Our mission

We will aspire to

• A livable wage for all.
• Respect at work, and appreciation for the work we do. 
• Truly affordable housing in the greatest city on earth
• Flexible work options and whenever feasible, telework options.

What we’ve done

Three years ago, after a decade of stagnant leadership, you elected us to provide a new direction for Local 768. We’ve achieved most of what we set out to do, but there’s much more to do. Vote for our Rebuild candidates to continue building the union our members need in 2024 and beyond.

We won financial compensation for members

• We pushed hard to increase compensation for over 1,600 Early Childhood Education Consultants, Social Workers, and Dental and Respiratory Therapists, all well above the minimums required by their contracts.

We represented members, fought alongside them, and won.

• We won $3,000 for a member who had been wrongly denied the contractual Ratification Bonus while on approved leave
• We won out of title grievances, worth 2-weeks’ pay & COVID leave back-pay for members who had not been properly compensated
• Won back-pay of nearly $3,000 for a member wrongly denied a longevity differential and other additions to gross

We shared valuable Union resources with members; we listened to and learned from our members.

• We increased engagement and reached over 3,153 members through our Slack channel, online meetings, petitions, polling and surveys over the past 3 years (including most of our current members), which helped us to learn more about members’ experiences and get feedback.
• We expanded communication methods through email and texts, connecting with 85% of our roughly 4,000 members, with nearly 20% regularly participating every few months
• We developed a way to “Get Help” feature on Local 768 website, which gets routed to any assigned Stewards as well as Local officers and Reps. Through that process alone, we assisted over (540) members with their questions and concerns.
• We shortened response times to members’ questions, concerns and feedback .
• We promoted and provided collective bargaining training courses for 40 members.

We built a strong infrastructure for our Local

• We paved the way for Social Work and Respiratory Therapy titles to start their own chapters, with several more nearing that stage.
• We actively recruited leaders to run for chapter officer positions and 150 additional Shop Stewards and Member Action Team Leaders to represent and support members (over 60 completing the Steward training).
• We initiated the MAT Leader / Shop Steward program and invested in their education to prepare them to assist with enforcing contracts and to help address worksite concerns.
• We developed a custom Shop Steward mobile app to enhance assistance for and communication with members.
• Above all, we used data to assess, plan and execute infrastructure improvements.

Our solutions for the future

We will continue aggressive contract enforcement

• Continue to actively seek out the most common contract violations and payroll errors, winning the compensation that members are entitled to and resolve as quickly as possible.
• Continue to equip Shop Stewards with the training and support needed to help resolve unfair member workplace treatment. 
• Empower stewards to start the process of resolving concerns sooner and use our grievance process more effectively..
• Work to improve communication with Council Reps.

We will boost member access, engagement and accountability

• Continue to update our website and utilize effective online communication.
• Build on best practices of online meetings and move to hybrid meetings when possible, with safety precautions in place.
• Host in-person social engagements.
• Empower stewards to be more actively involved in distributing union updates and
  site-specific messaging.

We will support current Chapters and expand to more titles

• Continue to survey members to identify the most pressing issues, strategize together about how to win, and stand up to management as a united group.
• Support elected Chapter leaders to communicate with their coworkers and identify policy and contract violations
• Empower Chapters to lead their own actions when needed, as well as develop proposals for future bargaining.
• Offer more support for smaller titles (i.e. meeting toolkits, email templates) and help any eligible title to form a Chapter of their own.

We will build real alliances with the public who depend on our services 

• Establish a Local 768 Political Action Committee to develop our unique perspective on legislation and electoral candidates.
• Engage our members in the coalitions that support us and the services we provide

We will involve members in contract negotiations

• Support Chapters leaders and Stewards in developing and negotiating demands, and all members will be asked to submit suggestions.
• Survey members to submit suggestions.
• Continue our recently established Local Bargaining Committees.
• Engage Members to vote on our priorities before bargaining starts.
• Support negotiators to keep members informed throughout bargaining to the greatest degree possible.

Our Leadership Team

Executive Board Candidates

Carmen De Leon

President: H+H/Harlem | Respiratory Therapist

Charlton Smith

Exec. Vice President: DOHMH | APHS

Ryan McGuire

1st Vice President (Bargaining & Research): DCWP | Inspector

Nate Franco

2nd VP (Grievances & Organizing) | H+H/Harlem | Social Worker

Emily Iwamoto (unopposed)

Secretary: H+H/Woodhull / Social Worker

Louis Moskowitz (unopposed)

Treasurer: DOHMH | PHS

Rajesh Mehra

Executive Board Member at Large: H+H / CHS | LCAT

Eric Luchs

Executive Board Member at Large: DOHMH | APHS

Robyn Coghlan

Executive Board Member at Large: DOHMH | Early Childhood Education Consultant

Sergeant at Arms

Daniel Bellevue

H+H / Woodhull | Respiratory Therapist

Trustees

Lisa Blackett (unopposed)

1st Year Trustee: H+H / Harlem | Dental Assistant

Carlotta Doby (unopposed)

2nd Year Trustee: H+H / Elmhurst | Asst Healthcare Program Planning Analyst

Jeanette Hechavarria (unopposed)

3rd Year Trustee: H+H / Lincoln | Respiratory Therapist

Delegates to DC37

Charlton Smith

DOHMH | APHS

Margaret Dunn-Carver

DOHMH | Nutritionist

Louis Moskowitz

DOHMH | PHS

Martha Larson

H+H/Bellevue | Social Worker

Eric Luchs

DOHMH | APHS

ShellyAnn Mitchell

DOHMH | PHS

Haley Shaffer

DCWP | Inspector

Andrewsky Emmanuel

DOHMH | PHS

Delegates to CLC

Jeanette Hechavarria

H+H / Lincoln | Respiratory Therapist

Lisa Blackett

H+H / Harlem | Dental Assistant

Haley Shaffer 

DCWP | Inspector