Statement by District Council 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts
in response to the Independent Budget Office's 2009 report on
"Budget options for New York"


“District Council 37 recognizes the severity of the financial crisis our city is facing. As we have in the past, we will work together with our elected officials to find ways to address it.

“The IBO’s report reflects their position. We have ours. The hard working men and women who maintain a decent quality of life for this city’s 8 million plus residents by working 24-7 for an average of $31,000 per year, should not be made to shoulder the burden of correcting a crisis that they did not create.

“We are reviewing the IBO report and together with the Municipal Labor Committee, we will soon provide our own analysis of how to best use the city’s resources.”

District Council 37 is New York City's largest public employee union, with 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees.