Dear AFSCME DC 37 Retirees Association Members,
On February 22, AFSCME President Lee Saunders placed the Retirees
Association of DC 37 under emergency administratorship. This means that
the national union has assumed responsibility for the day-to-day affairs of the
Association. To carry out these responsibilities, he has appointed me, Ann
Widger, Director of AFSCME Retirees, to serve as the Association’s administrator
and Terri Brady, Retirees Field Coordinator, to serve as deputy administrator.
The decision to place an AFSCME affiliate under administratorship is never
made lightly, and only when absolutely necessary to protect the interests of you,
the membership. In this case, the International Union recently became aware that
the DC 37 Retirees Association was not following AFSCME’s Financial Standards
Code or Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements, which jeopardized the
Retirees Association’s funds and assets.
Unfortunately, the IRS has revoked the Association’s tax-exempt status
for failure to file its annual tax return for the past six years. Again, this puts the
Retirees Association’s funds and assets at risk. The Retirees Association also
has not conducted an outside audit since at least 2017. These are serious failings.
In pursuing these matters with the Association, it became clear that there was
no significant effort or progress being made to correct them. While there is
no evidence of any individual financial wrongdoing, these matters cannot
go unaddressed.
I realize that some will say this is about the current debate around retiree
health care for New York City retirees. Make no mistake: It is not. It is about
serious violations of AFSCME’s Financial Standards Code and the International
Constitution, which has resulted in the IRS revoking the Retirees Association of
DC 37’s tax-exempt status.
My goal as Administrator is to put the Retirees Association’s affairs back
in order. Retiree members are a vital part of our union. You have a right to
an organization that lives up to the highest standards of fiscal accountability,
responsibility, and transparency. I look forward to moving forward together. To
stay up to date, sign up to receive email alerts at www.actionnetwork.org/forms/
dc37retirees or visit www.dc37retireesassociation.org.
In solidarity,
Ann Widger
Retirees Association of DC 37
Director, AFSCME Retirees
DC37Retirees@afscme.org
212-815-1781 (DC 37 Retirees Association Office)
www.dc37retireesassociation.org
CC: Lee Saunders, AFSCME President
Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director
Terri Brady, DC 37 Retirees Association Deputy Administrator
