Talk about a cushy union job: Mark Rosenthal, the president of New York City’s largest workers union, only works for two hours a day and spends much of that time napping, according to The New York Post.
The Post learned exclusively from executive board members of the AFSCME/AFL-CIO-affiliated union Tuesday that Rosenthal, who weighs in at 400lbs., will often eat a large lunch, take a nap at his desk and then head home for the day.
“He eats lunch when he arrives at work at 2 p.m. Then, like clockwork, he goes to sleep with a cup of soda on the table and the straw in it,” said Marvin Robbins, a union vice president.
“Then he wakes up, looks at his watch and says, ‘I have to get out before the traffic gets bad’,” Robbins added. “He’s usually out by 4 p.m. after being at the office two hours.”
The union officials added that Rosenthal usually racks up $1,400 in monthly food bills for catered union events and meals he writes off as “union business,” and is also known to over order and take boxes of extra food home with him.
According to Rosenthal, the accusations against him are “part of a smear campaign” by a smaller group within the union that is lobbying for the union’s vice president, Joseph Puleo, to be chosen as the new president in the June 5th election.
According to the Post, Rosenthal earns $156,000 annually as president of Local 983 of District Council 37. He has held the position since 1998, when he ironically won the spot by promising to get rid of corruption in the union.
Much of his salary comes from the dues collected by the 3,000 workers in Local 983, mostly Parks Department peace officers and maintenance workers and NYPD tow-truck operators. While these members are among the lowest-paid city workers in the Big Apple, Local 983 still charges more than $1,000 annually in union fees.
