DC 37 BLOG

• Going Home June 12, 2024
  As you may know by now, DC 37 has moved out of our temporary office space at 55 Water St. in preparation for the move back to our home at 125 Barclay. The Water Street location served its purpose as our headquarters during some of the union’s most challenging and historic times. Together, we weathered […]
• Snapshots June 12, 2024
  2024 Black History Month Celebration On Feb. 29, the DC 37 Black History Committee presented an evening of education and entertainment at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The event, “African Americans and the Arts: Our Impact on Society,” kicked off with ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ and was followed by a member-led […]
• Local 983 Titles Ratify New Contracts June 12, 2024
  By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ The five-and-a-half-year contracts provide wage increases and ratification bonuses for Local 983 members in blue collar roles who were unable to work from home during the pandemic. “I’m happy to have these new contracts resolved,” said Local 983 President Joe Puleo. “These are equitable contracts that our members deserve.” Each title plays […]
• State Budget Gains. City Battle Continues June 12, 2024
  NYC Attendants, Park Service Workers, City Park Workers & Debris Removers Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn (center) with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and members at a Fair Play for Parks rally at Union Square on May 7. Photo: Susan Chin BY MIKE LEE After months of negotiations, including debates over affordable housing and tenant […]
• Worker Solidarity Prevails in the Workplace June 12, 2024
  By MIKE LEE at Care for the Homeless After a concerted organizing effort kicked off in October 2021, the union recently settled collective bargaining agreements 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 […]
• Women’s Work is Never Done: Developing Leadership From Within June 12, 2024
  Story & Photo by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN The sixth cohort of the Lillian Roberts Women’s Leadership Academy in front of the entrance to the New York Historical Society, one of the in-person field trips offered in the current curriculum. The DC 37 Lillian Roberts Women’s Leadership Academy (LRWLA) aims to close that gap. The LRWLA is […]
• Center For Brooklyn History: Building the Community’s Archive June 12, 2024
  Story & Photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ As an archivist, fourth-generation Brooklynite Dee Bowers ensures the world’s largest collection of materials about Brooklyn remains at the fingertips of its patrons. From high school yearbooks to independently published magazines, Bowers and the Local 1482 Brooklyn Library Guild at the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH) organize, catalog, and […]
• Representation Worth Fighting For. Meet DC 37’s New Local: 5911 June 12, 2024
  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 […]
• The Art of Coaching Double Dutch: Community Learns the Ropes from Local 299 Member June 12, 2024
  Story and Photos by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ For Local 299 member Stanley Douglas Brown, double dutch is not a game. The Recreation Supervisor has coached double dutch since 1981 at the Sorrentino Recreation Center in Queens, where it is one of the largest member-based programs in the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The […]
• Generating Life-Changing Wealth with Municipal Employees Housing Program June 12, 2024
  Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s. Story & Photo by JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN For many working-class New Yorkers, the real estate market can be intimidating. With increasing rent prices and the possibility of owning a home more out of reach than ever, quality housing options seem few and far […]
• Non-Profit Private Sector Workers Win Big in City Agreements June 12, 2024
  By MIKE LEE Local 95 Wins New Contract District Council 37 reached a tentative agreement with the Head Start Sponsoring Board and the City of New York on behalf of Head Start workers in Local 95. The new contract includes a minimum of 16.21% in cost-of-living (COLA) increases retroactive to Feb. 1, 2022, a ratification […]
• DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in JUNE 2024 May 30, 2024
  DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in JUNE 2024: We're Moving!
• DC 37 IS MOVING May 9, 2024
  DC 37 is Coming Home! After five years away, our union will return to a modernized, state-of-the-art headquarters at 125 Barclay this fall.
• DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in MAY 2024 April 26, 2024
  DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in MAY 2024: We're Moving!
• DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in APRIL 2024 March 28, 2024
  DC 37 NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE in APRIL 2024: Register For Spring 2024 Ed Fund Classes! 
• “Green Machine” Sets Stage for 2024 March 27, 2024
  By JUSTINA RAMLAKHAN This is a big year for political activity both nationally and locally, with presidential primaries in November and the turnover of 486 congressional seats. At the state level, there are a range of issues at play that could impact New York residents and working families. The “Green Machine,” the historical nickname for […]
• Members Gain “Head Start” in Growing Stronger Together March 27, 2024
  By ACACIA RODRIGUEZ Local 95 President Linda McPherson and her shop stewards are mobilizing their members to push management to meet and discuss workplace issues. On Dec. 18, 2023, Local 95’s Head Start members at each of the three Community Parents Incorporated (CPI) worksites donned their DC 37 green t-shirts to send a message to […]
• Union’s New Research & Negotiations Director Daniel Katz March 27, 2024
  Story and photo by MIKE LEE In January, the union announced Bronx-born Brooklynite Daniel Katz as District Council 37’s new Director of Research and Negotiations. Katz brings 40-plus years of experience as a labor organizer, educator, and historian to the department. Katz’s professional career includes work as an organizer and union rep for the Service […]
• Contract Win for State Workers at Local 1359 March 27, 2024
  In another big win for the union, District Council 37 and New York State agreed on a three-year contract for Local 1359 Rent Regulation Services Employees. On Feb. 1, members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the contract, which runs from April 2, 2023, to April 1, 2026. The agreement covers 316 workers at the New […]
• PSU: Person-Centered Skilled Caregivers March 27, 2024
  From left: PSU Clerical Support Staff members Shekeria Ferguson and Rosalind Colon-Jimenez, Director Stephanie Kleinberg, and Associate Director Rachel Edricks. Story and Photo by ACACIA RODRIGUEZ The first challenge for those seeking mental health services is finding a provider who will answer the call. In the age of automation, being able to get in touch […]