b'\x02Sam HallHHC, Hospital CookMember since 1957Sam Hall retired as a cook on December 30, 1990, after 33 years of employment at Coler Hospital, on RooseveltIsland. After retirement, he participated regularly in Retiree Division programs. He stepped down as chairpersonof the Retiree Divisions Activities Committee and recording secretary of the Sunshine Club for health reasons but remained active with the committees. He was a member of Senior Summer, the AFL-CIOs program to involve retired union members in organizing drives and campaigns.He lives in South Ozone Park, Queens, with his wife, Shirley,a retired member of District Council 37, and has five children, two grandchildren, and one great- grandchild.He was interviewed in the Retiree Division office in May1999.I went to work for the City of New York on October 1,1957, at the Housing Authority. Before I worked at theLeft: Sam Hall at Coler Hospital in 1981;right: Hall todayHousing Authority, I was in the army for eight years. When I got out of the army, I was looking for a job and someone told me to go to the Veterans Administration. The Veterans sentme to a shoe store but they had already gotten someone else for the job. I didnt know I was supposed to report back tothe Veterans to tell them that I didnt get the job, but two weeks later they called me and I told them. They told me therewas an opening in Housing. I went to the Housing Authority, to the Ft. Greene project, and they hired me right away.I was a porter. I worked there until December 15 of the same year. I left because I was told that the Housing Authority was going to lay off anyone who hadnt taken the civil service test. The test had been given before I went to work at the Housing Authority, so it was too late for me to take it. I had kids, so I started looking for another job. I spoke to a cousin who was a nurse at Coler Hospital and she helped me get a job there as a dietary aide.When I went there, I became a member of Local 237. Mr. Lavell was the union representative for Local 237. He wasan elevator man. We cleaned dishes, cleaned the pantry, and set up the dining room area. We made sure everything ransmoothly. For a while I was not a member of Local 237. District Council 37 was coming in and the workers had to decidewhich union they wanted. We had a vote for what union would represent the different departments. The majority went forDistrict Council 37. I dont know why those workers went for D.C. 37, because I voted for 237. Mr. Lavell said Local 237was a better union, and I agreed. The cooks, butchers, storekeepers and some others in the hospital voted for Local 237,36 '