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Support Central Park Conservancy Workers!
The Ugly Side of Central Park
Since the 1980's the Central Park Conservancy, the private non-profit group that maintains Central Park, has made the park one of the crown jewels of New York City. But while millions of park goers enjoy the beauty of the park each year, many park workers fail to reap the benefits.
In fact nearly 200 employees of the Central Park Conservancy face on-the-job-injuries, a limited benefits package, intimidation, mean-spirited supervisors, job insecurity, and workplace safety concerns. Worse, when the Central Park Conservancy management learned of their employees intentions to join AFSCME, District Council 37 they initiated an aggressive campaign that included closed door meetings with workers, threats, and anti-union propaganda amongst other fear tactics.
While Central Park is undeniably beautiful this time of year, the exploitation and harassment of park employees by the Central Park Conservancy is egregious! Show support for workers attempting to unionize by signing this petition and look for more information in the coming weeks on the effort to bring justice to the Central Park Conservancy.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: An Open Letter to the Employees of the Central Park Conservancy
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Recently, it has come to our attention that Central Park Conservancy employees want to form a union. As community leaders and advocates for social justice in New York City, we fully support you in this courageous effort. Only by coming together and forming a union can Central Park Conservancy workers ensure that their jobs will be protected and that they will have an effective and powerful voice at work with regard to wages, working conditions and job security.
We are concerned that the Central Park Conservancy has chosen to vehemently oppose your efforts to unionize. We disapprove of their tactics of intimidation and harassment and their attempt to paint a negative picture of unions in general, and DC 37 in particular. We value the work that unions and their members do each and every day for our City of New York.
Historically, unions fight for economic justice helped create the middle class. Today, their presence in the workplace ensures that workers' rights are protected. Conservancy employees work hard to maintain Central Park's pristine condition for the benefit of city residents and tourists. You deserve to have the same rights and benefits as those enjoyed by the municipal employees who work alongside of you in Central Park. Know that our coalition of concerned New Yorkers supports you and stands with you in your courageous fight for your rights.
Sincerely,
Signed by:
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Campaign Launched:
April 14, 2008
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Years ago, NYC’s public parks were administered by over 7,500 municipal employees of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Today, it’s only 2,500 municipal employees taking care of NYC’s public parks. This number continues to shrink as the years go by. Much of the labor has been privatized through city partnerships with non-profit administrators resulting in a two-tier work force of public servants in the City’s public parks.
In Central Park, municipal employees with union rights have a field staff of less than 25 blue-collar workers and an additional staff of about 80 clerical and professional employees assigned to Central Park. The overwhelming majority of workers, approximately 250 to 300, in Central Park are employed by the Central Park Conservancy, a private, non-profit, “partner” with the City of New York. While the CPC has done an extra-ordinary job in turning the dire conditions of Central Park around since the 1970s, the plight of the now “private sector” employees of CPC, have created conditions crying out for union representation and defense of workers’ rights.
Conservancy employees have taken the first steps toward forming a union. By January 2008, a significant number of the Conservancy’s employees signed union designation cards. The employees were well on their way to forming a union.
Unfortunately, in late January, upon learning that their employees were pursuing an association with DC 37 as their union representative, Conservancy management initiated a fear-based, anti-union campaign utilizing all of the tactics I described previously. Management held an average of two “captive audience” meetings per day. DC 37 organizers heard accounts of individual interrogations in which conservancy employees were told that supporting the union was an act of disloyalty. Managers are and have been strictly supervising pro-union workers. They now attend all staff meetings and are present in key “worker areas,” like the lunch or break room.
Conservancy management launched an “anti-union” campaign of misinformation regarding DC 37 specifically, and unions generally. Workers have been fed lies and exaggerations about union dues, alleged history of corruption, and the union’s inability to deliver improved conditions. Conservancy management have told workers that donors will stop giving money to the Conservancy if they form a union and that it isn’t possible to negotiate a contract for wages with a non-profit organization.
In mid-February, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts sent a letter to Conservancy CEO Douglas Blonsky requesting an immediate meeting and that the CPC leadership immediately cease and desist from any activities that misrepresents the character of our union.
Soon thereafter, a DC 37 Delegation, met with the Conservancy’s executive leadership and legal representative. DC 37 offered a “card check” and neutrality agreement fashioned after the principles of the federal Employee Free Choice Act legislation. DC 37 requested to meet with management to negotiate a fair process for the union campaign, seeking a “fair and just” work environment for a union campaign. A week later, the Conservancy’s legal representative informed them via email that their proposals had been rejected in full. No indication was given that further negotiations would occur and the Conservancy has continued its campaign of fear in order to maintain a union-free work environment.
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