More than 3,000 protesters, led by Teamsters Local 237, braved thunderstorms to rally outside City Hall June 12 against further cuts to public housing. They called on city, state and federal politicians to restore funding and help prevent proposed layoffs by the New York City Housing Authority of 500 jobs in October. NYCHA is also considering cutting social service programs.

“We’re not going to take it anymore,” said Local 237 President Gregory Floyd, who reminded rallying union members and resident associations that NYCHA has eliminated 2,000 positions over the last six years due to a shrinking budget, which resulted in substandard services to tenants and overwhelming workloads for Housing Authority employees. About 8,000 Local 237 members are employed by HA, and comprise two thirds of its workforce. “Cuts to public housing must stop right now,” said Floyd. “Our families living in public housing are victims of the federal government’s continued assault on funding that should go to NYCHA.” Cuts in federal aid and limited state spending have left the agency with a projected $225 million deficit this year, even after the agency has been slashing employees and services for several years.



Joining Local 237 at the rally were Ed Ott, executive director of the Central Labor Council; District Council 37 President Lillian Roberts; and Tom Anderson, vice president of the Organization of Staff Analysts. DC 37 and OSA also face potential job cuts by NYCHA.

Protesters waved posters saying “Stop NYCHA Cuts,” and “Save Housing Jobs,” and chanted, “They say cut back, we say fight back.” Inside City Hall, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council were putting the final touches on a $59 billion budget agreement that included a record $4.4 billion surplus, but no help for NYCHA.

Prior to the rally, President Floyd testified on May 31 before the City Council’s Subcommittee on Public Housing, chaired by Rosie Mendez, to request a $50 million appropriation to NYCHA to help avoid the layoffs. Floyd also urged a more permanent solution that would sustain NYCHA’s extensive stock of affordable housing — critical in the current housing crisis — to maintaining a stable municipal workforce. About 400,000 New Yorkers live in city housing, including 20 percent of NYCHA’s own workforce.


From left, Ed Marsh, Bobby DeAngelica and George Purdy, bricklayers and mason helpers, hold up a rally poster with a helping hand from another protester.

“We’re not going to stand by and be put in the street or laid-off,” said DC 37’s Lillian Roberts, adding the shameful statistic that 300 city workers are living in shelters. Expressing solidarity, Roberts thanked Floyd for calling her and said, “When we fight we win. We’re right by your side.”

Other labor leaders attended in solidarity and took the microphone, including SSEU Local 371 President Charles Ensley; AFSCME Local 375 President Claude Fort; CWA 1180 President Arthur Cheliotes; AFSCME 420 President Carmen Charles; UFT Vice President Michael Mulgrew; Sonia Ivany of NY AFL-CIO, and Maf Misbah Uddin, president of AFSCME Local 1407 and treasurer of DC 37.

Elected officials came in support as well, including Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who said, “It’s time for Washington to recognize that cities are the backbone of our nation’s economy and to start investing in urban America.”

The rally intensified as speakers decried the struggle of city workers to earn a living wage that’s consumed by skyrocketing housing costs while the city boasts a record surplus. “They want us to work here, but we can’t afford to live here anymore,” said CWA’s Arthur Cheliotes. Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn) said, “The problem is we’re too nice; too neat; too safe;” and proposed a more aggressive demonstration: “Next time, we’ll shut this city down.”

As thunder and lightning loomed closer, Councilwoman Darlene Mealy (D-Brooklyn) exclaimed, “It’s about union busting.” She also noted that the Bush administration’s disdain for NYCHA is based on greed, and described how it destroys affordable housing: “First they take jobs; then the developments go bad; and then they can sell all the housing developments for a profit.” Once NYCHA is gone, she said, “Where are we going to live?” Her answer: “City Hall. That’s where we need to go.”

When a heavy rain began descending on City Hall, it didn’t stop the protesters or Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Brooklyn) from calling on the “mighty, mighty” union members to “raise your voices… stand up for your children… and stop NYCHA cuts.”