Bring Democracy to '372'

Largely obscured by the overwhelming, and deserved, approval of the new District Council 37 wage contract was the fact that more than half the eligible members from its largest local, 372, returned mail ballots.

This is the local, keep in mind, where incumbent President Veronica Montgomery Costa has won re-election twice by holding four-hour walk-in elections confined to one location: DC 37's headquarters. In each case, slightly more than 500 members out of more than 21,000 eligible voters have taken part.

The contract return from the local via mail ballot makes clear that the low turnout is not a matter of member apathy. It makes a compelling argument to finally bring democracy to Local 372 by requiring a mail ballot for all future officer elections there.