Local 237
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NEWSLINE
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April 2012
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Vol. 46, No. 4
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Standing in Solidarity
To Stop Gun Violence
A photograph of baby-faced
Trayvon Martin wearing a hoodie
has come to symbolize the mindless
gun violence that is escalating
across our nation and stealing
young lives in our own backyards.
The tragic death of the unarmed boy
at the hands of a self-appointed vigilante has launched a groundswell
of protests, which Local 237 officials have joined, to call for an end
to gun violence, “Stand Your
Ground” laws, and racial profiling.
“Trayvon Martin will not have
died in vain if our protests against a
senseless shooting and flawed legal
system help prevent the loss of countless innocent lives,” said President
Gregory Floyd, who participated in
demonstrations throughout the city.
The outrage over Trayvon’s
death began soon after Feb. 26, when
the 17-year-old was shot dead in a
gated Florida community where he
was visiting a friend with his father.
The boy’s mistake was to look “suspicious,” as George Zimmerman described him to a 911 operator before
firing the fatal shot into the youth
who wore a hoodie and carried only
a bag of Skittles and iced tea.
Zimmerman remained free
under Florida’s Stand Your Ground
Daily News: Susan Watts
City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito calls for justice for the late Trayvon
Martin, and is surrounded by several council members, including Jumaane Williams
behind her. President Gregory Floyd looks on from over Williamsʼ shoulder.
law, enacted seven years ago, which
allows potential victims of violence
to respond to force with force, even
if they are able to retreat from danger. During the six weeks before a
special prosecutor charged Zimmerman with second-degree murder,
protests erupted across the nation
Floyd greets Councilwoman Letitia James at the Union Square
demonstration denouncing gun violence.
and people of all ages and walks of
life donned hoodies in solidarity
with Trayvon’s family and their calls
for justice in his wrongful death.
President Floyd and Local 237
officials participated in press conferences on the steps of City Hall, at
Astoria Houses in Queens, and at a
rally at Union Square in Manhattan.
Floyd joined more than a dozen
City Council members on the steps
of City Hall wearing hoodies and
called for justice for Trayvon Martin
and his family on March 28. The action was coordinated by Councilwomen Melissa Mark-Viverito and
Letitia James, who said, “This demonization of young black men
must stop. It starts with all of us
here today.” Noting that Florida police authorities had done nothing as
of the demonstration, Speaker
Christine Quinn said, “Zimmerman
needs to be held accountable. He is
walking free with a gun.”
At Union Square on April 9, the
outrage continued as protesters, including Floyd, Local 237 officials
and Councilwoman James, called
for justice not only for Trayvon Martin but for all youths slain as a result
of racist violence and illegal guns on
our city’s streets. The names Ramarley Graham, Rekia Boyd, Tyisha
Miller, and historic Emmett Till —
murdered in Mississippi in 1955 at
age 14 for whistling at a white
woman — were among the victims
recalled by protesters.
Continued on page 5
Floyd joins Bishop Mitchell Taylor, president, East River Development Alliance, to address a press
conference at Astoria Houses in Queens. Local 237 officials and community leaders look on.
2
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Local 237 Member Services
UNION HEADQUARTERS
212-924-2000
216 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011-7296
LOCAL 237 DIVISIONS
CITYWIDE DIVISION, 2nd Fl.
212-924-2000
Donald Arnold, Director
Peter Gutierrez, Deputy Director
Al Soto, Law Enforcement
Director
Randy Klein, Assistant Director
HOUSING DIVISION, 2nd Fl.
212-924-2000
Remilda Ferguson, Director
Brooklyn, Queens & Staten
Island
James Giocastro,
Deputy Director
LONG ISLAND DIVISION
631-851-9800
1727 Veterans Memorial
Highway
Suite 308
Islandia, NY 11749
John Burns, Director
Benedict Carenza,
Deputy Director
Long Island Welfare Fund:
For information on the various
funds call 800-962-1145
EXECUTIVE OFFICES, 5th Fl.
212-924-2000
Gregory Floyd, President
Richard Hendershot,
Vice President
Ruben Torres,
Secretary-Treasurer
PERSONNEL, 5th Fl.
212-924-2000
Edmund Kane, Director and
Chief Negotiator
POLITICAL ACTION &
LEGISLATION, 5th Fl.
212-924-2000
Local 237 protects members’
rights by helping to sponsor legislation that is important to members, and by opposing initiatives
that would hurt members.
Patricia Stryker, Director
GRIEVANCES/DISCIPLINARY
PROBLEMS, 6th Fl.
212-924-2000
For grievances and job related
problems, first contact your shop
steward and/or grievance representative. If they cannot resolve
the issue, they or you should contact your business agent.
Mal Patterson, Director of
Grievances and Hearings
RETIREE DIVISION, 8th Fl.
Todd Rubinstein, Esq.
212-807-0555
Grievance Coordinator
Provides a variety of pre- and post- Debbie Coleman, Esq.
retirement services, including penGrievance Coordinator
sion and health insurance counselCIVIL SERVICE BAR ASSN
ing to members. (Pension counseling by appointment, Thursdays 6th Fl., 212-675-0519
only). General retirement counsel- Gloria Johnson, Esq., President
ing and retirement planning series Aldona Vaiciunas,
during spring and fall.
Office Administrator and
Nancy B. True, Director
Grievance Coordinator
John Picucci, Esq.,
LOCAL 237 DEPARTMENTS
Grievance Representative
(Citywide and Housing)
CSBA Welfare Fund
SKILLED TRADES, 2nd Fl.
Alicare 866-647-4617
212-924-2000
COMMUNICATIONS, 8th Fl.
Donald Arnold, Director
212-924-2000
HEALTH AND SAFETY, 2nd Fl.
Tania M. Lambert, Editor
212-924-2000
Local 237 Newsline
Donald Arnold, Director
Website:
www.local237.org
Diane Stein, Coordinator
MEMBERSHIP, 2nd Fl.
212-924-2000
Provides membership services
and records, including address
changes.
Laverne White,
Administrative Manager
WELFARE FUND, 3rd Fl.
212-924-7220
The Fund administers the eligibility, enrollment, disability,
optical and death benefits
directly by the Fund’s in-house
staff, as well as prescription
and dental programs indirectly.
Carnell Joyner Jr., Director
LEGAL SERVICES, 4th Fl.
212-924-1220
Lawyers advise and represent
members on covered personal
legal problems, including domestic relations (family court proceedings, divorce and separation),
purchase and sale of a primary
residence, wills, adoptions, credit
and consumer problems, tenant
rights and bankruptcies.
Office Hours:
Mon.- Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mary Sheridan Esq., Director
Kenneth Perry Esq.,
Deputy Director
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
8th Fl.
212-807-0550
Provides a variety of training and
educational advancement opportunities for members.
Frederick Dunn, Director
USEFUL NUMBERS
FOR PRE-RETIREES
NYCERS (New York City
Employees Retirement System)
By Mail: 335 Adams St., Suite
2300, Brooklyn, NY 11201-3751
In Person: 340 Jay Street,
Mezzanine, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Gen’l Information: 347-643-3000
Outside NYC toll-free:
877-6NYCERS
NYCERS Internet
www.nyclink.org/html/nycers
NYC Department of Education
Retirement System
65 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-935-5400
Social Security Administration
800-772-1213
NY State and Local Retirement
Systems
518-474-7736
A Message From
The President
Trayvon Martin’s Death Ignites
Our Outrage on Several Fronts
O
ver the past several years, the focus of
the national debate, water-cooler conversations and household discussions
has been about the troubled economy. Our wellbeing as a country and a community is strongly
tied to our economic health. That dialogue continues to dominate the political agenda today.
Despite the importance of our economic situation, however, we must not forget that this
country has other issues of great importance.
Recently, we received a very sad reminder of
some of them in the Trayvon Martin shooting in
Florida, where we lost a young and promising
life for no reason at all.
Truly, his death was a heartbreaking
tragedy. It is always terrible when we witness
such senseless loss of life. The incident, however, has also shined a bright light on the problems with our laws, legal system and culture
that allowed this tragedy to happen and almost
go unpunished.
Trayvon’s killer, George Zimmerman, an
armed vigilante acting on what appears to be a
racially motivated impulse, represents a threat
not only to our safety but to our way of life.
Zimmerman felt he had the power to take the
law into his own hands. He tracked down this
young man and cast a death sentence only because he suspected that a black youth wearing a
hoodie was likely up to no good. Authorities
even told Zimmerman to stop following the
youth when he called 911 to complain about a
young black man in his neighborhood, but he
still pursued and executed him nonetheless.
Even after this senseless act, it took law enforcement more than a month to make an arrest. If
it wasn’t for the national attention over the case, it
may never have happened at all. Florida’s gun
control laws favor shooting first and asking questions second. Many people there seem to be much
more concerned with their rights to own guns
than the rights of its citizens to be safe and not discriminated against.
Zimmerman was finally arrested, but it took
an act from a special prosecutor appointed after
the local state attorney stepped down amid
mounting criticism. Zimmerman was released
on bail of $150,000, an amount more appropriate
for a burglary case than seconddegree murder. The police commissioner of the local community tried to resign over his handling of the situation, but the
town officers actually denied his
ability to quit. While Zimmerman is widely perceived as a national villain, it appears he still
has many friends at home.
The corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is not only responsible for drafting Florida's unjust
"Stand your Ground" law, which
has protected Zimmerman, it has
also provided draft legislation to
legislatures across the country to
suppress voter participation and
revoke worker rights in both the private and
public sectors. ALEC, and the right-wing politicians who follow its lead, are truly a threat to
the life and liberty of all Americans.
This shooting has touched a nerve in many
people of color because it highlights many different issues that affect them deeply. Most obvious is the continued stereotyping or outright
discrimination faced by so many African-Americans, especially young men. In this country, a
person is supposed to be innocent until proven
guilty. But if you are a young black man, wearing a hoodie and strolling on the street by yourself, then you are presumed guilty of something.
Zimmerman represents the extreme example —
a paranoid near-fanatic willing to take a life —
but a similar mind set is all too common. We
have come a long way in combating racism in
this country, but that fight is far from over.
The case also shows the continued struggle
with gun control and gun violence. Many of our
communities, especially in New York, are still
overrun by guns trafficked in from the south.
Many parts of this country still believe that
guns are a way of life. Sadly, they are in some
neighborhoods in New York City and other
urban areas. Illegal guns are responsible for too
many deaths of our youth. Our police officers
and public safety officials are facing increased
violence and shootings every day, as we have
seen with several cop killings in recent months.
All this leads to a culture of fear and anger,
which is poison to the American ideals of fairness, opportunity and peace. Parents see the fate
of Trayvon Martin and hope that their child will
not be next. They are worried and upset that the
justice system can come so close to failing them.
How can we have a free and democratic society
if people feel discriminated against and unsafe?
We can’t.
The economy is important, but it is not
everything. Jobs are vital, but they are nothing if
we cannot walk down the street without fear of
bullets flying around us. Even in troubled times,
we should not lose sight of the values that make
this country worth reviving. Our economy will
rebound, but if we lose our souls in the process,
where will be then?
NEWSLINE, April 2012
3
Union Supports Elevator Mechanics at Safety Hearing
It quickly became clear in a special City Council elevator safety
hearing that neither the Council, nor
the city, had considered the impact
that the proposed laws would have
on mechanics employed by the city
and Housing Authority. A package
of bills was introduced, including
new training and certifications requirements for elevator mechanics,
and debated on April 16.
Though the proposed law would
govern all elevator mechanics, the
language of a hastily drafted bill was
aimed at the private sector. More
than 450 Local 237 elevator mechanics helpers, elevator mechanics and
elevator mechanic supervisors are
responsible for the safety and maintenance of nearly 4,000 elevators.
Steve Rakowski, a 38-year union
veteran who has overseen all
amendments to the bill:
employees of the Department
• Recognize that city
of Citywide Administrative
and NYCHA elevator meServices who repair and
chanics and supervisors almaintain elevators, and also
ready meet the standards for
contractors who install new
licensure.
elevator devices, represented
• Recognize that all
Local 237 at the hearing.
city and NYCHA employees
Speaking before Erik
can continue working by
Martin Dilan, committee
making technical changes to
Steve Rakowski
chairman, Rakowski testified
parts of the bill that specify
that 237 mechanics already meet high private sector titles and organization.
standards for experience, training and
• Change the bill to allow eleexaminations as a condition of em- vator mechanics helpers to continue
ployment. While the union strongly working. As currently written, the
supports stringent elevator safety for bill would require helpers to be parboth the public and the workers who ticipants in a state-approved apmaintain them, the laws, as written, prenticeship program.
would potentially disqualify current
public workers. On behalf of Local
237, Rakowski offered the following
Floyd Awarded by Law Foundation
Albert Thompson, president of the Tri-State Law Enforcement Foundation,
presents President Gregory Floyd with the Municipal Labor Leader of the
Year Award at the organizationʼs recent event. Floyd received the award for
his visionary leadership of union workers throughout an especially challenging year for public employees. The organization assists law enforcement officers and their families in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,
and provides scholarships to underprivileged children, as well as grants to
officers wishing to continue their education. They are flanked by two volunteer assistants.
NEWSLINE
216 West 14 St., New York, NY 10011
212-924-2000
Website: www.local237.org
e-mail Newsline: [email protected]
President
Vice President
Edmund Kane
Trustee
Ruben Torres
Patricia Stryker
Secretary-Treasurer Recording Secretary
Steven Gordon
Trustee
Curtis Scott
Newsline and www.local237.org
Trustee
Tania M. Lambert
Editor
If you move...
Please send your change of address in writing to Membership to insure that you
continue receiving your newspaper.
Metro NY
Labor
Communications
Council
“Reaching Out With Greg Floyd” airs Saturdays at 3 p.m. on WWRL AM
1600. In April, Floyd’s guests were: Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. senator for New
York, and Bishop Mitchell Taylor, president, East River Development Alliance, Long Island City. Floyd also spoke with School Safety Agents Emma
Spruill and Level 3 Darryl Miles.
In May, Floyd will welcome New York State Assemblywoman Vanessa
Gibson, among other guests.
Greg Floyd with Bishop Michael Taylor and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Left to right:
SSAs Emma
Spruill and
Darryl Miles, and
Assemblywoman
Vanessa Gibson.
Local 237: On the Air
Local 237 Newsline (USPS 700-000 ISSN 1083-3536) is published 10 times a year in the
following months: January, February, March, April, May, (June, July and August will be
combined into one issue), September, October, November and December by Local 237,
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 216 West 14 Street, New York, NY 10011.
Periodical postage paid at New York, NY. Postmaster: Send address changes to
Local 237 Newsline, 216 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011.
Gregory Floyd Richard Hendershot
Reaching Out With Greg Floyd
See video excerpts of “Reaching Out With Greg Floyd” on Local 237’s
website at www.local237.org/videos. The complete programs air on the
NYC cable TV systems and Cablevision Long Island systems listed below.
Local 237
Executive Board
ON AIR
The hearing was the first on elevator safety since 2003, and it followed two recent deaths involving
elevators. Suzanne Hart, an advertising executive, was fatally injured
in December when she stepped into
an elevator, and it shot up. Ed
Bradley was electrocuted in March
while working on an elevator.
“Local 237 supports the City
Council’s desire to see that those
who repair and maintain the city’s
thousands of elevators have the necessary skills and qualifications,”
said Rakowski. “We want to make
sure, however, that this bill would
allow current city and NYCHA employees to continue working.”
STATEN ISLAND COMMUNITY
TELEVISION (CTV):
Time Warner Ch.34 and Verizon
Ch. 34
Wednesdays, 7 p.m.
Fridays, 6 p.m.
BRONXNET:
Cablevision Ch. 67 and Verizon
Ch. 33
Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Fridays, 7 p.m.
MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD
NETWORK (MNN):
Time Warner Ch. 34, RCN Ch. 82
and Verizon Ch. 33
Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY
ACCESS (BCAT):
Time Warner Ch. 35, Cablevision
Ch. 68, Verizon Ch. 43, and RCN
Ch. 83
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.
QUEENS PUBLIC TELEVISION
(QPTV):
Time Warner Ch. 35, Verizon Ch. 35
and RCN Ch. 83
Mondays, 11 p.m.
Time Warner Ch. 56, Verizon Ch. 36
and RCN Ch. 84
Fridays, 11 p.m.
LONG ISLAND CABLEVISION:
Hauppague System Ch. 20
Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.
Woodbury System Ch. 20
Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.
4
NEWSLINE, April 2012
SSAs Receive Recognition in Bronx & Brooklyn
Bronx West
The School Safety Division of
the New York Police Department
held recognition ceremonies at
Bronx West Command and Brooklyn North Command on April 10
and April 11, respectively.
Awards were presented to
school safety agents for outstanding
performance, years of service and
perfect attendance. Assistant Chief
Brian Conroy, commanding officer
of the division, addressed honorees
at both events, praising their com-
Local 237 Business Agent Charles Cotto congratulates school safety agents,
from left, Gina Anderson, Keisha Felix, Desiree Wilson, and Orlando Capella.
mitment and contributions to their
communities.
Local 237 Business Agent
Charles Cotto was on hand to congratulate the Bronx honorees.
Brooklyn North
Al Soto, director, Law Enforce-
ment Unit, Citywide Division, congratulated SSAs at Brooklyn North
Command, including Jacqueline
Dowd, who received the Borough
Commander’s Award and was a recent recipient of the Isaac Liberman
Public Service Award.
SSA honorees and officials are joined by Al Soto, director, Law Enforcement Unit,
Citywide Division, second from left, at Brooklyn North Command. Flanking the
group are Assistant Chief Brian Conroy, far left, and Ramon Garcia, director of
patrol operations, far right. SSA Jacqueline Dowd is fourth from left.
SSAs Collar Student Arsonist at Flushing High School
School Safety Agent Stephen
Michael was at the main lobby entrance of Flushing High School at
9:25 a.m. on March 19, with SSA
Karen Malcolm, when he observed a
boy wandering in the hallway. Moments later, a student told Michael
that a classroom was full of smoke.
Michael responded by calling
additional agents to help him investigate the cause of the smoke. They
found a bulletin board ablaze in the
back of the classroom, and SSAs
Trevor Neal and Tyrone Nixon
helped Michael smother the fire
with towels. SSA Stephanie Ross
notified the borough command and
was joined by SSA Christine Glazer,
several other agents and school faculty in evacuating the school. Following clearance from the Fire Department, all 3,000 students were
safely returned to classes.
Michael later identified the student he had seen wandering in the
hallway. On further investigation
SSAs found that the student had a
lighter. When he was questioned,
the 14-year-old boy admitted to setting the fire as “a science experiment,” recalls Michael. The student
was charged with arson as a felony.
Addressing Ivy Leaguers
School Safety Agents pose with Flushing High School safely in the background.
f
Join President Gregory Floyd’s facebook
facebook
page, which can be reached on Local 237’s
website at w w w.local237.org.
Click into “FFacebook ” on the top left corner of
the home page, and press “ lik e,” and connect
with President Floyd and other people who care
about the important issues that interest you.
President Gregory Floyd addresses conferees at Harvard Law School
recently as part of the Tenth Annual Pension and Capital Stewardship
Conference. The audience of scholars, pension fund trustees and finance
professionals came from as far as Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom
and Canada. Floydʼs presentation, entitled “Infrastructure Investments by
NYC Unionʼs Pension Funds: A Promising Plan? Reasons, Risks,
Recommendations,” addressed a concept that Gov. Cuomo has called the
“centerpiece” of his new budget, and which Floyd has advocated for several years — using public pension funds to invest in infrastructure projects.
NEWSLINE, April 2012
5
The Political Scene
Prevailing Wage for City Skilled Trades Under Assault
Unions United in Challenging Mayor’s Order
This month, without notice,
Bloomberg signed executive order
2012/2, which repeals the historic
method for determining the outside
prevailing wages for the skilled
trades. It also removes the use of
the prevailing wage in contract negotiations. The order affects future
Local 237 members working in 220
titles for the City and Housing Authority.
“Mayor Bloomberg has unilaterally attempted to dismantle more than a
century of labor negotiation tradition,”
said President Gregory Floyd.
Local 237 quickly joined a coalition of private and public sector
unions to defeat the order. The coalition held a press conference on
April 19 on the steps of City Hall to
announce they would collectively
file a legal challenge to the mayor’s
order. Local 237 was among the
unions declaring that all New York
labor organizations, including the
State AFL-CIO, the NYC Central
Labor Council and the Building and
Construction Trades, are in solidarity and will work tirelessly to see that
this anti-union measure is defeated.
The coalition will also explore
legislative options, at both the city
and state levels.
Under the mayor’s order, new
workers will no longer have the option of requesting that the city
comptroller determine the outside
prevailing wage — the total value of
wages and benefits in the private
sector. Instead, trades workers will
have to accept a package similar to
the established citywide pattern and
ing standards and for a fair process
through which to achieve them. This
is the latest battle in the War on Workers and we are prepared to fight.”
Bloomberg’s Executive Order
Vincent Alvarez, president, New York City Central Labor Council, speaks to the
press as union officials and members look on, including Local 237 Trustee Curtis
Scott; Donald Arnold, director, Citywide Division; Randy Klein, Citywide business
agent; and Ken Roper, Housing Division business agent.
will no longer have the option of demanding a contract that is comparable to the wages and benefits earned
in the private sector.
Local 237 officials and skilled-trades members convene near City Hall after the press
conference.
Fair Taxes in the Cross-Hairs
As expected, a debate on President Obama’s proposed “Buffett
Rule,” which would impose a 30 percent tax rate on anyone earning at
least $1 million, was blocked by Senate Republicans. The plan, named
after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who acknowledged that he pays
a lower tax rate than his secretary,
addressed the issue that “one in four
taxpayers with annual income
“The mayor’s power grab is an insult to all workers,” said Floyd.
“Unions have struggled for generations to win decent wages and work-
greater than $1 million today pays a
lower tax rate than millions of hardworking middle-class workers,” according to a White House statement.
In other words, “40 percent of
taxpayers with incomes between
30K and 40K pay more than 12.9
percent of their income in income
and payroll taxes; meanwhile, 25
percent of people with incomes over
$1M pay less than 12.6 percent of
their income in these taxes,” said
New York Times Columnist Paul
Krugman in 2011. “This suggests
that there are a lot of very-high-income guys paying a lower tax rate
than their secretaries….and that
doesn’t even take into account state
and local taxes.”
Republicans, who oppose any
tax increases, contend that such increases weaken the economy and job
creation. House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor proposed a bill which would
cut small business taxes by 20 percent tax to encourage job growth.
Through his executive order,
Mayor Bloomberg created entirely
new job classifications and pay
scales for all 220 skilled-trades titles. Newly hired workers in those
titles will be required to use the
same bargaining process as all
other municipal workers. Appeals
will no longer go through the city
comptroller’s office, which traditionally conducted surveys to determine the prevailing outside rate
for equivalent workers in the private sector. Instead, they will be required to petition the Office of Collective Bargaining, which is controlled by the mayor. The order is
intended to lower the salaries and
benefits of skilled trades members.
The change will not initially affect existing workers, who will be
“grandfathered” in. Employees
whose current salaries exceed the
maximums in the new classifications
will retain their pay. If they are promoted to a new grade, however, the
amount of the scheduled increase for
that grade will be limited to their
previous salary plus the increase that
those covered under the new plan
would have been given had they advanced a grade. Workers promoted to
a higher title within their pay plan
will receive the minimum salary for
the title, or a $1,000 increase,
whichever is greater.
Underscoring that tax cuts are
not a solution for job creation, President Obama noted in a recent address that “we tried this for eight
years before I took office.”
The fierce debate for tax-code fairness will continue through Election
Day to Dec. 31, when $1.1 trillion in
Bush tax breaks for the rich expire. It
remains to be seen if the wealthiest 1
percent will get another round of tax
breaks, or will the 99 percent gain a
revised tax code that will help fund
schools, Social Security, health care
and environmental protection.
Solidarity Against Gun Violence
Continued from page 1
Another victim, Tysheen Davis,
was remembered at a press conference in Astoria Houses on March
27, where Floyd and Housing Division officials joined Councilman
Peter Vallone Jr. and Bishop
Mitchell Taylor, president of the
East River Development Alliance
(ERDA). Taylor urged the community to denounce further violence and
to develop a plan of action to pre-
vent another murder like the one
that took the life of 23-year-old
Davis a few days before. He also
called on elected officials and corporations to fund programs that will
get guns off the street and to offer
quality educational and job opportunities to local youths.
Following the press conference,
Floyd met with members who work
at Astoria Houses to encourage their
participation in the anti-violence efforts announced by Taylor.
The Poor Are Losing Ground
New York City’s poverty rate rose by nearly 100,000, or 1.3 percent, to
21 percent in 2010. It is the largest year-to-year increase since the city
changed its definition of poverty in 2005, according to a recent report by
the city’s Center for Economic Opportunity. More than one in four children
under 18, and more than 1.7 million residents live in poverty. “The rise in
the poverty rate for children, from 22.9 percent in 2008 to 25.8 percent in
2010, is particularly notable,” Mark Levitan, the center’s director of poverty research, was quoted as saying in The New York Times. The report cites
higher unemployment caused by the recession and slow recovery. It also
adds that the poverty rate would be higher were it not for the expansion of
government tax credits, food stamps and other benefits since 2007.
OUR ‘CELTIC CABARET’
SPOTLIGHTS
IRELAND’S MANY GIFTS
6
NEWSLINE, April 2012
ocal 237’s annual Irish Heritage celebration displayed the best and brightest
traditions of the Emerald Isle. Trustee
Edmund Kane welcomed lads and lassies to
the union hall’s cabaret setting with his
comedic talent, delivering time-tested jokes
from the old country.
L
President Gregory Floyd addressed the guests,
reminding them that “Labor is under assault,”
most recently with the passage of the Tier 6
pension plan. He encouraged everyone to stay
informed and to vote. Floyd also presented
four Local 237 members — William McQuade,
Patricia Crawford, Josephine Sullivan and
John Flynn — with President’s Awards for
their outstanding contributions to the union
and their community.
Emcee Maureen Langan enhanced the evening
with her gift of blarney, introducing talent
with wit and enthusiasm. Performers included
traditional Irish singer Ashley Davis, Darrah
Carr Dancers, and musicians Kevin McHugh,
Marta Cook and Martin O’Connell. McKenna’s
Pub catered the traditional Irish food.
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling...
Photos by Pat Arnow
Left, Presidentʼs Award
recipient Josephine
Sullivan, foreground
left, is joined by family
and friends.
Right, President
Gregory Floyd is
flanked by Presidentʼs
Award recipients John
Flynn, left, a NYCHA
bricklayer, and William
McQuade, a D.O.T.
cement mason, and his
family.
President Floyd
greets guests as
they arrive.
The celebratory
cake, as well as
the good time,
was shared by
everyone.
Nancy B. True, director, Retiree
Division, and coordinator of the event,
takes the mic for a few words.
These three photos say it all about the even
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Left, Irish dancers
display their
breathtaking
technique.
Right, Irish musicians
evoke the sounds of
the Emerald Isle.
Below, Ashley Davis
sings a classic Irish
song.
Edmund Kane,
trustee,
welcomes
guests with a
sampling of
Irish humor.
Business Agent Yvette Camacho, a former honoree, accepts the Presidentʼs Award from Floyd
for Patricia Crawford, a clerk typist for the Islip
White Collar Division.
ning.
Emcee Maureen Langan has a few words with School Safety Division Explorer cadets.
7
8
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Kicking Off Our 60th Anniversary
The Retiree Division hosted its biannual
statewide Florida retiree conference on March
29 in West Palm Beach, Florida. More than 100
retired members attended the event, some traveling from as far as Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
Although the focus of the event was on benefits education, the conference also served as a
kick-off event for Local 237’s 60th Anniversary
in June. Charter members Arthur Cordiviola
(1952); German Colon (1957), and Salvatore Azzarello (1958), pictured right with a plaque, received “Founders Awards.”
Flanking Azzarello, from left, are SecretaryTreasurer Ruben Torres, Recording Secretary
Patricia Stryker, and Trustee Curtis Scott.
Nancy B. True, director, Retiree Division, looks
on from the podium.
Retirement Seminars
Begin in May
The Annual Spring Retirement
Planning Seminars begin in May
at Local 237, at 216 West 14
Street in Manhattan. Hosted by
the Retirement Division, under Director Nancy B. True, the free
seminars are conducted by experts in each category covered
and will be held each Thursday in
May at 5:30 as follows:
I
I
I
I
May 3 – Introduction to
Retirement Procedures and
Benefits
May 10 – Health Insurance
& Retiree Benefit Fund
Coverage
May 24 – Financial
Planning, Social Security &
Legal Services
May 31 – How to Stay
Healthy in Mind & Body
Free Pension
Counseling
Members of Local 237 who
work for the City of New York are
encouraged to call the Retiree Division at 212-807-0555 to make
an appointment for a private
consultation on pension and retirement benefits. Appointments
are available on Thursdays from
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Added to the Roster of Retirees
Best Friends
ATI
RN
TE
IN
Sandra Russ, a
former hospital police
sergeant,
is
flanked by Donald
Arnold,
director,
Citywide Division,
and Carol Harry,
business agent, as she
holds a plaque at her
retirement party held
at China Buffet on
Staten Island in
March. Russ retired
from Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home in Staten Island in January with 26
years of service. Russ said she plans to enjoy quality time with her
husband, children and grandchildren and do a little traveling.
S
R
Celebrating a Quarter Century
EAMS
TE
FT
‘Me’ Time
Al Soto, director, Law Enforcement Unit, Citywide
Division, presents
former Hospital Police Officer Damoh
Morris with her replaque.
tirement
Morris, who retired
from Metropolitan
Hospital in Manhattan in March with
22 years of service,
said, “No more overtime for me.” Instead, she plans to relax, sleep late, spend time with
her grandchildren, and travel.
O
R
R
Congratulations to…
…CHRIS MANTUANO, evidence and property control specialist (EPCS) at
the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), on the birth of his
daughter, Zoe, in March.
•••
…SHARIF BHUIYAN, EPCS at the OCME, on the birth of his son, Ayaan
Alam, in March.
We’d like to hear from you. If you’d like us to report on what’s
happening in your life, drop a line to Teamster Notes, Newsline,
216 W. 14 Street, NY 10011, or call 646-638-8636,
or e-mail [email protected].
A Toast to Shop Stewards
Local 237ʼs Housing Division treated 15 shop stewards to dinner at the
Olive Garden in Manhattan recently to thank them for their commitment to
attending regular and craft meetings, and for the work they do to keep members informed of union matters. Housing Division officials and business
agents socialized with the shop stewards and posed for a memorable group
portrait.
CONDOLENCES TO...
Former School Safety Agents L3 Loretta Dunn, left, and Eunice
Emery are flanked, from left, by Donald Arnold, director, Citywide Division; Al Soto, director Law Enforcement Unit, Citywide Division; and
Edmund Kane, trustee. The women, friends for nearly half a century,
visited Local 237 to receive their retirement plaques on the same day.
Dunn, who retired with 20 years of service in February, was with
the Brooklyn North Mobile Task Force. “I really enjoyed my job,” she
said, especially “being there for the children.” She recalled the “rough
and tough” side of the job, such as recovering a gun in 2008 at I.S. 33
and being among the first responders on 9/11.
Dunn said she looks forward to a little traveling and enjoying her
grandchildren, Anasia, 8, and Andrew Jr., 3. A Brooklyn resident, she
has three adult children, and her mother will soon celebrate 80 years.
Emery, who retired with 25 years of service in March, said, “Thank
God for the strength to have come this far.” Her early years were spent
at Brooklyn North, and she later moved to Brooklyn South. She said
she was grateful to many co-workers and family members for the support they gave her through the years.
She looks forward to her first grandchild, due in August, from her
only daughter, LaTanya Hammond, who lives in South Carolina. “The
baby shower is in July,” said Emery, who lives in Brooklyn’s Linden
Houses. Emery’s mother, soon-to-be great grandmother, Nellie Pearl
Emery, is 89 years old.
…the family of ROBERT ALVARADO who died last December. Alvarado was
a mason helper employed by New York City Housing Authority and
worked in the Bronx North for 28 years.
•••
…LIEUTENANT T. BURGOS of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, on the death of her sister, Sara Frazier, on March 9. Frazier is
survived by her sister and her son Brandon Frazier.
•••
…the family of the late CAMPUS PEACE OFFICER MARK VASQUEZ, who died
March 11. Vasquez began his career in 2007 at Honors College and transferred to John Jay. He is survived by his wife, Erica, daughter Nia, and
mother, Samia Mercado.
•••
...SGT. ROSALIA FONTANEZ of H.R.A. Police on the passing of her father,
Edil Gonzalez, on March 15, at age 78. Gonzalez, a native of Mayaguez,
Puerto Rico, served as a corporal in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1954,
Tank Co./ 65th Infantry. He is survived by his wife Camelia, his daughter,
four sons, nine grandchildren, and
seven great grandchildren. He was laid
to rest at Florida National Cemetery.
•••
…SCHOOL SAFETY AGENT EUGENIA
BOYKIN of the Bronx East Command
JHS 339 on the death of her grandmother, Wilhelmina Dubois Washington, at the age of 103, on March 16.
Washington is survived by six grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and
five great, great grandchildren.
•••
…EVIDENCE AND PROPERTY CONTROL SPECIALIST DARRELL PUNCH at the Office
of the Medical Examiner, on the death of his father, Herman A. Punch, on
April 7.
9
10
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Workers Memorial Day
We Remember Echol Cole and Robert Walker
By Diane Stein
Coordinator, Health and Safety
Department
W
ork can be dangerous.
Every 15 seconds a worker
dies somewhere in the
world. In the United States April 28
has
been
declared
Workers
Memorial Day — a day to honor our
brothers and sisters who have died
or become sick or injured simply
because they went to work to support their families.
Workers’ rights — particularly a
worker’s right to come home free of
April is
National
Poetry
Month
injury or illness after a day
at work — continues to be
an important part of the
civil rights movement.
In April 1968, when Dr.
Martin Luther King was
murdered, he was in Memphis to support sanitation
workers who had been on
strike since February of that
year. The strike was over
poor treatment and discrimination and the right to join a union,
but it was also about dangerous
working conditions and the recent
deaths on the job of two workers:
Echol Cole and Robert
Walker. Both men were
crushed to death in an outdated sanitation truck. Their
deaths were needless and
could have been prevented.
Their families were left
without a father, brother,
uncle and son. Walker’s wife
was pregnant when he died.
Dr. King recognized
that the sanitation workers
right to safety on the job was as
much a part of the civil rights movement as Rosa Parks’ right to sit at the
front of the bus. King participated in
a citywide march to denounce the
human rights violations against the
sanitation workers and he died before leading a second march
planned for the cause.
This Workers Memorial Day, as
we mourn the workers who have
died on the job, we also fight for the
living — each worker’s right to a
safe workplace. Many Local 237
members work in jobs with hazardous conditions. To ensure safety
in our workplaces, we must work together to identify and report any
dangerous conditions as soon as we
see them.
In the Shadow of Liberty
Let the discontented rage.
Let them not be shunned or silenced.
Give them room to grieve where grievance
begs for hearing what slights
they must endure
and wounds that fester and cry for cure.
Let us heed their shouts of indignation
to weigh the price we pay for privilege.
Injustice breeds disease at every station,
eats at virtue and feeds hyprocrisy.
Might any claim democratic rights while some
are denied democracy?
They who languish in the shadow of liberty,
living on the scraps of opportunity.
There lies the measure of freedom,
Not in oaths or the halls of government,
But who may prosper in this prosperous land
and who must suffer at whose hand.
Take pride if you will where pride is due,
at great accomplishment and worth.
But mark as well that slavery scarred
this earth,
and inequity poisons it still.
Frail hopes and shattered dreams persist
like weeds on a verdant hill.
So let the discontented rage
and lead blind justice to their cause,
For whoever justice serves it serves
the commonweal
and draws the nation closer
toward making ‘We the People’ real.
– Seymour Joseph
Know Your Rights
By Sanford Rubenstein
Slip and Fall & Premise Accidents
T
housands of slip and fall accidents occur every year, many
of which are caused by dangerous conditions that make it possible to collect damages for such
injuries. Slip and fall accidents are
among the most common reasons
for visits to hospital emergency
rooms. Additionally, slip and fall
accidents are the second highest
cause of accidental death and disability following automobile accidents.
These accidents may arise in
public places due to defective side-
walks, for example, or someone’s
home because of the accumulation
of rain, ice, or snow. If injuries in a
slip and fall claim are caused by
rain, ice, or snow, both the property
owner and the injured person can be
held to varying degrees of responsibility. The majority of jurisdictions,
including New York, will apply the
“Storm in Progress” doctrine in
these lawsuits. Under this doctrine,
a property owner will not be held
responsible for accidents occurring
as a result of the accumulation of
snow and/or ice on its premises un-
less the owner has not addressed the
hazardous condition within a reasonable period of time after the
storm has ceased.
For a property owner or possessor to be held liable in a slip and
fall or premise accident, it must
have been foreseeable that the
owner’s negligence would create
the dangerous condition, and that
the owner or possessor knew of the
dangerous condition. The injured
party must establish that the
owner/possessor created the dangerous condition; knew the dangerous condition existed and negligently failed to correct it; the condition existed for such a length of
time that the owner/possessor
should have discovered and corrected it prior to the slip and fall incident in question.
A premise accident in which a
victim is injured as the result of a
defect in an apartment or building is
also actionable for damages. An ex-
ample of such a case handled by my
law firm resulted in a $2.8 million
structured settlement for a Brooklyn
boy who suffered epileptic seizures
after being struck in the head by a
large chunk of ceiling which fell on
him in his mother’s bedroom. Another example is a $1 million dollar
settlement for a woman who fell as
the result of a negligently constructed stairwell.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries or death from a slip and fall or
premise accident, you should consult an attorney as to whether the
property owner is liable and should
pay damages.
Sanford Rubenstein, Esq., is the
senior partner at the Brooklyn law
firm of Rubenstein & Rynecki, which
handles all types of cases for personal injury, medical malpractice
and cases involving police misconduct. The law firm can be reached at
718-522-1020.
NEWSLINE, April 2012
Manteniendo Solidaridad Contra
La Violencia de Pistolas
11
Resumen en Español
Una fotografía de Trayvon Martin, encapuchado y con semblante juvenil, ha llegado a
simbolizar la violencia insensible que con pistolas se ha desatado a través de nuestra nación,
robando vidas en nuestros propios traspatios. La
trágica muerte de un jóven desarmado a manos
de un vigilante por designación propia levantó
una ola de protestas, a la cual se sumaron los oficiales del Local 237, para demandar el paro de la
violencia con pistolas, de las leyes “Stand Your
Ground” (traducido Mantenga Su Terreno), y del
perfilamiento racial.
“La muerte de Trayvon Martin no habrá sido
en vano si nuestras protestas contra un abalamiento sin sentido y un sistema legal defectuoso
ayudan a prevenir la pérdida de muchas vidas inocentes,” dijo el Presidente Gergory Floyd, quien
participó en manifestaciones por toda la ciudad.
La furia sobre la muerte de Trayvon empezó
poco después de Febrero 26, cuando el jóven de
17 años fue abaleado mortalmente en una comunidad privada de Florida donde él visitaba a un
amigo de su padre. El error que cometió el
muchacho fue de tener apariencia “sospechosa,”
como lo describió George Zimmerman al operador del 911 antes de disparar el tiro fatal contra
el jóven que vestía una camiseta con capucha, llevando solamente golosinas Skittle y té helado.
Zimmerman permaneció libre bajo la ley
“Stand Your Ground” de Florida, decretada hace
siete años, la cual permite que personas que se
consideren victimas potenciales de violencia responder con fuerza, aún si pudieran retroceder
del peligro. Durante las seis semanas antes que el
fiscal especial acusara a Zimmerman de asesinato en segunda categoría, se desataron protestas
por todo el país y gente de todas las edades y circunstancias de vida vistieron capuchas en solidaridad con la familia de Trayvon y sus demandas de justicia por su muerte injusta.
El Presidente Gregory Floyd y los oficiales
del Local 237 participaron en conferencias de
Daily News: Susan Watts
El Concejal de la Ciudad Fernando Cabrera hace llamado para justicia a favor de Trayvon Martin en una conferencia de prensa coordinada por las Concejales Melissa Mark-Viverito, a su derecha, y Letitia James, a su
izquierda. El Presidente Gregory Floyd está a la derecha de James.
prensa en las escaleras de la Alcaldía, en Astoria
Houses en Queens, y en una manifestación en
Union Square en Manhattan.
Floyd se unió a mas de una docena de miembros del Concejo Municipal en las escaleras de la
Alcaldía vistiendo capuchas y haciendo llamado
para justicia para Trayvon Martin y su familia el
28 de Marzo. La acción fue coordinada por las
Concejales Melissa Mark-Viverito y Letitia James,
quien dijo, “Este acto de endemonizar a los
jóvenes varones negros tiene que parar. Empieza
Oficiales del Local 237,
con el Presidente
Gregory Floyd, centro,
visitan a los trabajadores en Astoria
Houses en Queens,
después de una conferencia de prensa para
urgir a la comunidad a
denunciar la violencia
de pistolas.
con todos nosotros aquí hoy día.”
Notando que las autoridades policiácas de
Florida todavía no habían hecho nada, la Presidenta del Concejo Municipal, Christine Quinn
dijo “Zimmerman necesita ser enjuiciado. Él está
caminando libremente con una pistola.”
En la plaza Union Square el 9 de Abril, la furia
continuó cuando los protestadores, incluso Floyd
y oficiales del Local 237 con la Concejal Letitia
James hicieron llamado para justicia, no solo para
Trayvon Martin, sino para todos los jóvenes asesinados como resultado de la violencia y armas
ilegales en las calles de nuestra ciudad. Los nombres de Ramarley Graham, Rekia Boyd, Tysha
Miller, y el histórico Emmet Till — asesinado en
Mississippi en 1955 a la edad de 14 por hacerle un
silbido a una mujer blanca — estuvieron entre las
victimas recordadas por los protestadores.
Otra victima, Tysheen Davis, fue recordado
en una conferencia de prensa en Astoria Houses
el 17 de Marzo, donde Floyd y oficiales de la División de Viviendas se unieron al Concejal Peter
Vallone Jr. y el Obispo Mitchell Taylor, presidente
del East River Development Alliance (ERDA).
Taylor urgió a la comunidad a denunciar la contínua violencia y a desarrollar un plan de acción
para prevenir otro asesinato como el que cobró la
vida de Davis, quien contaba con 23 años de
edad, pocos días antes. Él también hizo llamado
a los oficiales y a las corporaciones a financiar
programas que eliminen las pistolas de las calles
y que ofrecieran oportunidades cualitativas de
educación y empleo para los jóvenes locales. Después de la conferencia de prensa, Floyd se reunió con los miembros que trabajan en Astoria
Houses para animarles a participar en los esfuerzos anti-violencia que anunció Taylor.
LONG ISLAND
REPORT
He Ran Through the Blaze
James McGarry, Town of Islip
employee and a volunteer firefighter, ran through the blaze
that raged through Pine
Barrens and destroyed more
than 1,000 acres in Suffolk
County on April 9.
ames McGarry, a Town of Islip employee for 23 years, said,
“I’m lucky to be alive,” after escaping a ring of wildfire by
running through it. The blaze raged through Pine Barrens and
destroyed more than 1,000 acres in Suffolk County on April 9.
McGarry, a volunteer firefighter for 17 years, was with two other
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volunteers in a brush truck equipped with one thousand gallons of water. They
had driven about a mile and a half into the forest to hose down the fire when the
truck rolled over a tree stump and got stuck. “The wheels were spinning, but we
weren’t going anywhere,” recalls McGarry, adding, “We got overtaken by fire all
around us.”
Their only choice was to abandon the truck and “run through the fire to get
out of the fire…and keep moving, keep moving,” said McGarry. “The fire was basically chasing us.”
Eventually, the men found a safer spot, but they were lost deep in the forest.
They called 911 from a cell phone and were connected to fire rescue personnel
who remained on the phone while a Suffolk County Police helicopter searched
overhead for the firefighters.
While waiting to be rescued, the men found a pond where they treated one
man’s burns to the hands, face and ears, said McGarry, who suffered heat and
smoke inhalation along with the other firefighter. They planned to jump into
the icy pond if the fire came near, but the police spotted them from the air after
about two hours.
“I was never afraid of fire. That day I was afraid of fire,” said McGarry, who,
along with hundreds of other volunteer firefighters, prevented what could have
been a “significant disaster,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone was quoted
as saying on WABC news.
The flames triggered mandatory evacuations in parts of Riverhead, forced
dozens of people from their homes and put hundreds of horses at Manorville’s stables at risk.
Treated and released from Stony Brook Hospital, McGarry was glad to be home
with his wife LeeAnn, son Michael, and daughters Sarah and Danielle.
McGarry, a resident of Manor Park, credits training and instinct for getting the
group through circumstances beyond their control.