Union honors workers who died on duty

DC 37 held a ceremony and moment of silent remembrance at union headquarters to commemorate Workers Memorial Day on
April 28. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido
told the audience, “This is a celebration of life, not just of mourning. The lessons we take from those who pass, if we don’t learn from them and use
them as our strength in moving forward, then
shame on us.”

National work zone awareness week

To mark National Work Zone Awareness Week from April 20-24, Local 1455
President Michael DeMarco, Local 376 President Patrick McFarland, members of
Local 983, and the DC 37 Safety & Health Department joined the NYC Department of Transportation on April 21 to urge drivers to slow down and stay alert in construction work zones to keep workers safe.

Work zone safety remains a serious concern nationwide. Each year, more than
900 people are killed, and an estimated 42,000 are injured in work zone-related incidents across the United States. In New York City, NYC DOT recorded 16 work
zone intrusions last year, resulting in six injuries. Since 2009, 63 NYC DOT workers have been injured in work zone incidents, and four have died from work zone related events in the past two decades.

DC 37 meets with new city commissioners

The union is actively meeting with newly appointed commissioners for city
agencies under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. Above: In early
April, DC 37 welcomed NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura to union
headquarters. Below: Local presidents and DC 37 staff met with Department for Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Yume Kitasei in late March.

Local 154 President Honored for City Service

Local 154 President Juliet White (left), standing with DC 37 Associate Director Rose Lovaglio-Miller, was honored for 40 years of service at the New York City’s Comptroller’s Office.

The Feb. 4 event was part of the Quality of Work Life’s Comptroller Employee Recognition Ceremony. Known as QWL, the initiative is a joint labor-management program established to bring together representatives of city agencies and union members to address worksite improvements and other initiatives of importance to city workers

This article originally appeared in the April-June 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.