Power Struggle Continues: Roberts Critics Win DC 37 Board Slots

Power Struggle Continues
Roberts Critics Win DC 37 Board Slots

By HOWARD MEGDAL

A pair of District Council 37 executive board candidates aligned with the faction opposed to Executive Director Lillian Roberts won decisive victories to maintain the dissidents' 15-14 majority within the body.

CAROLYN HARPER: A big win for dissidents. Local 1251 President Carolyn Harper, whose union represents clerical titles at the Department of Education, defeated Local 384 leader Esther Tucker by about 2,000 votes. More surprising was the size of Brooklyn Museum Local 1502 President Melvin Bentley's 3,500-vote victory over Traffic Employees' Local 1455 President Michael DeMarco.

Increased His Margin

Mr. Bentley had defeated Mr. DeMarco in March by 219 votes, but an American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' judicial panel ruled that the election had to be re-run. Mr. DeMarco is perhaps best known for using a golf club to bash in the office door of a political opponent following the finalizing of the January 2004 DC 37 election results. A swastika appeared on the same office door that night, but Mr. DeMarco denied any knowledge of that vandalism.

CHARLES ENSLEY: Tide may be turning. Both wins were hailed by Local 371 President Charles Ensley, Ms. Roberts's once and perhaps future opponent for executive director. Mr. Ensley was narrowly defeated by Ms. Roberts in that 2004 election.

"We're very pleased at the victory," he said in a June 29 phone interview. "They represent progressive trade unionism. They are outstanding choices who will make a major contribution to our union."

Roberts: Work With Them

Ms. Roberts was less enthusiastic about the results, issuing a June 27 statement that said "As always, DC 37's leadership works with the process that the members and representatives bring to them. We will work collectively with the new vice presidents the way we work with all the executive board members. We respect the democratic process."

Mr. Ensley said that the result, particularly the in crease in Mr. Bentley's margin of victory, may indicate a turning of the political tide against Ms. Roberts.

"It is our information that the leadership of DC 37 worked very hard for the opponents," he said. "This result indicates that people cannot be browbeaten into support forever. Clearly, it suggests that the [dissident group opposed to Ms. Roberts] is poised to sweep the election."

LILLIAN ROBERTS: Still solid with big locals. But that movement may be tempered by the delegate votes controlled by the five "five-percent locals," all of which represent at least five percent of DC 37's 120,000 members. Aside from Local 371, the others - 372, 375, 420 and 1549 - are led by allies of Ms. Roberts.

Weren't Part of Vote

Because last week's vote involved vice presidents to represent the union's smaller locals, delegates from the five-percenters could not vote.

Local 1930 President Lynn Taylor said that the victories boosted the spirits of those allied with Mr. Ensley. "I cannot tell you what a lift that gave me, just to hold our own and not go back," Ms. Taylor said in a June 28 phone interview. "It really was done on the issue of one-member, one-vote."

Members staged a raucous rally outside of DC 37's office on 125 Barclay St. prior to the meeting in support of democratizing the union's elections. Right now, executive positions such as Ms. Roberts's are voted on by delegates rather than the DC 37 rank and file. Delegates have rejected two resolutions seeking direct election of DC 37's top officers.

While buoyed by the victory, Mr. Ensley declined to say whether he will again oppose Ms. Roberts in next January's elections.

"We're under tremendous pressure to challenge," he said. "Certainly, they will be challenged. If not by me, then by someone."