Alan Viani was head of the Department of Research at DC37

District Council 37

District Council 37 was chartered in 1944 by AFSCME to represent public employees in New York City. It was small and relatively unsuccessful under its first president, Henry Feinstein...

, the largest municipal union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, from 1973 to 1985. He was later involved with resolving the 2005 NYC transit strike.

In 1965, Viani helped lead a strike

Strike action

Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...

 by over eight thousand workers for the New York City Department of Welfare. The strike was largely successful, as it led to a clear statement of the rights of city employess to collective bargaining

Collective bargaining

Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...

.http://www.sseu371.org/union/history/index.php It also led to the appointment of Victor Gotbaum

Victor Gotbaum

Victor H. Gotbaum was an American labor leader. From 1965 to 1987, he was president of AFSCME District Council 37 , the largest municipal union in New York City.-Biography:...

 as DC37's Executive Director.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0030013224

Viani was later an assistant to DC37 Department of Research head Daniel Nelson, and took over the position after Nelson's death in 1973.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0030013224 He was DC37's lead negotiator in this role until 1985, when he joined the New York City Office of Collective Bargaining. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/wire/nyc-perb1223,0,659051.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

In 1993, he retired to become a mediator

Mediation

Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...

 and arbitrator. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/wire/nyc-perb1223,0,659051.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines
In 2005, Viani was part of a three member mediation team that helped the two sides to resolve their differences in the 2005 New York transit strike

2005 New York City transit strike

The 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...

.http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=24891