Volume 43 Number 3 March 2013

Ofcial Publication of Social Service Employees Union Local 371-DC 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO

www.sseu371.org

Pat Arnow

Alex Parker is looking for members who believe theyve been shorted.

Fighting for Overtime Rights

Story on page 3

CALENDAR
MARCH
19 Alumni Association: 2:00 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 20 Delegate and Membership Combined Meeting: 6:30 p.m. 127 E. 22nd Street, School of the Future 21 Next Wave: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 27 Civilians in Law Enforcement: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 15th Floor

The Right Direction

APRIL
3 4 8 Executive Committee: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor Committee of Concerned Social Workers: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor BCW Chapter: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor

10 Womens Committee: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 11 Jewish Heritage: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 16 Alumni Association: 2:00 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 17 Delegate Assembly: 6:30 p.m. 235 West 23rd Street, Advance Realty Building 18 Next Wave: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor 24 Political Action Committee: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 12th Floor Civilians in Law Enforcement: 6:30 p.m. Union Ofce, 15th Floor

Published monthly except for a combined issue in July/ August and a Supplement in January by the Social Service Employees Union Local 371, District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. Subscription Price $2.00 annually. Periodical postage paid at New York, N.Y. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: The Unionist, SSEU Local 371, 817 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. 10003. USPS# 348990 (212) 677-3900 ISSN# 0041-7092 President Anthony Wells Executive Vice President Yolanda Pumarejo V.P. Negotiations & Research Rose Lovaglio-Miller V.P. Organization & Education Armenta Weekes V.P. Grievances & Legal Services Lloyd Permaul V.P. Publicity & Community Relations Patricia Chardavoyne V.P. Legislation & Political Action Michelle Akyempong Trustees Vincent Ciccarello Yolanda DeJesus Melva Scarborough Editor Ari Paul Visit us on the web at www.sseu371.org

he labor movement is going in the right direction. On every level, leaders are coming together for a common purpose: ghting for the rights of working men and women. On the national level, AFSCME President Lee Saunders continues to bring together leaders of the major unions to strengthen our agenda and put our issues on the table. Within DC 37, leaders are struggling to address the members needs while being displaced by Hurricane Sandy. The disruption has impacted all the locals within the council; its downtown headquarters is still out of commission, and staff members are working from home and other ofces. Unfortunately, as a result, SSEU Local 371 had to cancel several cultural events due to the lack of space. It is expected that the council will reopen this summer or early fall. At SSEU Local 371, we continue our efforts to ensure that the negative impact of the closing of CASA and the Lombardi Program does not result in the loss of even one job. Our outreach to politicians and community groups has not stopped. We are in constant communications with HRA as its leadership is seeking alternative programs and locations to utilize the staff. Thus far it has reduced the number of workers at risk to between 250 and 300. The number is not acceptable, but we are better off than when we started the campaign. In NYCHA, our goal is to maintain the community operations and social services components. We believe that the residents of NYCHA need and deserve a viable social services operation and community centers. Nevertheless, challenges remain. The recent arbitrators decision siding with the City on the issue of the snow days of 2010 was disappointing at best. Although the full impact of the decision has not been analyzed yet, it causes concern for the ght for the Hurricane Sandy days. While DC 37 takes the lead on this matter, SSEU Local 371 is also looking into other legal options. Finally, I once referred to the Enemy Within. Basically, I sought to highlight apathy and self doubt. We have always believed that an informed, organized and energetic membership is the key to success. That belief has not changed. During these challenging times, we focus on what we have and can accomplish. Together we have been able to build coalitions that resulted in an assault bill being passed and layoffs stopped. Working together, civil service lists are being moved to the point that Child Welfare Specialist Supervisors were recalled after being demoted or laid off. We will ght back anyone seeking to destroy this Union and trounce on our rights, benets and dignity. We will not be distracted or derailed, not by external or internal forces. What is at stake is too high: the ability of workers to put food on their tables. Solidarity now. Solidarity forever. God Bless you and God Bless the Union. Anthony Wells

We will not be distracted or derailed...What is at stake is to high.

The Unionist | March 2013

Fighting for Overtime Rights

not a part of that old fabric, and thats to be expected. He said of the merger with SSEU Local 371, It is the best decision I made as a leader to merge the union with SSEU Local 371. We have the same workplace concerns. We have the same client base. To me, its a perfect t.

n 2007, Alex Parker, then the president of the 400 member Local 1457 of District Council 37, announced an historic legal settlement with the City. His union, which represented front line workers at the Department of Juvenile Justice, had claimed that the agency had not only failed to log overtime hours worked by his members, but also improperly delayed overtime payments to workers. Since then, DJJ was merged with the Administration for Childrens Services, and the members of Local 1457 now belong to SSEU Local 371. Now, Parker is reaching out to workers in ACS to nd out if these same violations of overtime rights are taking place throughout the agency, and if so, what legal actions are available to the Union.

Call Us
If ACS workers suspect that they are being docked overtime pay or their overtime rights are being violated, they should contact attorney Jeffrey Kreisberg at (212) 629-4970. The attorney should be the rst point of contact for anything related to this issue in order to ensure client-attorney condentiality. Parker noted that as a result of the settlement for DJJ workers, the culture of management changed in such a way that payroll practices became more favorable for workers. He suspected that even if the Union does not pursue litigation in ACS for overtime rights violations, simply organizing around the issue may pressure the management to improve its practices overall. Parker also thought that SSEU Local 371 was fully prepared to organize on this issue, as his small union was able to do so several years ago. If a 400 person local can do this, surely SSEU Local 371 can, he said.

Wrongly Denied?
What Parker and the ofcers of SSEU Local 371 are looking for are any members at ACS who believe that they have worked more than 40 hours a week and have not been compensated the timeand-a-half pay that they would be entitled to. In addition, the Union is looking for members who have put in requests for overtime and are wrongfully denied. Parker, who is a Tour Commander at the Horizons Juvenile facility in the Bronx, noted that supervisors can exploit the digitized CityTime time-keeping system to dock worker pay. If youre a supervisor and you dont like me, you dont sign off on my overtime, he said. This stuff gets lost in the system. Since the merger, Parker has suspected these practices occur throughout ACS. Youre going to have a lot of it in some shops, and none of it in others, he said. I know theres more underneath the surface, because thats the nature of the place.

years, and that such a lengthy process would discourage workers from coming forward with their overtime issues. They were pushing us a grievance form, and we were pushing it back to them, Parker said of DJJ management. Investigating this issue in ACS is part of Parkers campaign to integrate the former members of Local 1457 into the agency and SSEU Local 371. Its been a rough transition, he said of coming into ACS from DJJ. Were considered the new kids on the block. Were

Parker...noted that supervisors can exploit the digitized CityTime timekeeping system to dock worker pay. If youre are a supervisor and you dont like me, you dont sign off on my overtime, he said. This stuff gets lost in the system.

Editors Note
Have you been doing something in your community or the labor movement and want to share it with your Union sisters and brothers? Do you have an interesting experience on the job you think would make for a good article? The Unionist wants to hear from you. Your stories and experiences are what make this publication move. And we know there are many of you with unique perspectives on labor, civil service and politics. If you are interested in submitting an article to the Unionist, get in touch with the editor, Ari Paul, at apaul@sseu371.org or (212) 598-7045.

Get It on Paper
Parker also noted that concerned ACS workers should request paper pay stubs in order to have a paper trail in case legal proceedings on this matter occur. In his dealings with DJJ, Parker chose not to go through the grievance procedure because doing that would have drawn out the proceedings by several
March 2013 | The Unionist

Cuomo Has His Sights on Civil Service

GOVERNOR Andrew Cuomo once again has raised concerns from the labor movement, as his Spending and Government Efciency Commission has called for less testing for civil service positions. The Chief-Leader reported the core of the groups nal report: Perhaps the greatest manifestation of the lack of exibility in the current system is the difculty it poses to hiring candidates from outside the existing civil-service workforce into positions above the entry levelThis limitation is especially problematic when agencies seek to ll specialized positions, such as nurses, IT developers or engineers. Because not enough state workers have the technical skills required to ll these positions, this lack of exibility contributes to the outsourcing of many of these positions to more expensive consultants.

Changes Proposed
According to the paper, The report proposes to give employees hired in noncompetitive positions the opportunity to transfer into competitive positions, and employees who take a test in one agency to move to a similar position in another agency. Other proposals call for extending the limit on the length of temporary project-related jobs, which are lled without a civil-service test, from 18 months to ve years with a possible twoyear extension. This is startling news, as City unions including SSEU Local 371 fought against
Governor Andrew Cuomo: Proposed testing reduction has unions worried.

the Department of Citywide Administrative Services attempts to reduce testing and broadband civil service titles.

Merit and Fitness

Our position has always been that civil service testing is the fairest and most objective way to evaluate merit and tness, said Union President Anthony Wells. It has been proven to reduce favoritism and cronyism. Testing, quite simply, judges ones aptitude, and it is not only an affront

to employees to undo this proven system, but also to the taxpayers who depend on City services. While the report is directed at the States civil service system, the Union is monitoring any possible change, as it may inuence the City system as well. We are working with our sisters and brothers in the other municipal unions about how to confront this issue, Wells said. This isnt something we should take lightly.

Homelessness on the Rise

he Coalition of the Homeless released a report this month that the population of people living in homeless shelters has topped 50,000, the rst time since the Great Depression. Its a fact Mayor Michael Bloomberg has failed to acknowledge. He shocked the public when he proclaimed recently that, nobodys sleeping on the streets. He had previously made waves when he said that the average length of stay at City run shelters had increased because the City shelters are so much nicer than they used to be. The Independent Budget Ofce has stat4

ed that homeless shelter bills have spiked 30 percent since 2008. The Daily News reported that the city will spend $819.3 million on shelters by June 30. Thats up from $625 million in 2008. The total for 2013 would be $38 million more than what Mayor Bloomberg budgeted for the year in the place he released in January.

A Union Issue
Sadly, the reality is one SSEU Local 371 has known for a long time. In fact, the Unionist has previously reported from City shelters, where workers have spoken about the increase in the homeless population

and the decreased support for the vital social services that get homeless people back into society more quickly. These Union members have also noted that the issue of homelessness is one that cant solely be addressed by the Department of Homeless Services. It takes an effort to reduce poverty by creating jobs, creating more affordable housing and providing more overall social services. That is why SSEU Local 371 is going to be ghting for all of these things over the next few months. The recent news about homelessness should be a reminder of why this ght is so important.
The Unionist | March 2013

Andrew Hinderaker

ON tHE FRONt LINES

Fighting Fraud, for the Sake of Service

he Citys welfare programs are a central part of the safety net that civil society depends upon. That doesnt mean there isnt fraud within the system, and thats why Fraud Investigators and their Supervisors like Anthony Ruggiero exist. They try to uncover if social service benets are being misused and if theres fraud behind the misuse, he said of Fraud Investigators one morning before starting his shift at 250 Church Street in Manhattan. The misuse could be a deliberate fabrication of an HRA application or coming in and lying to a welfare investigator about something that could easily be traced. Its real detective work, Ruggiero explained, because Fraud Investigators have to take anonymous calls and referrals and decipher if theres enough evidence to pursue a case, follow up on leads and check newly found facts about a client against their applications.

More Training
Ruggiero has been a Supervisor since 2001, and before that was a Fraud Investigator. He explained that when he was promoted there wasnt as much direct training as there was now. At the time, there wasnt as much guidance. We had to learn this job by watching, he said. Now, theres more ofcial training. He also stressed that the Supervisors role was an important part of the general operation of welfare investigation. Our job is to make sure the Fraud Investigators are using proper procedures. Did they cut corners? Did they check the numbers? he asked rhetorically. The

Anthony Ruggiero: Bringing detective work to HRA.

Supervisor provides important checks and balances for the integrity of this work. Ruggiero believed that rooting out misuse is vital for good social services, and that getting rid of fraudulent case means that a family that is more deserving would be able to get HRA benets.

Moving the City Forward

We save taxpayer money, he said. We help the City move forward. Ruggiero came to HRA after going to John Jay College, thinking that a job in social services would be an interim assignment. I thought it would be a stepping stone into law enforcementpolice, courts,

security work on different levels, he recalled. But the job grew on me. You meet a lot of great people. Ive worked with so many different cultures. Reecting on the diversity of the client base, he joked, Ive worked in HRA but I think Ive visited the entire world. Ruggiero is also an SSEU Local 371 delegate, a role he thinks is essential to running a healthy City agency. I act as a buffer for the investigative staff members who are having difculties with management, he said. If you have the Unions best interest at heart and the agencys best interest at heart, you can come to a good middle ground.

Student Certication for Funds Coverage

Full-time student dependents of covered members may continue to be covered for Fund benets up to their 23rd birthday, as long as they provide the Funds ofce with a copy of the bursars receipt or a letter from the educational institution each semester certifying their status as a full-time student. Covered members who have any questions regarding Student Certication should call the Enrollment section at (212) 777-9000 ext. 3054. It should be noted that the Educational Fund does not provide benets for your dependents. The Legal Services Fund provides for spouse and/or dependent coverage under specic benets.

Hurricane Sandy Relief

Union members who are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy can reach out to the Personal Service Unit of DC 37 for help. The numbers are (212) 815-1250 and (347) 792-2199. Or you can walk in for assistance at 1407 Broadway, 16th Floor (between 38th and 39th Streets) or 115 Chambers Street.

March 2013 | The Unionist

Ari Paul

Wheres Our Contract? Good Question

SSEU LOCAL 371 members need a raise and many are getting understandably upset that there has been little progress toward settling a new collective bargaining agreement. The Union hopes to put forth some information to clear up confusion about the contract. Firstly, SSEU Local 371 does not bargain on its own. Rather, it is a part of the citywide bargaining unit with District Council 37, which leads the negotiations with the City, led by the executive director, Lillian Roberts, along with the local presidents. Those negotiations are a part of pattern bargaining that includes the other civilian unions like the United Federation of Teachers. reduced. Two, a wage increase matched by a giveback somewhere else means no real raise at all. In November 2011, the City offered DC 37 three 0-perecent annual raises followed by two 2-percent raises. DC 37 found this offer to be unacceptable. Further, the Union is opposed to cuts to It is the Mayor who insists on sticking to these wage freezes and benets cuts that he knows the unions cant agree to and he knows can be avoided. He knows these cuts can be avoided because as DC 37 has mentioned in the press, to City Council and in public awareness campaigns, the City could save

The unions want to settle a fair and equitable contract with the City, and are always willing to come to the table, It is the Mayor who is stalling. It is the Mayor who insists on sticking to these wage freezes and benet cuts.
VP of Research and Negotiations Rose Lovaglio-Miller
the Welfare Fundin fact, the Union wants the City to contribute more, because the cost of medicine is more expensive than ever. That is why DC 37 has taken its time. SSEU Local 371 agrees that it is more important to extract better terms out of City Hall than settle early on a contract that will result in a net-loss for workers pay, when a pay freeze is factored into the increased cost of living. The unions want to settle a fair and equitable contract with the City, and are always willing to come to the table, said SSEU Local 371 Vice President of Research and Negotiations Rose LovaglioMiller. It is the Mayor who is stalling. millions by reducing private contracts and returning work to unionized civil servants who can do the work more efciently and with more accountability. But once again, the Mayors response has been to childishly put his ngers in his ears and drown out the voices of the 99 percent.

Stalled Talks
For municipal labor, the bargaining climate has been bad due to the recession and many unions have been operating on expired wage pacts. The UFTs contract expired in the fall of 2009 and SSEU Local 371 and DC 37 have been without a new contract since March of 2010. DC 37 has been proactive, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg has settled on a position that is hostile to workers. He wants workers to, in effect, pay for their raises in the sense that any wage increase should be matched by a reduction in benets. However, unions are opposed to this approach for two reasons. One, our benets are important and should not be

Looking Ahead
The economic climate could also improve greatly, Lovaglio-Miller said. If we see a signicant increase in revenues for the City, it will make it even harder for the Mayor to stick to such an unnecessary and draconian position. The Union is also dedicated to keeping the transfer clause and protecting seniority rights in the next contract. Younger workers should keep in mind that theyre going to be senior workers in the workplace in the future, LovaglioMiller said. It is possible that the Mayor may stall the process until the end of his term, however DC 37 is dedicated to pushing City Hall to come to a deal. As SSEU Local 371 President Anthony Wells said recently, Our members dont need a raise now. They didnt need it yesterday. They needed it in 2010 and for three years, hard-working civil servants have been suffering for no fault of their own, but because of the intransigence of the Citys richest man, Mayor Bloomberg, who has nothing but pure contempt for those toiling outside his economic class and those who dedicate their lives to making this City work.
The Unionist | March 2013

CCSW Scholarship Deadline is April 30, 2013

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013-2014 academic year for the Committee of Concerned Social Workers Scholarship and the Sol Gorelick Scholarship. The one-time grants$2,500 this yearhave been awarded to more than 80 members through the years. In order to be eligible for the scholarships, persons must be Union members in good standing and have completed at least six credits as a matriculated student in a graduate program leading to a Masters degree in Social Work. An application packet must be requested in writing from Yolanda Pumarejo, chair, Committee of Concerned Social Workers, SSEU Local 371, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, 2013. Scholarships will be awarded at the September Delegate Assembly.
6

SEQuEStRAtION
t rst, there was the Debt Ceiling debacle, in which the Republican Party threatened to allow the nation to default on its debt, a move previously thought unfathomable in the collective consciousness of Washingtons political class, but was brought forward as a cynical ploy against President Obama and his mandate. Then, at the dawn of the New Year, we had the dreaded scal cliff, in which the Democrats and Republicans, having failed to agree on a new scal package, agreed to extend their deadline to come up with a solution, thus delaying automatic spending cuts and tax increases that most economists feared would plunge the country back into a crippling recession.

The Consequences of the Right

The Crisis This Time

Alas, we are here again. With sequestration, which began March 1, the nation saw $1.1 trillion in Federal spending cuts, much of which will be in defense, but also in domestic spending. Lets not kid ourselves. This is the result of the Republican Partys outright refusal to work with the President and its unquenchable desire to squeeze the working and middle classes. As social service workers, we will surely be affected. The Director of the Citys Ofce of Management and Budget, Mark Page, said this month that the overall affect on the City will be an $800 million hit. Thats not just a sizable chunk of change. That could hit public housing and the Health and Hospitals Corporation. For example, support for public housing has been cut by $1.94 billion, which will surely have an impact on the New York City Housing Authority, where our members provide valuable social services. FEMAs budget for disaster relief has been cut by $375 million. Anyone who is still suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy

knows what that kind of hit means. According to the Washington Post, Most mandatory programs, like Medicaid and Social Security, and in particular low-income programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, or welfare) and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) were exempt from the sequester. However some low-income programs, most notably aid for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), are subject to cuts. It is unclear what exact impact this will have on our members and our client base right away, but we do know that what impact it will have it will be doing more with less, which is bad for us, and bad for our clients. This is, quite clearly, the beginning of austerity imposed on Americans on the Federal level, which Republicans and their 1 percent backers have been planning for, in order to both dishonor the President but to wage war on working people. Democrats may be able to come to a deal that will reinstate the funds. But the damage is done, and worse than that, we are now keenly aware of the kind of

economic devastation the Republicans want to see. It is for that reason that we, as active Union members, need to ensure that the Republican legislative hand is weakened in the midterm elections next year. President Obamas second term has been secured, but he needs the support of a Congress that is listening to the voices of the 99 percent, not the plutocracy.

National Organizing
Our national unionthe American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employeesis working with other major unions to focus on elections where we can elect progressives to the House of Representatives and increase the Democratic majority in the Senate. Its a mighty effort, but it begins with you. Theres the AFSCME PEOPLE program, which funds the effort across the country. Talk to your Union delegate or organizer about how you can participate. If we band together, we can make sure that economic disasters like this dont happen again, because we are a mighty, mighty Union. Michelle Akyempong, Vice President of Political Action

March 2013 | The Unionist

Condolences
Condolences are extended to Patrick Verone, former SSEU Local 371 Grievance Representative and a Sup I at the Lombardi Program at 109 E. 16th Street, on the death of his mother, Eleanor Verone, who died in March. Condolences may be sent to the Verone Family, 13 Gillen Drive, Parlin, NJ 08859. Condolences are extended to Vela Sutton, Associate Director of Research and Negotiations at SSEU Local 371, on the death of her husband, Gregson Sutton, who died March 3. Condolences may be sent to Vela Sutton, SSEU Local 371, 817 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10003. Condolences are extended to the Family and Friends of Isac (Erno) Weinberger, retiree, formerly with the Trafc and Planning Division Bicycle and Pedestrian unit, who died on February 18. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Weinberger, 64 Division Avenue, Apt. 4-A, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Condolences are extended to John Nkwor, Caseworker at HRA in the Under Care Unit One, on the death of his sister Janet Ukwu, who died in February. Condolences may be sent to Jerome Job Center, 1365 Jerome Avenue, 15th Floor, Bronx, NY 10452. Condolences are extended to Veronica Leshore, Caseworker, at HRA Jerome Job Center, in the Under Care Unit Six, on the death of her maternal grandmother, Alberta Franklin-Leshore, who died in February. Condolences may be sent to 950 East 221st Street, Bronx, NY 10469.
Social Service Employees Union Local 371 817 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10003

Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY

Creating Change: A Vision for Equality

SSEU LOCAL 371 continues to show many communities the diversity of their participation in the many aspects of human rights organizing. This was my second opportunity to attend the Creating Change Conference. This is a landmark year because the organization that produces this conferencethe National Gay and Lesbian Task Forceturns 40 and the conference itself is celebrating its 25th year. This years January gathering was in downtown Atlanta, Georgia and was attended by more than 3,000 people. This was a very diverse, very activist crowd. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) persons are only the start of this rainbow. Add to the mix asexual, polyamorous and intersex, as well as Frenchie DavisSeason T wo American Idol contestantand you start to get an idea of the diversity of the Creating Change experience. There were participants as young as 14 and some well past 70, joining workshops and attending plenaries to change our country. There were lms, spiritual gatherings, parties and receptions. I even got the chance to get into the community and go to where the AIDS Memorial Quilt is housed. T o see the entire quilt, with only one minute per panel, would take 33 dayshumbling to say the least.

A Union member recalls her time at the Creating Change Conference and is looking for other members who are interested in organizing around LGBTQ equality.
to make all members equal. The upcoming focus of the labor activists in attendance is a national campaign to include transgender health care in all plans for union members. Although most agreed that the numbers would be quite small overallless than 1 percent probablythe importance of equally representing all members is priceless. So stay tuned for further information about that development.

BULLETIN BOARD
SWAP- AJOS I at Fordham Job Center #44, Bronx, would like to swap to 109 East 16th Street, Senior Works Center #52 or Center #18 St. Nicholas. If interested, please call (917) 749-4069. SWAP- Caseworker looking to swap, no eld jobs, no APS at all, looking for assignment in Brooklyn or Manhattan. If interested, please call (718) 642-6411. SWAP- Job Opportunity Specialist at Crotona Job Center #46 in the Bronx would like to swap with Caseworker at Queens Center #53 43-00 Northern Blvd, LIC or Queens FSCC Satellite 34-00 Northern Blvd, LIC or East River Queens #37 One Honeywell Street, LIC. If interested, please call (718) 901-4583. SWAP- Caseworker at Coney Island Center in Brooklyn would like to swap with Caseworker at HASA Queens 33-28 Northern Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101; HASA Greenwood 275-285 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY or HASA Waverly Unit 8-12 West 14th Street. If interested, please call (516) 451-3872. SWAP- Community Asst. at Department of Homeless Services in Manhattan at 78 Catherine Street would like to swap to Linden or Barbara Kleinman. If interested, please call ( 212) 877-4434. SWAP- Job Opportunity Specialist at Linden Job Center in Brooklyn HRA, would like to swap to Coney Island Job Center or Bay Ridge Job Center. If interested, please call (718) 237-7066. SWAP- Job Opportunity Specialist, FIA/HRA at Monterey Job Center #46 in the Bronx, would like to swap to Dekalb Job Center #64, Bushwick Job Center #66 or Linden Job Center #67. If interested, please call (347) 792-6923.

Members

Interested?
I feel my mission after my second conference experience is to offer a gathering to LGBTQ SSEU Local 371 and DC 37 members. Then we can examine if and/or how we want to gather on an ongoing basis and take a more active position in our local and/or the District Council, so that we can ensure that our needs and issues are addressed. There is also an effort to create a NYC Pride @ Work chapter. Check their website or call (202) 637-5014 for more information. Have ideas? Want to collaborate on a meet-up style event in the next few months? Just interested in being in the loop? Please get in touch with me. Janice Pemberton, Child Protective Specialist (cookie485@aol.com)
The Unionist | March 2013

Labors Role
My main objective was to attend the sessions about labor three workshops and a caucus. AFSCME, SEIU and their Lavender Caucus are very involved in Creating Change. I want to get SSEU Local 371 into that mix. I attended the three workshops, which all touched on how unions make life easier for and secure the rights of LGBTQ individuals. Union protocol tends
8