b"I stepped in basically as an expert in the elevator field. Another representative from Local 237 was handling the entiregrievance. So there might have been more to it. Did you attend union meetings? Rallies and events?Yes. Many. Rallies were held across from City Hall, many, many times. Also, I went to rallies for other unions. Ironwork-ers. And a nice one was a rally in Washington D.C. for NAFTA. We met here at headquarters and went on a bus. We had a niceday out and I really loved the excitement of it and hoping that you can make a mark, doing good for the membership. I wearred, white and blue on my sleeve and I like to see jobs for everyone to continue in the country, fair trade and fair jobs in thecountry. So that is what makes me tick. I just want fairness. I'd like to have my sons have the opportunities that I had and I'd like to have your sons and daughters have the opportunities that you've had and better. That's my belief.Any recollections of negotiations, benefits fought for, received, during your earlier years with the union?Oh, yeah. I've been on negotiating committees for many, many years for our group, which includes Police Depart-ment, Health and Hospitals, Higher Education and Housing. We're all negotiating as one and my unit is Citywide Admin-istrative ServicesCAS. I've been on that negotiating committee for many, many years, since Barry Feinstein was ourpresident. Over the years, it's a struggle. We are a trade unit and we are prevailing rate employees. It has always been a struggle. It was a 30-year struggle to get back to prevailing rate.What do you mean by prevailing rate?A prevailing rate employee is an employee that is entitled to the compensation of the outside predominant [union]Local. We are supposed to get comparable pay. It's not the same, because when you work for the City, you have differentbenefits, different pensions, different health benefits, so the dollar per dollar is not the same, but the wage is close to thesame.What are some of the negotiations you particularly remember? I was negotiating on two behalves. It was always interesting dealing with the City during negotiations. The City didn't always have the money to pay their employees and it was always a battle. You spent years working hard negotiat-ing to win an extra two days of vacation, and then in the next round of negotiations, they want to take back three vacationdays. It was always a battle. So instead of them giving you money and taking away three days, you would conserve yourthree days and take less money. It's always a negotiation. I started with the negotiating committee after Mayor Lindsaygave the City workers a nice hefty raise back when he was the mayor and I basically started with the City just after that.From that point on, it was very difficult trying to get the City workers any kind of raises. We had the fiscal crises, bankruptcy and everything else. My understanding is that the City worker pensions bailed out the City. I think the new administration is going down the line: forget everything the City workers have done for them and taking us for granted.You want me, but you don't want me. You need me, but you don't want me.Tell me about a typical day on the job.When I started as a helper, I was under the direction of an elevator mechanic. He would give me directions on what106 "