District Council 37 Press Advisory

NEW YORK, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released today by District Council 37:

What:  District Council 37, its locals representing more than 1,500 NYC Parks Department workers, and community parks advocates will speak out against proposed massive cuts to the NYC Parks Dept., which will have disastrous consequences for the quality/ safety of the city's parks, green spaces, recreation centers and pools citywide.

Where:  Steps of NY City Hall – Lower Manhattan

When:  Thursday, March 31, 2011 - 10:00 a.m.

Why:  The NYC Parks Dept. has a bloated management budget, having added 94 new high-level management positions – an increase of 50% – over the last four years. Yet Parks proposes converting full-time, year round field workers – the people who do the work to maintain and safeguard our Parks and recreation infrastructure – to 6-month seasonal positions. Parks is also proposing to close pools two weeks early this summer. This proposal would:

• Cause the quality of our parks to suffer
• Make our parks less safe from criminals, falling tree limbs, etc.
• Disproportionately impact lower income communities
• Deprive millions of children and their families of pools to escape the heat
• Undercut the capital budget, which is creating new parks

New York City Parks are an incredible asset to our city and its quality of life. Full-time, year round staff are needed to keep them that way.

Who:  Henry Garrido, Associate Director of DC 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
Council member Vincent Gentile – Brooklyn, 43rd Council District
Council member Jimmy Van Bramer – Queens, 26th Council District
Jackie Rowe-Adams, Pres., DC 37 Local 299, AFSCME
Peter Stein, Pres., NYC Lifeguard Supervisors, DC 37 Local 508
Dilcy Benn, Pres., NYC Attendants, Park Service Workers, City Park Workers & Debris Removers, DC 37 Local 1505
John Huber, Pres., NYC Dept. of Parks Climbers & Pruners, DC 37 Local 1506
Sirra Crippen, Pres., NYC Dept. of Parks Gardeners, DC 37 Local 1507
Eddie Rodriguez, Pres., NYC Clerical-Admin. Employees, DC 37 Local 1549 
Geoffrey Croft, New York City Parks Advocates
Community Voices Heard Representative

District Council 37 is New York City's largest public employee union, with 125,000 active members and 50,000 retirees.

Contact:
Zita Allen, Communications Director
Molly Charboneau
Rudy Orozco
212-815-1535

SOURCE District Council 37