Current Events
Jakwan Rivers: Local 237 President Greg Floyd Sold Members Out To Mayor Bloomberg To Win A Third Term, Then Retaliated Against Me For My Opposition
Jakwan: "It's truly important that we understand the power in unity and the power of knowledge.The current leaders of local 237 has let the members down and it's up to the members to take our union back. We are loosing members thru bogus claims and abuse of authority by management with no opposition by the union leaders whom are sworn to protect our contractual rights. The Urban Society Fair Workers Organization are hosting monthly workshops around the city to educate the members of the rights of members, the daily activities of our union they dont want us to know. Get involved, Learn your rights and learn how we can make the change we need to better our future and create a better life for our families".
Jakwan Rivers
By KATHIANNE BONIELLO, October 23, 2011
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A labor leader who now has his eye on the city’s top political office sacrificed his rank and file to curry favor with Mayor Bloomberg as the mogul fought for a third term, according to a lawsuit.
Bloomberg began lining up support for his latest stint in City Hall long before election season by getting unions such as the 20,000-member Teamsters Local 237 in his pocket, claims a New York City Housing Authority union leader who opposed the political alliance.
Jakwan Rivers -- a Local 237 business agent back in 2008, when the political pact became clear -- claims he was booted from his union gig, lost $30,000 in salary and was harassed for backing then-City Comptroller Bill Thompson in the 2009 race.
“We were told directly, ‘Greg [Floyd] is going with Bloomberg. When you go out in the field, let the members know we’re going with Bloomberg, because we are going to secure our contract before anyone else,’ ” Rivers said, referring to union president Floyd.
Rivers, 46, was part of a Local 237 group called Members for Change that attempted to unseat Floyd.
“Jakwan was fired [from Local 237] pretty much immediately after they announced their support of Thompson,” said Rivers’ lawyer, Alexander Coleman.
Floyd, now considering a 2013 mayoral run, agreed not to fight Bloomberg as the mayor implemented tough staffing cuts in 2007 and 2008, Rivers charged in a Brooklyn Federal Court lawsuit he filed last week against Floyd, the union and NYCHA.
“In exchange, Mayor Bloomberg provided Floyd with favorable contract terms and funding in negotiations,” the suit alleges.
kboniello@nypost.com
Events leading to election for the leadership of Teamsters Local 237 get ugly
BY LISA COLANGELO, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
August 12, 2009
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Union elections are not pretty.
So it's not surprising that things are getting ugly in the upcoming election for the leadership of Teamsters Local 237.
President Gregory Floyd hopes to keep the seat he was appointed to back in 2007.
But he is being challenged by Eunice Rodriguez, a school safety sergeant, who is running on a slate called Members for Change.
The union represents more than 24,000 city workers including school safety agents and city Housing Authority employees.
"The housing workforce has plummeted. We are working with skeleton crews every day," said Jakwan Rivers, a Housing Authority maintenance worker who is running for vice president of the union with Members for Change.