DC 37 Pushes Quinn to Allow Residency Vote

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

District Council 37 has sent a letter to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn demanding that she allow a vote on its residency bill, but Council Members say the union's refusal to include minor changes will doom the measure's possibility of being introduced.

CHRISTINE QUINN: A strong hint to DC 37.

District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts's letter to Ms. Quinn asked for an "up or down vote" on a bill the union has been seeking to pass for more than a year. The measure would allow its members to live in six New York counties surrounding the city. Ms. Roberts wants the bill introduced "as originally proposed," but Chairman of the Civil Service and Labor Committee Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. said that the union needed to change its proposal to ensure city residents wouldn't be pushed out of municipal jobs.

'Bill Won't Move'

"I would love to hold a hearing," he said, "but the bill cannot move forward as it stands."

Mr. Addabbo, as well as members of the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, have long expressed concern that the measure lacks protection for city residents. Many don't object to current employees moving out of the city, but they want a guarantee that city residents will have preference when they apply for city jobs. Members have suggested changes such as requiring city residency for two years for anyone hired by the city, but the union has not budged.

"The Speaker has made it clear to DC 37 that she would like to find a solution to the residency issue," said Andrew Doba, a spokesman for Ms. Quinn. "However, she has also made it clear there are tremendous hurdles with the current bill that would make passage extremely difficult. She urges them away from a my-way-or-the-highway position."

At this month's executive board meeting, DC 37 leaders discussed holding a rally in October if the measure was not passed. DC 37 officials declined to comment, but noted in the letter to Ms. Quinn that their most-recent contract included a change in residency requirements, which was approved by more than 90 percent of the members who voted. They have argued in the past that their members should have the same rights as Teachers, firefighters and Police Officers.

"You would need a slightly different version, just adding a sentence," said Mr. Addabbo. "I can't have my constituents losing out jobs to people who live outside the city."