DC37

  • DC 37’s MELS MEDICAID PLANNING WEBINAR REPLAY
    The DC 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services (MELS) held a basic introduction to Medicaid Planning webinar on Sept. 21. Medicaid is the most extensive public health insurance program in the U.S. and pays for over half of all long-term care services provided to seniors. As a result, the Medicaid program has become the equivalent of instant long-term care insurance for many individuals who require long-term care at home or in a nursing home. Elder law attorney Douglas J. Chu walked through the steps necessary to become eligible for Medicaid. During the presentation, he covered the basic income and resource rules, how the application process worked, options for protecting assets from Medicaid estate recovery, and the new transfer penalty rules for home care services. View the video replay of the webinar and presentation slides below. Slides: https://bit.ly/3S70SSb Video Replay: https://bit.ly/3dxkmjW — Oct 6
  • FDNY EMS Lt. Russo Brutally Killed Outside Queens Stationhouse
    By DIANE S. WILLIAMS Local 3621 EMS Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling, a 25-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York, was stabbed to death while on duty in a random and unprovoked attack less than a block from her worksite at Fire Station 49 in Astoria, Queens on Sept. 29. Lt. Russo was rushed to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. “Lt. Russo was a beautiful person who loved her family and served this city well,” said Vincent Variale, president of Uniformed EMS Officers Union Local 3621. “This horrendous act demonstrates that EMS officers take on the same risks as other first responders and don’t receive the same recognition for their labor.” Lt. Russo joined the FDNY in 1998 and rose through the civil service ranks. She was a paramedic and a first responder at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A dedicated public servant, Lt. Russo also volunteered with the Huntington Rescue Squad on Long Island where she lived. Lt. Russo was in uniform when her attacker fatally stabbed her multiple times in the neck and chest, according to news reports. Local 3621 President Variale said, “Lt. Russo was waiting for roadside [...] — Oct 4
  • Local 372 Member’s Daughter Wins Union Plus Scholarship
    By DIANE S. WILLIAMS The daughter of a Local 372 member is the winner of a Union Plus Scholarship. Elise Slaughter was one of 27 winners nationwide. She is the daughter of NYC Board of Education Employees Local 372 member Michelle Louis-Juste Slaughter, a Parent Coordinator at the Knowledge and Power Academy in Far Rockaway, Queens. “I am very grateful for this AFSCME scholarship and I’m using it to help pay my tuition,” said Slaughter, who is entering her junior year at the University at Albany, SUNY, where she is enrolled in a five-year master’s degree program. “Union membership is important because who else is really fighting for working people?” Slaughter maintains a 4.0 GPA. She enjoys writing, graphic design, and flying airplanes. A business and marketing major, Elise is an intern and certified agent at AFLAC’s Wall Street headquarters. While attending the Manhattan Early College School for Advertising, one of New York City’s specialized high schools, Elise also earned 36 credits from Borough of Manhattan Community College. She graduated high school in 2020 with top grades, but due to the COVID pandemic, the school held no ceremony. Additionally, Elise has volunteered at New York museums and traveled to Costa [...] — Oct 3
  • STAY CONNECTED with DC 37! OCTOBER NEWS, EVENTS and SERVICES YOU CAN USE
    HEALTH CARE WORKER BONUS UPDATE DC 37 fought to create a fund for essential pay for members on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York State Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus covers the vesting period from Oct. 1, 2021 to Mar. 31, 2024. The program pays bonuses of up to $3,000 to eligible full and part-time employees, temporary and contracted workers. Read more about the bonus program HERE. In the submission for the first vesting period of the NYS Health Care Worker bonus, over 10,000 DC 37 members were included in the reporting to the State. This includes Mayoral Agencies and NYC Health and Hospitals, EMS workers, School Nurses, Social Workers, Patient Care Associates and a number of titles involved in direct patient care. The first vesting period covered the time period Oct. 1, 2021 to Mar. 31, 2022. The second vesting period covers April 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2022. We are aware that some employees may have been missed in the first vesting period and therefore the employers will submit their names, if eligible, during the next submission period which opens on Oct. 1. If you believe your work was involved in direct [...] — Sep 27
  • When We Fight Together, We Win
    The past two years brought us to this moment, where our collective power is more critical than ever in shaping the future of New York’s working class. Both rounds of the New York State primaries are complete, and with the strength of DC 37 behind them, dozens of pro-labor candidates are on the ballot for the Nov. 8 General Election. Our success at the polls is a reaffirmation of our union’s influence and bolsters our efforts to drive pro-labor legislation at all levels of government. In Albany this year, we lobbied Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature for hazard pay and the state responded by creating a fund for bonuses for our frontline health care workers. We won pay increases for our home health care workforce, significant child care subsidies for at-risk families, and needed funding for the CUNY programs in which many of our members are enrolled. We also urged legislators to help reduce health care costs for union members. For too long, New York City’s private hospitals have made backroom deals with insurance companies to prioritize their profits over our people. This places a considerable burden on union members and their families, and enormous pressure on the Health [...] — Sep 27