Blog

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS  More than 100 members of Motor Vehicle Operators Local 983, went to Albany August 13 to urge state lawmakers to block the proposed layoffs of 22,000 NYC public employees. “The proposed layoffs… Read more

MELS, DC 37’s Municipal Employees Legal Services, is making available a video recording of the August 5th workshop on Wills and End of Life documents. Almost 600 union members registered for this Zoom workshop but due… Read more

DC 37 is providing its members the following links to New York State and City agency guidelines and policies as New York City begins to reopen and its unionized workforce returns to work. These workplace policies… Read more

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS In a landside victory in August, DC 37 Local 2507 members reelected President Oren Barzilay, and officers and executive board members to a second term to lead the city’s public first responders… Read more

BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS Kitchen temperatures in a Manhattan public school exceeded 135 degrees during a recent heat wave as 3,400 essential workers prepared Grab-and-Go meals to feed hungry New Yorkers, children, young adults and seniors,… Read more

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS The coronavirus pandemic hit New York City hardest and elevated thousands of DC 37 members as frontline, essential workers who protect public health and safety and make New York City run.  From… Read more

By MIKE LEE As hundreds of Occupy City Hall protesters gathered in front of the City Hall steps, the New York City Council passed the $88.1 billion budget for the 2021 Fiscal Year in a midnight… Read more

By MIKE LEE When 2020 began, the city’s three library systems — New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Library — were building on their initial success in obtaining strong funding in last… Read more

By MIKE LEE District Council 37’s Associate Director Oliver Gray, who helped guide two of the union’s Executive Directors with a quiet, yet proactive approach since 2002, died on June 29, three days after suffering a… Read more

By HENRY GARRIDO, DC 37 Executive Director We are in a fight for our lives.  I am supportive of the efforts of Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council in hammering out a budget under… Read more

MELS WORKSHOP for END OF LIFE DOCUMENTS: Wills, Health Proxies, Power of Attorney Wednesday, August 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m. DC 37 Municipal Legal Services and Volunteers of Legal services will host a Zoom webinar TODAY on end… Read more

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS A frequent visitor, honored guest and speaker at many events at DC 37, U.S Congress member and civil rights icon John Lewis passed away on July 17, 2020. We remember him with… Read more

New York State has directed $100 million of federal stimulus funds toward rent relief. Tenants can now apply for these funds to offset the loss of income during the COVID-19 crisis.  The COVID Rent Relief Program… Read more

The Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS) has partnered with Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS) to launch a Frontline Worker Initiative to provide FREE life planning documents, Wills, Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, to COVID-19 pandemic… Read more

DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS), the Building Service 32BJ Legal Services Fund (Legal Fund) and CUNY Citizenship NOW are jointly presenting a seminar July 1 on free services the union offers to help members… Read more

Sisters and Brothers, We have only a few hours left until polls close at 9 p.m. TONIGHT.  If you haven’t done so, please go vote and be the change we want in our communities.  You can… Read more

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS  DC 37’s helping Local 372 members with three unique degree programs the union has negotiated with Monroe College and LaGuardia College’s Food Service Management Program. “We have an incredible education benefit that… Read more

The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS), the Building Service 32BJ Legal Services Fund (Legal Fund) and CUNY Citizenship NOW are jointly presenting a seminar July 1 on free services the union offers to help… Read more

VOTING UPDATE: Primary Day is June 23. We are providing you with the updated information on getting time off to vote on June 23.  Section 3-110 of the New York State Election Law, which relates to… Read more

Primary Day is a week away and DC 37 members can make a difference by supporting these union-endorsed candidates, especially those who face critical races on Tuesday June 23. In bold are key races. QUEENS Queens… Read more