Historical News Archive
Board Member Spotlight
Gerald Lezeau & Annette Brown 2018
“... now that Local 3652 is set up, we have a greater voice and feel we have a stronger union.” “We are now in the position of where we can better negotiate our own contract,” Brown said. “We feel have leverage at the bargaining table.” Union gains five new locals to expand member services: making New York City’s Transit System run
Sherif Fawzy 2019
For three decades, Sherif Fawzy devoted himself to his job at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, but didn’t take any particular interest in the union. He was okay with paying his dues, recognizing that the union fulfilled its responsibility to negotiate periodic wage increases and protect his rich packet of benefits. But he felt no need to get involved. His outlook changed a few years ago after DC 37 successfully defend him against unfounded disciplinary charges by managers Education is Power
Local 3652 Splintered From Local 375
May 7, 2018 - Longtime Tech Guild Leader Fort Banned From Seeking Office
A Judicial Panel for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has banned Claude Fort, the former head of District Council 37’s Civil Service Technical Guild, Local 375, from running for any elected position for four years over several infractions he committed as president.
Mr. Fort’s union membership was also suspended for two years; he has appealed that decision. AFSCME will review the appeal later this year. [...]
December 22, 2017 - Subversion of Democracy? On Aug. 29, 2016, AFSCME stormed into Local 375’s office at DC 37 headquarters and tossed out its eight recently-elected officers and nine committee chairs who were elected in a re-run election. AFSCME itself had overseen. AFSCME President Lee Saunders stated that Local 375 was “not democratic enough” as reason to put Local 375 under an Administratorship. [...]
Sep 19, 2016 -The Chief -Tech Guild’s Officers Sue, Questioning BanBy International Union - Officers of District Council 37 Local 375 are asking a judge to block a takeover by its international union, while the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has filed a request to move the local’s lawsuit to Federal court. [dead link]
September 2, 2016 - The Chief - Unruly Tech Guild Gets Oddly-Timed Takeover - The latest in a series of controversies at District Council 37 Local 375, the Civil Service Technical Guild, has left it under the control of its international union, even though the request for a takeover came from a dissident faction of the local that had since won its leadership positions. In a letter dated Aug. 29, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Lee Saunders announced he was placing Local 375 under administratorship, effective immediately, and removing the chapter’s elected officers .[...]
March 28, 2016 - As New Election Unfolds, Local 375 Leader Sues City on Pay Disparity - Local 375 of District Council 37 brought a Federal complaint against the de Blasio administration, alleging that it was paying its engineers lower wages than those in the private sector. The class-action charge, filed March 23, asked the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to intervene and to ultimately impose a 20-percent “salary adjustment.” The local represents 7,500 engineers and other technical employees who work for 30 city agencies. Its filing said the city systematically discriminated against them because the predominantly foreign-born workers are paid as much as 25 percent less than those in the private sector, who it said are largely American-born. [dead link]
March 7, 2016 - The Chief - AFSCME Orders New Local 375 Election, Cites Fort’s Conduct - The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Judicial Panel Chair has ordered District Council 37 Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375 to re-run a December officers’ election because of improper practices by the local’s president. The Feb. 24 ruling is the most recent controversy in the 7,000-member local. It followed a reprimand last month for Local 375 president Claude Fort, who was ousted by AFSCME in 2010 for failing to assign office space and release time to newly-elected officers. He won back his position in early 2013 and was re-elected in December. [dead link]
October 5, 2012 - The Chief - Letter: Local 375's Warped Justice - Due to the Local 375 Aug. 1 executive committee’s very questionably-approved motion (by a vote of 9 to 8 via tie-break by Executive Chair Frank Thomas) to support the “appeal” of a judge’s decision to remove from office President Behrouz Fathi, a special Aug. 30 delegates’ meeting, requested by three chapter presidents, was called and convened; the sole agenda item brought forth was to undo the hastily-approved motion. [...]
June 29, 2012 - Letter From 375 Secretary Jon Foster [...]
June 14, 2012 - Appellate Court Allows Fathi to Return To Tech Guild, For Now - Civil Service Technical Guild President Behrouz Fathi is back in office after being briefly removed by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lucy Billings over three larceny-related convictions from more than 25 years ago, although a pending Appellate Court decision could remove him again while the case winds its way through the appeals process. [...]
June 13, 2012 - Larry Scarlino et al., Respondents, v Behrouz Fathi, Appellant, and Frank Thomas, as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Civil Service Technical Guild, Local 375, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, et al., Respondents.[...]
June 18 - 22, 2012 - HONORING AFSCME LOCAL 375, THE CIVIL SERVICE TECHNICAL GUILD -AFSCME and all the delegates to the 40th International Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees go on record in congratulating, honoring and supporting the leadership and membership, past and present, of AFSCME Local 375 on their Diamond Anniversary. [...]
June 8, 2012 - Michael Rosenberg new Local 375 president: Fathi "Steps Down" Important message about our Local President - Read the letter that was sent to every member regarding the recent decision by a judge against our Local's elected president, and the steps that were taken to protect members' rights and our union's democratic internal procedures and structures. [...]
June 7, 2012 - Tech Guild President Fathi Banned Over Long-Ago Larcenies - Civil Service Technical Guild President Behrouz Fathi May 31 was barred from holding office by a Manhattan Supreme Court Justice because of three larceny-related misdemeanor convictions from more than 25 years ago, reviving the long-running battle for control of the tumultuous union. [...]
May 18, 2012 - Larry Scarlino et al., Petitioners, v Behrouz Fathi et al., Respondents. Supreme Court, New York County [...]
May 30, 2010 - NY Post - Labor boss a ‘steal’ worker[...]
May 20, 2010 - The Chief - Acting Local 375 Head Has 3 Convictions On Larceny, Theft Charges [...]
December 17, 2009 -Fort Charges DC 37’s Gray Violated Rules In Bringing Charges -District Council 37 Local 375 President Claude Fort has filed charges against DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray, claiming that he improperly used union funds to pursue charges against him, adding yet another chapter to the infighting that has led Mr. Fort to run against Executive Director Lillian Roberts. [...]
September 17, 2009 The Chief: D37 'Transit' Members Caught in TWU Fallout BEHROUZ FATHI: 'Playing hardball with us.' District Council 37 Local 375 has filed an improper practice charge against New York City Transit for failing to honor a longstanding practice of giving Local 375 members it employs the same raises DC 37 negotiated for municipal workers. Instead, the authority has tied the raises to the Transport Workers Union Local 100 contract, which it is now challenging in court. [...]
Dec. 23, 2003- NY POST - Lloyd Clarke, 58, of The Bronx A bookkeeper has been indicted in Manhattan on charges he stole $2.4 million in one of the largest embezzlements in the history of New York’s largest union of municipal employees. Clarke, had worked more than 20 years as the bookkeeper for Local 375, the Civil Service Technical Guild, which represents 6,400 architects, engineers, project managers and related professionals. [...] [NY Times] [The Chief]
