DEP organizational chart for 9/11 emergency response, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Local 376's administratorship By GREGORY N. The outreach effort in­ HEIRES cluded offering upstate With a new elected leadership and fiscal safeguards in place, Local 376 is no longer under administratorship. workers a new GHl den­ tal program with im­ proved access to dentists. Besides the upstate Watershed Maintainers, ends Gerald W. McEntee, Local 376 represents □resident of DC 37’s par­ Highway Repairers and ent union, the American Construction Laborers. Federation of State, They work at the Depart­ County and Municipal ments of Environmental Employees, ended the Protection, Sanitation trusteeship June 1. and Transportation and at “Local 376 has turned the Board of Education. the comer, and it’s time Under the administra­ for the members to gov­ Ed Bennett torship, the local union ern day-to-day opera­ President, Local 376 also dealt more aggres­ tions again,” said DC 37 sively with workplace Deputy Administrator Eliot Seide, who safety, something Mr. Bennett says will served as administrator of the local union. continue to be a priority of Local 376’s “The local is now more democratic and leadership. more aggressive, which is encouraging Better iob safetv greater activism by the membership.” , iv. juu “We are grateful that the administrator- . ^"der pressure from the union DEP ship showed us the right path to follow,” ’niplemented a safety program in 1999 fol- said Local 376 President Ed Bennett, lowing the death of a member, Construc- “We’re also happy to be on our own now.” 1'°" laborer Christopher Postiglione, in a AFSCME announced the adminis- h't-und-run accident. Also that year, an- tratorship Dec. 1, 1998, after finding evi- DC 37 member who worked at DEP, dence of financial misconduct and election Assistant Project Meager Joseph fraud. That November, former President Lohman of Civil Se^ice Technical Guild Joseph DeCanio pleaded guilty to grand Local 375, lost his life when he was hit by larceny and election rigging. ® ® sfreet work zone. The drowning of Watershed Maintainer Local reinvigorated Archie Tyler at the Jerome Park Reservoir During the trusteeship, Mr. Seide and in the Bronx in March has led to further DC 37 Rep. Bill Fenty, who served as union pressure for safety improvements. deputy administrator, worked closely with Upstate, DC 37 called attention last a core group of activists to reinvigorate the year to contamination of parts of the local. The team developed constitutional watershed infrastructure. DEP agreed to reforms, tightened fiscal controls, improved provide free medical monitoring, notify services and reached out to members with workers of possible exposure to toxins. a commitment to the rebuilding effort. carry out air testing and post results, give Local 376 established committees for workers protective equipment and conduct political action. Quality of Work Life and safety training. a newsletter. It carried out extensive train- Besides improving services and dealing ing for new and veteran shop stewards. with workplace safety issues. Local 376 The union also improved representation intends to focus on getting members more upstate, where about 300 Watershed involved, enhancing pension benefits and Maintainers keep up New York City's “keeping up the fight against abusive man­ reservoir system. agement,” Mr. Bennett said.

Public Employee Press, September 2001

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