The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

DC-37 Lobby Day

ESP, The Convention Center, Albany, NY
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 [Noon]

Lillian Roberts. Veronica Montgomery Costa. Cliff Koppelman. Maf Misbah Uddin.

Lenny Allen. Wanda Williams. Sue Graham. My Friends.

Let me begin by paying my respects to a remarkable leader and a true champion of working families throughout Metropolitan New York, my longtime friend and DC 37's distinguished Executive Director, Lillian Roberts.

Lillian, speaking for the Assembly Majority - and especially for the Members of our New York City delegation - let me say how delighted we are that you are here with us in Albany. As always, we look forward to working with you and with your excellent team to address the issues that are important to DC 37.

The Assembly Majority and DC 37, we are partners and we have been your partners for a long, long time. Your concerns are our concerns. Your issues are our issues.

In this declining economy, it is critical that we continue to stand together to protect the interests of our public employees and to protect all working families who are struggling with household budgets that are tighter than ever.

If there is one thing that gets easier in tough times it is the ability to recognize your true friends.

In your state government, DC-37 could not have two better, smarter, more dedicated friends than you have in Assembly Member Peter Abbate, the Chair of our Committee on Governmental Employees; and Assembly Member Susan John, the Chair of our Committee on Labor.

Joining them in the fight for working families and here with you today are Assembly Members Michael Benjamin, Karim Camara, Ruben Diaz, Jr., Hakeem Jeffries, Alan Maisel, Audrey Pheffer, Adam Clayton Powell, Bill Scarborough, and Helene Weinstein.

Together, we are but a small part of the much larger Assembly Majority that is in your corner and fighting for you each and every day.

Look at DC 37's 2008 legislative agenda and what do you see? Assemblyman Abbate's sponsorship on nearly every bill.

Think back to the negotiations that led to the final, enacted state budget.

Who recommended that the millionaires and the billionaires who earn their wealth in New York City should pay a little more in order to ease the burden on working families?

I did, with the backing of the Assembly Majority.

Who demanded that this state keep its CFE promise to New York City's children?

The Assembly Majority did, with the leadership of our Education Chair, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan.

Who added $200 million to the state budget for affordable housing; an investment which includes:

• $54 million for Mitchell-Lama Rehabilitation and Preservation;
• $31 million for the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund;
• And $25 million to prevent "subprime" foreclosures in New York?

We did, with the leadership of our Housing Committee Chair, Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

While those budget negotiations were in process, I took time out to address the members of Local 2021. I will tell you what I told them.

The Assembly Majority is working on a plan to fix the OTB problem. We will do everything we can to protect the jobs of your OTB brothers and sisters.

It is unfortunate that the Mayor chose to use public employees as bargaining chips. You deserve better and we will make sure that you get better.

As we work to protect those OTB jobs, we are also working to ensure that all DC 37 members are enrolled in the New York City Employees' Retirement System.

With the enactment of Chapter 96 of the Laws of 1995, we succeeded in bringing into the system a number of your members who were not enrolled, and therefore were not entitled to retirement benefits.

We believe that there is a need to re-open the "96 plan" once again.

We have legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Abbate to address what we recognize is DC 37's number one priority.

Hopefully, with the cooperation of our partners in government, we can provide the security of a pension for all DC 37 employees who want and need that security.

That's where you come in.

Today, when you are meeting with your legislators, remind them that DC-37 and the public employees in all of your brother and sister unions are the heart and the soul, the muscle and the sweat that makes this government work for the People.

Today, make your voices heard and help us to improve government.

Help us deliver a better quality of life for DC 37 and for all of our working families, because, after all, you are the backbone of this State.

If we keep working together, the Assembly Majority and DC 37, I know we will not fail

Thank you again for coming. It's great to have my hometown union here.

Please make the most of your lobby day here in Albany and remember, your members are counting on you.