DC 37 VACCINATION DAY MARCH 27 at CITI FIELD
What you need to know:
- To confirm eligibility, you can check nyc.gov/covidvaccinedistribution.
- Proof of eligibility required:
- Members who are eligible by virtue of job function must bring proof of employment. This can include an employee ID card, a letter from an employer or affiliated organization, or a pay stub.
- Members who are eligible by virtue of underlying conditions or comorbidities will be asked to provide proof of NYC residence and will be asked to attest to their condition during the scheduling process.
- Members who are eligible by virtue of age will be asked to provide proof of NYC residence and proof of age.
- Employees are granted 4 hours excused leave to go to their vaccination appointment if the appointment is during work hours and, upon receiving the second dose, get 3 hours compensatory time.
- You will not be charged; the vaccine is completely free.
- For frequently asked questions about the vaccine, please visit
- https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/covid/covid-19-vaccines-faq.pdf.
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Letter from the DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido
Dear Presidents,
As I mentioned in our most recent Executive Meeting, we are working with City Hall to streamline the appointment-making process for DC 37 members.
As a union, we’re doing two things to encourage our members to get vaccinated.
First, we’re hosting a “DC 37 Vaccination Day” on Saturday, March 27 at Citi Field. All eligible members are encouraged to sign up for appointments and invited to bring eligible family members to get vaccinated, as well.
For active members who are unable to join us Saturday, we’ll continue making vaccination appointments on their behalf, at their convenience.
If your active members would like to sign up for an appointment, they can do so by filling out this form and a DC 37 representative will call them to schedule an appointment.
We have been publicly and privately pushing the State to expand eligibility to all essential workers for months. Now that eligibility has expanded, we’ll do all that we can to help our members get vaccinated. I thank you in advance for your help with this effort.
In solidarity,
Henry Garrido
Executive Director
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For Immediate Release: March 22, 2021 
Contact: Freddi Goldstein, 973-985-1458 or [email protected]
DISTRICT COUNCIL 37 LAUNCHES EFFORT TO GET MORE MEMBERS VACCINATED
Representing the largest share of the City workforce, including 100,000 essential workers, DC 37 staff now will make appointments on behalf of members
NEW YORK—District Council 37 (DC 37), New York City’s largest municipal labor union, today announced a new effort to get more of its members vaccinated. The union, which represents the lion’s share of the City workforce, includes 100,000 workers deemed “essential” during the pandemic. While the majority of the union’s members continued reporting to their offices or work assignments in-person until last week most remained ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine – something DC 37 had been advocating for months.
“I’ve made no secret of my feelings,” said Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME. “Our workers put their lives on the line to deliver essential services and they deserved the vaccine long ago. Now that it’s finally been made available to them, we’re going to do all we can as a union to encourage our members to get the shot and make it as easy as possible for them to do so.”
Beginning today, DC 37 staff will start making vaccination appointments directly on behalf of active members. The staffers were trained by City Hall’s vaccination team to use their appointment-making system and will be able to make appointments directly at City-run locations, thereby cutting out the middleman and simplifying the process.
“As our City works around the clock to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible, we’re excited to launch this collaboration with our union partners at DC 37 to ensure union workers, who’ve been on the frontlines serving New Yorkers throughout this crisis, can access the vaccine as soon as they are eligible,” said Deputy Mayor Melanie Hartzog. “With this partnership, we’re continuing to expand and strengthen our City’s targeted approach to getting the vaccine to individuals and populations most in need. This partnership will make it easier for essential City workers, like Parks Department employees and school crossing guards, to get the vaccine.”
In partnership with City Hall, DC 37 will host “DC 37 Vaccination Day” at Citi Field on Saturday, March 27. The City will set aside appointments specifically for DC 37 members and the union will launch an all-out effort this week to contact members and sign them and eligible family members up for appointments.
Following this week’s focus on “DC 37 Vaccination Day,” beginning the week of March 29, DC 37 staff will shift to making appointments for members whenever best fits their schedules. This effort will continue as long as interest remains.
To date, the union is aware of 20,000 members who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Garrido received the first dose of the vaccine earlier this month after becoming eligible due to an underlying health condition. He got the shot as soon as he was able so as to lead by example for his members. This week, ahead of his second shot, Garrido will host a Facebook Live event for members to answer questions and dispel common misconceptions regarding the vaccine.
