Story and photo by MIKE LEE

In January, the union announced Bronx-born Brooklynite Daniel Katz as District Council 37’s new Director of Research and Negotiations. Katz brings 40-plus years of experience as a labor organizer, educator, and historian to the department.

Katz’s professional career includes work as an organizer and union rep for the Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, American Federation of Teachers, and Doctors Council of New York City.

As an educator, Katz most recently served as Interim Associate Director of Worker Education and taught at the City University of New York’s Murphy Institute (now the School of Labor and Urban Studies). Before CUNY, he was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Metropolitan College, and Professor of History and Provost of the National Labor College. Katz was also an associate professor of history at the State University of New York, Empire State College, where he was chair of the Master of Arts in Policy Studies program.

His focus on the labor movement reflects his vocation: a hardworking representative for transformative change.

“When I attended the University of Wisconsin, I worked as a part-time dishwasher at the student union. It was unionized by an independent union called the Memorial Union Labor Organization (MULO),” Katz said. “MULO had around 1,000 part-time student workers. About two weeks later, they asked, ‘Do you want to be the shop steward?’ Shortly after that, they put me on the bargaining committee.

“On my first day in bargaining, we came in carrying three-inch binders filled with all the information to bolster our arguments,” Katz said. “Management walked in with one blank pad and a pen because all they had to do was say ‘no’. We argued, banged on the table, mobilized our members and allies, and eventually agreed on a contract.”

MULO served as a training ground for activists, including some like Katz, who remain active in the labor movement. During his time with the union, MULO won several more victories against university management, including forcing them to conduct asbestos abatement in their workplace.

After earning his master’s degree, Katz worked in Milwaukee at SEIU, organizing in nursing homes six-and-a-half days a week. Later, he moved on to work in New York for UAW District 65 and the Doctor’s Council. Katz referred to his time as the sole organizer for the Union of Clerical, Administrative, and Technical Staff Local 3882 AFT at NYU as his most fulfilling period as an organizer. An important lesson he took from his union experiences was patience.

“I learned over time that it’s often about the ‘next contract’. You tend to get more after you organize or strike due to what happened earlier,” Katz said. “It’s about patience, which organizers like I was don’t often have.”

Now at DC 37, Katz has a dedicated staff of seasoned veterans and fresh new faces. However, unlike previous experiences, he will be working among a large team of specialists.

“Most of the jobs I’ve had, I’ve worn multiple hats. This is the first time I’m wearing the one hat, although it’s a big hat,” Katz said. “There are five of us who have come in just in the last five months, which means nearly half of the department is brand new. I’m in the process of engaging our negotiators in gathering best practices to clarify policies and nurture strong, working relationships with other departments.”

From the perspective gleaned from his wide experience, Katz sees an opportunity to do his part to expand DC 37’s reach and influence at a critical moment in the labor movement’s history in a post-Janus world.

“Most unions had to either develop new strategies or strengthen internal organizing structures,” Katz said. “That has positively impacted political organizing because you’re now working with people you’ve already engaged and built trust. I also believe that with the union expanding into the private sector and nonprofits, there are opportunities for internal and external organizing.”

As the leader of the DC 37 negotiating team, Katz plans to use his experience as an activist and educator to assist in reaching the department’s potential as an integral part of an ever-growing union.

“I want us to work as smart and as effectively as we can,” Katz said. “Better systems in place, better communications, clarity.”