Benefits

Social Services Dept.

Members participating in the Local 237 Welfare Fund can access free, professional social services. Our members have tough jobs and, from time to time, we all encounter tough personal challenges. Our union is committed to helping members find possible solutions to those challenges. Local 237’s licensed social workers are here to connect people to much needed assistance and resources. They also facilitate positive change through their work.

Areas of Support

Caregiver burden/respite support and services
Housing Issues (e.g., behind on rent, pending or possible eviction proceedings)
Food security
Mental and Emotional health and wellbeing
Grief and Loss
Alcohol or Substance Misuse
Work life balance
Supportive services for parents

Contact
If you are in need of social work support, please do not hesitate to contact me via telephone at 646-638-8608 or email

Karla Steinberg, LMSW
Membership Social Worker

Local 237 First to Establish a Welfare Fund

New York City workers and their families enjoy healthcare and retirement benefits that are among the best in the country. Through the Local 237 welfare funds, members receive prescription, dental, optical and disability benefits. Generations of members have also taken advantage of Local 237’s education and legal services as well as free retirement and financial planning services.

All of these benefits are funded by the City and administered by the union. Many workers choose to work in the public sector because the benefits are often superior to those available in the private sector.

But that wasn’t always the case. Once City workers were able to form unions, they had to fight hard for everything they won, including health benefits, pensions, paid leave and worker protections.

Established in 1952, Teamsters Local 237 was on the forefront of the labor movement. Union founders wasted no time in demanding better lives for workers and members fought along side them.

In 1959, Local 237 was the first union in New York City to establish a city-funded welfare fund. It benefited workers in the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity. Similar to the annuities that Local 237 members have today, the city paid in $2 a day for each worker. Upon retirement workers would receive their fund benefit.

While the first Local 237 Welfare Fund may seem modest by today’s standards, it was revolutionary in its time. It was the start of the comprehensive union benefit package we have today. And It is a reminder that a strong, unified union is the only real protection and means of advancement for workers.

An article from the July 1959 issue of International Teamster magazine.

Click Here to read an interview with John Hartter, a founding Local 237 member who worked in the City Dept. of Water Supply

Prepare for DCAs Exams

Local 237's Education and Training Department has received numerous calls from members who were disqualified for civil service promotions by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). Unfortunately, DCAS has denied candidates’ appeals because they failed to provide important information on their exam applications as follows:

Candidate provided incomplete information on an application. Such errors cannot be corrected once the application period has ended.
Candidate did not provide thorough information about work experiences on the Education and Experience portion of the application.
Candidate did not meet the qualification requirements that are stated in the application. You are responsible for determining whether you meet qualification requirements prior to taking the exam. The test may be given before DCAS validates your qualifications.

Before you apply for a civil service exam, make sure to contact Local 237’s Education and Training Department at 212-807-0550 to sign up for the Civil Service Exam Prep workshop where we will guide you on how to properly complete your DCAS application.