FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2003

Contact:
Donna Silberberg
Molly Charboneau
Rudy Orozco
212-815-1535


CITY COUNCIL LEADERS MEET WITH DISTRICT COUNCIL 37 TO DISCUSS UNION'S BUDGETARY AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

District Council 37, the city's largest public employee union, today presented its FY 2004 budget and legislative priorities to City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and other members of the City Council at a breakfast meeting held at union headquarters. DC 37 local presidents were also in attendance.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts said, "The union's top legislative goals for the city are to end contracting out in civil service positions. Our statewide goals are to obtain increased funding for HHC to provide services to the uninsured and the underinsured. We also support rent regulation renewal and vacancy decontrol."

"We are asking for the state to give the city its fair share of the state's revenue sharing program."

Speaker of the City Council Gifford Miller said, "District Council 37 should be applauded for its hard work and thoughtful approach to the city's fiscal crisis. At a time when we clearly need to pay attention to every dollar the city spends, DC 37 has presented a creative plan to save the city money.

"I am delighted that the city's largest municipal employees union is taking a lead role in the effort to get New York City its fair share of revenue from Washington and Albany. DC 37's organizing capabilities - and its commitment to protecting the interests of New York City's working families - makes its members the ideal NYC Boosters we need to make the city's case in our nation and state capitols."

Speaker Miller first announced a "Fair Share" public awareness campaign in his State of the City address in early February as an effective way to correct the unfair funding formulas and the imbalance of payments between Washington, Albany and New York City.

DC 37 budget priorities include:

  • Establish a Commission on Contracting-Out, Waste, and Inefficiencies. DC 37 is asking the Mayor and the City Council to set up a Commission to look into the inappropriate use of consultants and contractors. Any Commission that is set up should include DC 37 representation. DC 37 has recently issued its third White Paper outlining how the city can save hundreds of millions of dollars by eliminating wasteful consultants and contracting out.

  • Address Medicaid needs. The Governor's Medicaid proposal will take about $125 million from HHC at a time when funding our public hospitals is more important than ever. Service reductions and surcharges on hospitals will end up costing HHC in excess of $150 million at a time of heightened terrorist alerts.

  • Support a commuter tax and the stock transfer incentive payment. Together these two proposals would bring over $1 billion in revenues to the city on an annual basis. The commuter tax shares the burden for city services with the 800,000 commuters who pour into the city each day for good jobs.

  • Support the property tax on absentee landlords. The City Council has endorsed this measure, which would cover all owners of Class 1 property who do not live in those homes. It would add a 25% surcharge and yield $44 million in revenue in FY 2004.

  • Support rent regulation renewal and vacancy decontrol. DC 37 is for the reauthorization of rent regulation before June 2003. DC 37 members have residency requirements for their jobs. They won't be able to afford an increase in their rent, and their jobs require that they live in the city.

  • Stay committed to budget restorations. The City Council must maintain its position and provide full restoration of funding for the city's libraries, cultural institutions, parks, schools, CUNY and Department for the Aging.

  • Increase federal revenues to the city and state. The President's $690 billion tax cut plan will worsen the U.S. deficit and do nothing to boost the economy and employment. Instead, DC 37 supports fiscal relief aid to states and localities and specifically the Schumer/Snowe legislation that would provide $40 billion in bipartisan state aid.

"Most of our DC 37 members live in the city," said Ms. Roberts, "and our proposals are in the best interests of the working people of New York City. These proposals are reasonable, responsible, and will improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers."



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