Organizers with the One Fair Wage campaign say increasing pay rates for tipped workers across the state is especially pertinent given the recent arrival of thousands of new immigrants, many of whom have sought work in the restaurant industry. The campaign is pushing for Gov. Kathy Hochul to take up the cause this session in Albany.
Workers, especially people of color and immigrants, are suffering in increasingly hot weather. But some advocates and lawmakers have solutions.
The NYPD and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) together doled out 5,197 tickets to vendors last year, with the police department issuing significantly more tickets, despite a de Blasio-era pledge to shift them away from enforcement. After an eight-month delay, the DOHMH will also begin issuing applications for new supervisory licenses for vendors by the end of the month.
A coalition of groups representing undocumented immigrant workers, cash earners and others excluded from traditional worker benefits are campaigning for a stronger social safety net for these employees, who they say were essential to keeping New York running throughout the pandemic.
‘The accusation that the labor shortage is to blame for non-accredited programs’ plummeting recruitment numbers is just smoke and mirrors. Such programs pose as accredited apprenticeships that strive to combat the “labor shortage” by connecting hopeful workers to seemingly stable career pathways and safe jobs. But this is far from reality.’
‘Transforming the food system has great potential to sequester carbon, expand well-paid, create clean energy jobs and help reverse the public health crises of food insecurity and diet-related diseases.’
‘The City Council is about to consider a bill to create commercial-waste zones, and if they do it right, the policy can really help protect those of us on the trucks.’
‘There’s a conversation about the largest contractors and whether they are upholding the proper labor and worksite standards. Let’s not forget that smaller contractors have a crucial place in that discussion.’
Farmworkers n New York State encounter dangers and mistreatment on the job. Upstate dairy farmers face unprecedented pressures, with some turning to suicide. And New York City buys a lot of milk.
Why did the Working Families Party endorse Cynthia Nixon early? And what will their backing, and the governor’s anger over it, mean for Nixon, the campaign and the party itself?
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