40 million to convert more than 4,000 school-day/school-year seats to full-day/full-year seats, with $15 million baselined for FY 2024 and $25 million in new funding. The budget also earmarked $5 million to expand marketing and outreach efforts for 3-K. The increased outreach intends to inform families of their 3-K opportunities and improve applications for the program.

Parks

Although funding for the New York City Parks and Recreation Department dropped $20 million to $618 million this year, the union claimed several hard-fought victories.

In next year’s budget, 50 Urban Park Ranger (UPR) positions, represented by Local 983, were restored, and $15 million was baselined for the City Parks Worker line in Local 1505 for second-shift clean up.

Libraries and Cultural Institutions

In a significant reversal, the Adams Administration agreed to restore funding to the City’s three library systems and cultural institutions in the ratified budget. This includes a $58.3 million restoration for libraries and enough funding to reinstate seven-day services that were cut late last year.

“I want to thank DC 37 for always fighting for libraries and ensuring our elected officials know that unionized library workers need their support. We’re also grateful to our elected officials for listening to us and recognizing the value of our services,” said John Hyslop, DC 37 Secretary and President of Queens

Public Library Guild Local 1321. “We are never alone because our union fights for what is right. This strong library workforce ensures libraries are there for our public.”

In the FY 2025 budget, the City will spend a record $254 million on its cultural institutions, including restoring $53 million in cuts.

The City also gave substantial grants to the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Development Fund to help cultural nonprofit institutions maintain and expand programming in their communities.