Several hundred Local 237 members were among the thousands of union members and concerned New Yorkers who took to the streets outside City Hall on the evening of Oct. 29 and demanded that Mayor Bloomberg give city workers a fair contract.

District Council 37, which represents 125,000 city workers and has been negotiating for a new contract for several months without success, sponsored the rally to bring union members together on the issue of respect on the job.

“Whichever way you look at it,” said Local 237 President Carl Haynes, “whether it’s DC 37 with 125,000 members, Local 237 with 24,000 members, the UFT or any other city union, the fact is we’re all in the same boat. We’re fighting the same battles, for better wages, better benefits and better working conditions. We need each other.”