[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 43 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E389-E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING VERONICA MONTGOMERY-COSTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS-

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 2008

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Veronica 
Montgomery-Costa, the Harlem-born, third-term President of Local 372 
and District Council 37 who assumed leadership of more than 26,000 
union members on July 15, 1999. Local 372 represents the school-based 
Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists, part-time 
School Aides, Family Paraprofessionals, Community Coordinators, School 
Lunch Workers, School Crossing Guards, and school-based Health Service 
Aides. Ms. Costa hit the ground running and fulfilled more than her 
campaign promises. She kept her promise to rebuild Local 372, which had 
been under the administration of its parent union, AFSCME, by 
implementing much-needed economic and administrative reforms.
  Veronica transformed Local 372 into a fiscally sound, ethically 
administered organization wiping out an inherited $5 million deficit, 
restoring an effective grievance procedure, training for Grievance 
Representatives and Shop Stewards and increasing the number of members 
involved in standing committees. Local 372's integrity was restored 
along with its bargaining power and its members won record salary 
increases, improved health, retirement benefits and job security for 
full-time and part-time workers. With Ms. Costa's determination, Local 
372 worked with parents and community groups to block the NYC Board of 
Education from turning over the management of five public schools to a 
private, for-profit corporation. Ever in the forefront of the fight 
against school vouchers, Veronica and Local 372 used its phone bank to 
support an effort which resulted in the House Education and Workforce 
Committee dealing President Bush and conservative Republicans a 
critical blow by voting to strip a private school voucher provision 
from the House Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  Veronica Montgomery-Costa started a Local 372 Scholarship Fund for 
Members' children, fought off privatization of the School Lunch 
Program, successfully lobbied to restore $3.1 million to the School 
Based Prevention Program in the state budget, and played a role in

[[Page E390]]

fighting for the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Program without 
any cuts to the program. In conjunction with the Community Food 
Resource Center, Veronica spearheaded an innovative pilot project to 
help 500 Local 372 members take advantage of their eligibility for 
Earned Income Tax Credit.
  Madam Speaker, Veronica Montgomery-Costa was unanimously elected for 
three consecutive terms as President of the 125,000-member District 
Council 37 by the Council's delegates and also serving in her second 
term as a member of the Steering Committee of the Municipal Labor 
Committee. It is an honor to pay tribute to her exceptional leadership 
on behalf of working men and women. She is most deserving of our 
recognition today.

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