Like many of you, I feel very frustrated these days. Wall Street is back earning record profits, and yet millions of Americans struggle to find work. Young and old alike cannot afford health insurance, and yet the health-care reform bill is at a standstill in Washington. New York is burdened with increasing debt, and Albany has been generating more scandal and confusion than leadership.

It was a year ago that we celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama. I am honored to be sworn in as president of Local 237 so near that historic date. I want to thank all those who helped me reach this point, and I want to welcome our new trustee, Curtis Scott, and new business agents Charlie Cotto and Carol Harry. Though my inauguration is not as momentous an occasion, I wish it to inspire a similar sense of hopefulness about the future among our members.

Holidays are about giving thanks with your family. I consider all the members of Local 237 to be a family, and I hope you do too. We understand each other. We fight for each other. When push comes to shove, we are there for each other. As a family, we have much to be thankful for this holiday season. Although it was a difficult year for much of the nation, Local 237 managed to prosper in these difficult times.

On behalf of the entire Local 237 Executive Board, thank you for the honor of representing you. We are humbled that our members have given us the opportunity to lead this great union into the future.

This month marks just over a year since the bottom officially dropped out of the economy. One year ago, the nation’s top banks collapsed and nearly dragged the rest of the country down with them.

Often I write to you about how Local 237 fights for every one of our members. This month I can tell you that, thanks to your support, our union has scored a big victory.

After months of standing firm, we have reached a contract agreement with the city for our 9,000 NYCHA employees. I’m proud that we held our ground and received a fair deal, 8.16 percent over two years. We refused to take less than we deserve. We refused to settle for less than other unions. We refused to buckle under to pressure to place the financial burden of the city on the backs of our members.

As budgets continue to shrink and the state emerges from chaos, we need a strong and cohesive union to stand together and to fight for working men and women.

Leadership works like a compass in the woods. During good weather, most people glance at it occasionally as they wander among the trees. But in a storm, it becomes very important, the only thing that can get you out safely as the wind and rain pound down and hide the path.

After a difficult winter, in which the country faced blizzards of both snow and bad economic news, the seasons are beginning to change. As the weather warms and the leaves return to the trees, we are also seeing signs that our harsh economic conditions may be starting to thaw: the nation’s financial institutions are again reporting profits and home sales are rising. For the first time in months, there is reason to be hopeful.

We are beginning the great budget battle of 2009. Every year, it is a struggle to ensure that the city and state treat working people with fairness and respect. But this year, resources are thinner than they have been in decades, and every dollar will be hard won.

There has been plenty of bad news lately. Newspapers read like lists of layoffs from private companies and municipal agencies. Fear and apprehension have gripped the nation’s work force, both white collar and blue collar. No one knows when things will get better, or how much worse they will become. 

As Americans try to keep their New Year’s resolutions, the country is united in a resolve to make a bold change. At press time, millions of us were gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. I felt unprecedented enthusiasm as I walked across the doorstep of my home to start that trip, knowing that at the same time I have crossed a threshold to a new, hope-filled era of American and world history.

Facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, many of you might find it difficult to get into the holiday spirit this year. However, Local 237 Teamsters has continued to strengthen its efforts to protect the quality of life for all of its members, redoubling our commitment to meeting your needs during these tough financial times.

Just before midnight on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, history was made.

Unaccept-
able! Just over one month ago a five-year
-old child fell to his death at the New York City Housing Authority’s Taylor Wythe apartment complex in Brooklyn.

As the summer draws to a close, I hope you enjoyed the warm days in the company of friends and loved ones. In the previous edition of Newsline, I discussed new ideas Local 237 was developing to improve the quality of life for our members. I would like to update you on our success and our plans for the coming months.

While many things around the city slow down in the summer, Teamsters Local 237 is just beginning to heat up with new ideas and services to improve the quality of life for our union brothers and sisters.

Welcome to the official website for Teamsters Local 237, a union of 24,000 New York City employees who work in government agencies and several municipalities on Long Island.