On Nov 30th the Local 768 Election Committee announced the results, and for all the positions that were decided by that round of voting, our REBUILD candidates won! Those of us who won are honored to have the support of the membership, and look forward to moving our ambitious agenda ahead.

However, our constitution requires that Local Officers be elected by a majority of the vote (not just 'more than other candidates'). This often requires run-off elections, in which the top candidates run again... and that is the situation we are in now.

In this run-off election we ask for your continued support for our candidates:

For 2nd Vice President

Nate Franco (H+H/Harlem | Social Worker)

For Executive Board Member

Rajesh Mehra (H+H / Correctional Health Services | LCAT)

Eric Luchs (DOHMH | APHS)

Robyn Coghlan (DOHMH | Early Childhood Education Consultant)

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

Our local has over 4,000 members ... that's a lot of people to connect with and inspire to participate in our union's election. The only way we can hope to reach all of our members is by sending printed campaign materials, but our union's election rules require that we pay for the printing and postage ... the union will only put the addresses on. So, we need to raise at least $4,000 to print and send one brochure to each member - can you help us reach that goal?

NOTE: Candidates for office in our union cannot accept contributions from any vendor (whether or not the institution or person does business with the local), politician, public or private employer.  There is no prohibition on raising funds from among union members or any limits on the amount of money members may contribute. By donating via this link, you are acknowledging that you are NOT a vendor, politician, public or private employer.

We're trying to make sure that all our supporters get their ballots, vote for the full REBUILD team, and mail them back in time!

I'm a Dental Assistant at Health+Hospitals / Harlem, where I've worked for over 12 years. I've been a Shop Steward for Local 768 for many years, including completing the Advanced Stewards training offered by DC37. I'm proud to be running for Delegate to the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council to help be a voice for our Local in the broader labor movement of New York City. As a Trustee I will independently review our financial statements to ensure that members' dues are being used for our benefit!

My name is Charles Forrest and I have been a Labor Standards Investigator (Inspector) at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) for two (2) years. I have seen the power of union representation for workers and want to be an effective representative for you by increasing union access, accountability, and engagement.

I'm a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist Level II at Rikers Island Correctional Facility where I've worked for 7 years now. I've been a member of DC37 Local 768 since 2016, when Rikers became a Health+Hospitals site. I've since taken the Shop Steward training, and have always fought hard to be a voice for my colleagues who are often unheard.

I am Nikki Simpkins-Watson running for Delegate to DC37.  I have worked at Queens Hospital for the last 17 years as a social worker and have been an active Union member for many years. We are living in challenging times and I want to be part of a team that unites our Local and are ready to address our work inequities & disparities. It is time to mobilize!

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.

Election Update

On Nov 30th the Local 768 Election Committee announced the results, and for all the positions that were decided by that round of voting, our REBUILD candidates won!Those of us who won are honored to have the support of the membership, and look forward to our ambitious agenda ahead.

However, our constitution requires that Local Officers be elected by a majority of the vote (not just 'more than other candidates'). This often requires run-off elections, in which the top candidates run again... and that is the situation we are in now.

In this run-off election we ask for your continued support for our candidates:

For 2nd Vice President

Nate Franco (H+H/Harlem | Social Worker)

For Executive Board Member

Rajesh Mehra (H+H / Correctional Health Services | LCAT)

Eric Luchs (DOHMH | APHS)

Robyn Coghlan (DOHMH | Early Childhood Education Consultant)

Ballots for the run-off election were mailed Fri, Dec 15th, and must be received by American Arbitration Association by 9am on Jan 10th in order to be counted. If you did not receive your ballot:Call the American Arbitration Association (800-529-5218) or email them at [email protected]

Building the Union our Members Need in 2024 and Beyond

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.

Voting Process

1. Run-off ballots are to mailed to your home Dec. 15th

2. Fill in your choice

3. Completed ballots must be mailed in time to be received back by 9am on Jan 10th

If you did not receive your ballot:Call the American Arbitration Association (800-529-5218) or email them at [email protected]

My name is Charlton H.L Smith. I have been an Associate Public Health Sanitarian at DOHMH for over 10 years, and I was a Public Health Sanitarian for 8 years before that. Brothers and Sisters, I am respectfully asking for your support to elect me as Executive Vice President of our union local 768. I have the experience, skill and vision needed to help REBUILD our local union. I have been an active union member, a Shop Steward from 2010 to present and served as 2^nd Vice President from 2014-2017. I am committed to continue the work of building a stronger union, enforcing our contracts, negotiating good contracts and involving our members in every aspect of our union.

Welcome to the Rebuild web page. I am Carmen De Leon, a DC 37 member of 10 years, currently working at Harlem Hospital as a Registered Respiratory Therapist, and seeking member support to become the next President of Local 768. Why would I want to take on such a task? Because I believe that our current local is fractured and out of touch with the majority of its members. The Rebuild team has come together to lead Local 768 in a new direction with the goal of building unity, and collaboration with its members (check out our platform here). The election will be this Fall, but we have a much to do to prepare –not only for the election but to REBUILD the union we need (join our campaign here). Click here to read an article published by our union about my experience during the peak of COVID.