Latest news with #1199SEIU
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuomo backs raising NYC minimum wage to $20, but plan needs Albany support
Mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday rolled out a proposal to raise New York City's minimum hourly wage to $20, but the plan would need Albany's backing, in part because he as governor blocked an effort to let the city set its own salary standards. Under Cuomo's plan, the minimum wage would jump to $20 from its current $16.50 level on Jan. 1, 2027, the one-year mark of his first mayoral term, should he be elected. Such a salary bump would impact some 800,000 workers, according to Cuomo's campaign. Unveiling the proposal at a rally at the Manhattan headquarters of 1199 SEIU, a healthcare union supporting his campaign, Cuomo acknowledged the city's affordability crisis has emerged as perhaps the most pressing issue in this year's mayoral race. 'The best way' to tackle the crisis, he said, is to boost wages for low-income New Yorkers. 'That will put more money in people's pockets,' said Cuomo, who's polling as the favorite to win the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary. A minimum wage boost wouldn't be as simple as a flick of a switch. Salary requirements are set by the state, meaning Gov. Hochul and the state Legislature would need to approve any minimum-level increase. Hochul and state lawmakers have already enacted a plan whereby the city's minimum wage ticks up each year at a rate determined by consumer price indexes. It's unclear if Hochul and legislators would be open to backing a proposal for a more immediate jump to $20. A Hochul spokesman didn't return a request for comment. As governor in 2014, Cuomo blocked a proposal from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio that would have empowered the city to set its own salary floor. in 2016, Cuomo pushed through an increase to New York's minimum wage law anyway, raising it to $15 for most workers, a feat he frequently touts as one of his biggest accomplishments as governor before he resigned in 2021 amid sexual misconduct accusations he denies. Had he let the de Blasio proposal pass in 2014, Cuomo would have had a much easier time to further raise the city's minimum wage as mayor. Cuomo acknowledged there's likely going to be pushback against his new proposal. 'The business people are going to say, 'Oh, no, you can't raise the minimum wage because that's going to slow the economy.' — Baloney!' said Cuomo, whose mayoral run is, in large part, being bankrolled by billionaires and executives in business sectors like real estate and finance. 'The pundits are going to say, 'Oh, it's going to be too hard to get it passed politically, politicians are going to be afraid to get it passed.' Well, I'll tell you this: They're wrong. And you know how we know they're wrong? Because we did it before and we're going to do it again.' Cuomo didn't offer much detail on how he'd get the proposal across the finish line in Albany other than to say his team will work with labor unions to 'organize the working men and women of this city' to support a higher minimum wage. 'I can't tell you how proud I am to be the labor candidate in this race,' Cuomo, who has been endorsed by several of the city's most influential private-sector unions, told a room crowded with members from 1199 and other labor groups. Cuomo isn't the only mayoral candidate to back a minimum wage increase. Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who's consistently polling as the runner-up to Cuomo in June's primary, has unveiled a plan that would get the city's minimum hourly wage to $30 by 2030. Some advocates worry a minimum wage jump could hamper small businesses in the city facing steep operational cost increases due President Trump's tariff policies, a drop in international tourism to New York and other factors. 'A wage increase like this would mostly impact small businesses, as they have minimum-wage workers, and I just hope Cuomo and any other candidates who have indicated support for an increase have consulted with them,' said Kathryn Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit advocating for local businesses. 'Otherwise, this could be a prospect that makes small businesses very nervous. The fear is they'll have to lay people off or ultimately close.' Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said small business leaders will be part of any wage increase conversations if the ex-gov is elected mayor.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
1199SEIU members to vote on offer from McGuire Group
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East announced on Friday that its members at four facilities will vote on a final offer from the McGuire Group. According to the union, the McGuire Group issued its 'last, best and final offer' to four of its facilities, which include Northgate Health Care Facility, Garden Gate Health Care Facility, Autumn View Health Care Facility and Seneca Health Care Center. If members vote against the offer, the union said its next steps could include an 'unlimited strike' at the four facilities. A notice of a week-long strike was issued earlier this month at 15 nursing facilities throughout Western New York asking for better pay, staffing levels, pensions and more. Hundreds of nursing home workers began striking on Tuesday. The union previously filed an unfair labor practice charge against Edward Farbenblum, the principal of the McGuire Group, alleging that he is negotiating in bad faith. On Monday, 1199SEIU announced reached agreements for Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at Williamsville, and Schofield Residence in Tonawanda. Strike notices were also withdrawn at Newfane Rehabilitation and Health Center, Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, and The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Delaware Park. Workers at Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace in Lewiston reached a tentative three-year agreement last week. WIVB News 4 reached out to the McGuire Group who provided no comment. Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Local leaders back nursing home workers ahead of week-long strike
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Nursing home workers and members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East across 15 nursing homes are planning to strike for a week on May 20 if a contract cannot be reached. During a press conference on Monday, local leaders showed their support for the workers. 'The hard-working members of 1199SEIU caring for our loved ones at nursing homes across the region, again at our most difficult times, as our families, our loved ones, our neighbors encounter, you're the ones there providing care and comfort, love, a helping hand,' said Congressman Tim Kennedy. Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope told the story of her dad staying at a nursing home prior to his death. She said she, her siblings and her mother cared for him, but not every patient has that. 'If (the nursing home workers) had an opportunity to go home at a reasonable hour, that's not fair because if my dad was still here at that point that meant that he may not have received 100% of everything that he needed,' she said. Councilwoman Zeneta Everhart described getting her allergy medicine refilled and a mammogram on Monday from the workers 'all in one day.' 'They deserve better pay, period,' she said. 'I don't even know why this is an argument, I don't know why this is a conversation … I don't know why we have to keep sitting at these tables.' Kennedy said that Republican-led Congress cutting Medicaid is a disrespect to the workers. He said leaders in Washington, D.C. are lying when they say they are getting rid of waste and are instead referring to nursing home workers and the work that they do. Nurses, housekeeping staff, dietary workers, and other staff are planning to strike at the following locations if a deal is not reached by May 20: Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Comprehensive Rehab and Nursing Center at Williamsville Elderwood at Lockport Elderwood at Williamsville Ellicott Center Garden Gate Health Care Facility Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (excluding pros/techs) Newfane Rehabilitation and Health Center Northgate Health Care Facility Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace Absolut Care of Gasport Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns Schofield Residence The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Delaware Park Williamsville Suburban Care Center Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
1199SEIU issues notice of strike at 15 nursing homes across Western New York
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East issued a 10-day notice on Friday afternoon of a week-long strike at 15 nursing facilities throughout Western New York if a new labor deal cannot be reached. Around 2,500 workers across the facilities authorized the vote, which follows months of their requests for better pay, staffing levels, pensions and more. The strike is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20. The McGuire Group said it received formal strike notices from two of its facilities on Friday after a day of bargaining with 1199SEIU. The facilities are listed by the union as Garden Gate Health Care Facility and Northgate Health Care Facility. 'You [the staff] are the heart of our facilities, and you deserve fair representation and a real say in your workplace, not to be used as pawns in a regional power play,' the McGuire Group said in a news release. 'We have activated contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality care for our residents.' The submissions follow the McGuire Group's filing of charges against 1199SEIU, which it announced Wednesday night, accusing the union of intentionally misleading workers about company finances in a social media post. Last week, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Edward Farbenblum, the principal of the McGuire Group, alleging that he is negotiating in bad faith. Nurses, along with nurse assistants, housekeeping staff, dietary workers, clerical workers and other staff are planning to strike at the following locations: Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Comprehensive Rehab and Nursing Center at Williamsville Elderwood at Lockport Elderwood at Williamsville Ellicott Center Garden Gate Health Care Facility Gowanda Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (excluding pros/techs) Newfane Rehabilitation and Health Center Northgate Health Care Facility Ascension Living Our Lady of Peace Absolut Care of Gasport Safire Rehabilitation of Northtowns Schofield Residence The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Delaware Park Williamsville Suburban Care Center Members of 1199SEIU and nursing home workers will provide an update on the planned strikes at 5 p.m. on Monday. Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Union critical of Israel targets Monsey Hasidic community with anti-Lawler ads
A new campaign is targeting Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish voters in Monsey, N.Y., with ads calling on voters to contact Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) to oppose proposals cutting Medicaid funding. But the group behind those ads has its own checkered history with Jewish community issues. The ads, which are running both in Yiddish and English in local Jewishcommunity publications, direct viewers to a website to send a form email to their lawmakers, identifying themself as a member of the Jewish community and opposing cuts to Medicaid programs as particularly harmful to local Jewish communities. Republicans have said such cuts are likely as part of the upcoming budget reconciliation bill. The campaign largely targets Lawler, who represents many of the Hasidic communities in Rockland County and has been fending off accusations from Democrats and liberal groups that he is backing cuts to Medicaid. He has pledged that he will 'never cast a vote that takes Medicaid away from eligible recipients who rely on this vital program,' but instead wants to crack down on fraud within the program. One of the groups behind those advertisements, healthcare union 1199SEIU, has a history of anti-Israel activism. In December 2023, the group called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while also condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks and calling for the unconditional release of hostages. It suggested both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes. In October 2024, the group called for an arms embargo on Israel, saying, 'the Netanyahu government has used the October 7 atrocities to justify inexcusable destruction and killing in Gaza, creating an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the region.' It also condemned Israeli operations in Lebanon, while also accusing both Israel and Hezbollah of war crimes. The national SEIU umbrella organization has criticized crackdowns on antisemitic activity on college campuses. In their individual capacity, 1199SEIU staff and members have signed on to statements accusing Israel of genocide and supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel. Some leaders inside the national SEIU organization expressed support for Hamas. A Lawler spokesperson suggested that it's hypocritical for the group to attempt to appeal to the Jewish community given its history of Israel criticism. We strongly condemn SEIU1199 for targeting Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish voters in Rockland with blatantly false ads,' a Lawler spokesperson said in a statement. 'The irony of SEIU1199 attempting to appeal to Jewish voters while having a history of supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, supporting pro-Hamas encampments on our universities, and pushing for an arms embargo on Israel is comical. SEIU1199 should immediately retract these advertisements and issue an apology.' 1199SEIU did not respond to a request for comment.
