About 1,000 union workers, including Local 237 and a coalition of tenants and community organizations, gathered at City Hall Oct. 4 to protest proposed staff cuts to the New York City Housing Authority and demand that the city allocate $30 million toward its city-owned developments through a budget modification.

A coalition of public housing activists, including Local 237 members, raise their hands when asked if they vote.

“In order to preserve desperately needed affordable housing and avoid damaging layoffs of NYCHA employees, the city must take steps to provide adequate and consistent funding for public housing,” said President Gregory Floyd, representing 8,000 Local 237 members who work for NYCHA, 1,500 of whom are also public housing residents. “We will be out there registering voters who live in public housing,” Floyd promised. “Our voices will be heard.”

Just weeks after the rally, the Housing Authority laid off 21 managers and said they plan to reduce management ranks by about 10 percent this year, the Chief Leader reported. “We knew this was going to happen,” said Floyd, “and we’re asking for continued support in bringing awareness to this crisis.”

Although the cuts don’t directly affect Local 237 members, “There are a number of people who worked hard for promotions who will be coming back into our union because they have civil service titles,” said Floyd, adding, “Their hard work is being punished not because of their job performance, but because NYCHA had to make hard choices.”

Local 237 led a protest in June after the agency announced a $225 million deficit. Last month the state passed a bill to phase in about $47 million annually to the Housing Authority’s budget, but it continues operating in crisis.