They stressed that because of city workers productivity, administrators can now dig deep into city coffers and improve the lives of citizens. Again, out on the street. Again, shut out of the mayor s office. Again, having to talk to the mayor through the thick glass of his office window instead of engaging in a meaningful dialogue, he said in reference to the mayor s office refusing to review the budget with unions for the first time in the last 25 years. You know what we would have told him if he had the decency to talk to the men and women who make this city proud.
Today is just the beginning.
A sleeping giant has been awakened, boomed Lee Saunders, DC 37 administrator and key speaker at the rally, before a raucous crowd. Today s tremendous turnout shows that the union movement is alive and well in New York City, Saunders told the crowd. We ve got to change the priorities of the city. Saunders, who also serves as a CLC vice president, said he approached CLC President Brian McLaughlin and told him it would be a great idea for all labor unions to come together on a common agenda and make a statement because we strongly believe that the direction that Giuliani was taking the city was wrong. In this time of economic prosperity in New York, we ve got to talk about a fair share for working families, said Donohue.