b'What was your salary at retirement? My retirementat the end of my retirement as a Secretary-Treasurer, it could be maybe about 75,000, somethinglike that.Your son, and then your grandson are members?My grandson, he\'s working, he\'s a member of the union. Three generations and they\'re doing very well because ofwhat\'s happening to me, that my daughter, my grandson. It\'s very important to belong to a union, that\'s one thing that I always say. When you belong to a union, there\'s prestige, there\'s the way they represent the workers and the retirees, I\'mtelling you, they\'re great. The retirees, my benefits are still there, they get better, they don\'t get worse and you know, there\'salways improvements and if I have a problem, all I got to do is, you know, call Nancy or call the union, everything is takencare of for my wife. Married all these years, we\'ve really enjoying our retirements and it\'s because of the union, you know.\x02Grace KleinNYCHA, Housing Assistant, ManagerMember since 1964The following is an edited version of Grace Kleins oral history interview conducted onMarch 31, 2016. I joined the Union in 1964. I\'d worked for the Department of Welfare as an administrator assistant before I had kids.I worked a number of years. I don\'t remember when I started, but once I became pregnant, I left for about 10 years and I stayed home. In 1964 I came to work for the New York City Housing Authority. I think it was spring time, and I didn\'tcome directly to the place I was going to work. They assigned me temporarily.At that time, there was a transit strike.A taxi cab picked me up. They were trying to help by picking up people. I said: I\'m going to Mitchell Houses. "Oh,he said to me. "I have an application there." When I went to the office, I told the manager how very nice it was of the taxidriver to pick me up on the street. The manager said: "What\'s his name?" I had his name and they called and they gavehim an apartment. My first real assignment was at Webster Houses, 170th Street, in the East Bronx.You lived in the Bronx, so that was convenient for you. What was your job title when you started? At first, it was Housing Assistant.Why did you decide to work for the New York City Housing Authority? First of all, you\'re a certain age, who\'s going to give you a job? I had two kids at home. What was the most convenient? I wanted the health benefits; I wanted the pension. It was all the things meshing together, it was the most convenient job to get, period.53 '