Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez and DC 37 President and Local 372 President Veronica Montgomery-Costa elected as AFSCME International Vice Presidents


Today, July 31, Eddie Rodriguez, President of NYC Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 of District Council 37, and Veronica Montgomery-Costa, President of District Council 37 and NYC Board of Education Employees Local 372, were elected as International Vice Presidents (IVPs) to represent DC 37 on the International Executive Board of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.

Both called the position a major forum from which to continue the battle on issues at the top of the union's agenda, whether the fight against city, state or federal budget cuts and the privatization of public sector jobs or the fight for universal health care, affordable housing and the right of all workers to join unions, and more.

Citing a recent call by New York elected officials for major budget cuts, Montgomery-Costa said, "Serving as AFSCME IVP offers a forum from which to build support for my DC 37 brothers and sisters and to ensure that our needs are addressed on a local, state and national level."

Rodriguez said, "Being AFSCME IVPs allows us to take the fight being waged by DC 37's 56 different locals, led by DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, to the national level as we join AFSCME to underscore the value of the services we provide as public employees."

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts congratulated Montgomery-Costa and Rodriguez saying, "In their role as international vice presidents on the Executive Board of our 1.4 million-member parent union, AFSCME, these two forceful leaders will be a strong, unified voice for District Council 37's 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees."

Eddie Rodriguez was elected to his third term as an IVP from DC 37. Veronica Montgomery-Costa was elected to her first term as an IVP from DC 37. They were elected during the AFSCME 38th International Convention attended by 6,000 delegates, alternates and guests, July 28-August 1, in San Francisco, California.

DC 37 is New York City's largest public employee union, representing 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.