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DC 37 Presses for Bill
Heckle Bill's Foe The gallery audience was mostly silent throughout the session. But they made their presence known prior to its start when they rained down a hail of "boo's" and chanted "Shame on You" after Councilman Robert Jackson came up to the seating area to talk with them. They were eventually shushed by top union officials. The co-chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus has been outspoken about his opposition to the bill, unless changes are made to ensure that current city residents have preference in hiring.
"But it is part of the American dream to own a home," Mr. Kattou argued back. "You are not allowing our members that chance." Roughly 45,000 members of DC 37 are required to live within the five boroughs. Another 240,000 city workers have exemptions and can live in one of the six state counties that surround the city. The union won approval for the change from the Mayor in its last contract, signed 18 months ago, but the legislation has stalled in the Council. "This is a day of action and a visibility day to remind Members that it's been over a year of inaction, and it is no longer acceptable," said DC 37's political director Wanda Williams. "We want an up or down vote to begin the process and let the Members hear both sides." She claimed that a majority of Council Members supported the bill. The legislation would need to be heard first in the Civil Service and Labor Committee, but Ms. Quinn has not yet allowed it. Councilman Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., who chairs the committee, said that all he needed for a hearing was for the union to add one sentence to the bill, requiring city employees to live in the five boroughs when they are hired. After that, he and many Members are open to allowing them to move out after a period of time. "It's not a question of if the hearing happens," he said, "it's a question of when." Union: No Compromise DC 37 officials have said they are not willing to make the compromise. "That's an excuse," said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez. "These are not high-paying jobs. People from outside the city are not going to come here to take them." The legislative session began with two ceremonies to honor local residents, conducted by Ms. Quinn. While she was paying tribute to the city's home health-care aides, the Speaker made a point of mentioning that her first appearance after winning her Council seat was with the union 1199 SEIU, which represents those workers. As DC 37 members seethed and rolled their eyes at Ms. Quinn's proclamation about the dignity of home health-care labor, about a dozen 1199 members seated among them jumped up and applauded when the Speaker pointed out that they were in the gallery for the ceremony. When asked if Ms. Quinn's reticence on the residency issue would affect DC 37's decision about whether to endorse her in the future in a widely expected run for Mayor, Ms. Williams replied, "We don't like to mix them. This is a legislative process, that is an electoral process. They are connected, but today is today. It will of course be part of the consideration, among other things." Other officials said they hoped their presence, combined with an ongoing campaign, would have an impact on the bill's chances. DC 37 Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin said the action was to let the Council know that DC 37 was very serious about the residency issue. About three years ago, a Local 1407 member, who was a Workers Compensation Benefits Examiner in the Law Department, was fired after 18 years of service when his supervisors discovered that he was living outside the five boroughs.
Mr. Uddin said he hoped to educate the holdout Council
Members about the consequences of the residency requirement and its inequity.
"If people are around the Council Members with them looking at the people and
talking to the people," he said, "it will change their hearts."
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