Latest news with #32BJSEIU
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte airport employees decry working conditions at city council meeting
Dominique Chambers, left, sorts through post cards outlining labor concerns with other members of the SEIU. (Photo courtesy of 32BJ SEIU.) Charlotte Douglas International Airport employees took to the floor of the Charlotte City Council on Tuesday to allege unsafe working conditions, high turnover, and inadequate wages at the state's largest airport. The employees delivered hundreds of postcards from members of the 32BJ Service Employees International Union outlining labor concerns at the airport before addressing the council during its public comment session at 5 p.m. Speakers from the union urged city lawmakers to raise wages and pass stricter safety standards for the airport at the local level. Dominique Chambers, a wheelchair agent at the airport, said working conditions directly interfere with his ability to assist elderly and disabled passengers. 'Every day, we are met with low wages, minimum benefits, and poor working conditions,' Chambers said. 'The turnover rate is so high and we are so understaffed that many passengers are left waiting. Sometimes, we're even pressured to push two passengers at the same time.' Chambers said the cost of living in Charlotte has outpaced their wages to the point that colleagues of his are forced to stay with their families, live in their cars, or even remain unhoused altogether. Because he makes $12.50 an hour, Chambers said he has no choice but to live with his grandmother. Donielle Prophete, the president of Communications Workers of America Local 3645, said that if councilors do not act on their concerns, then 'now is the time for us to act and vote you off of this dais.' She asked the council to open a committee meeting to allow the union members to propose a new ordinance on workplace safety and higher wages. 'Charlotte Douglas is one of the largest economic engines in the city. If the workers who power it can't count on their elected officials to protect them, then who can they count on?' Prophete said. 'No Charlottean should be working full-time and still unable to afford rent, food, or health care.' Later in the meeting, City Attorney Anthony Fox said the changes requested by the union are preempted by the state's Wage and Hour Act, which largely reserves the right to set labor laws to the state legislature. He added that nothing the union has communicated to him about its proposal has changed that analysis. 'I understand the merits of what they're asking for and it's altruistic, it's noble, but we are restricted by law on what we can do and how far we can go,' Fox said. Councilor Victoria Watlington said it was her understanding that the union's current proposal is not a direct modification to wage and labor standards, but rather, a change to the criteria the city uses to award contracts at the airport that would take into consideration those concerns — something she said is in the council's purview. Though three members of the council — Tiawana Brown, Reneé Johnson, and Watlington — requested a committee hearing on the issue, Mayor Vi Lyles declined to refer the issue, citing a need for further consultation with the city attorney. Brown also requested that Lyles authorize the city council's Budget, Government, and Intergovernment Relations Committee to investigate safety and efficiency at the airport. Lyles said she would discuss the matter with Fox's office and make a determination based on his legal advice. 'These are things that I think about in a way that, how do we create jobs for people that pay better?' Lyles said. 'How do we do that? That's by getting behind people in a way that we can provide these opportunities for them.' Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Lyles's office did not respond to requests for comment. In a press release, the union said the council has the power to pass their proposal, and that arguing preemption by state law is a 'well-known tactic used by corporations and politicians to shut down common-sense measures that benefit workers and the public.' 'Dozens of cities across the country have passed similar legislation to raise airport standards — despite claims by some states that such local laws are preempted by state law,' said SEIU Southern Regional Director Chris Baumann. 'It is disappointing that Mayor Lyles lacks the political will to do the same. Thousands of airport workers and their families won't forget this failure come election time.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuomo fought efforts to raise the minimum wage before boosting it as governor
NEW YORK — Mayoral front-runner Andrew Cuomo rallied with several unions Thursday to announce his plan to push for a $20 minimum wage by 2027 — citing his success as governor in raising the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2016. But the former political director of one of the city's largest unions remembers it differently — it was Cuomo who remained the biggest obstacle to boosting the minimum wage in the state, until the push for a $15 minimum went national in 2015 and pressured him to act. 'He only got to $15 after massive national campaign pressure and a commitment from SEIU to basically run a multimillion-dollar ad campaign' said Alison Hirsh, who was the political director and vice president for building service workers union 32BJ SEIU at the time. Hirsh recalled staunch opposition from Cuomo and his administration before they finally got on board with the increase, adding: 'It had nothing to do with actually giving a shit about workers, he just wanted to be able to say, as he had contemplated a national profile, that he was the first in the country to do it, because the winds changed.' Hirsh is no neutral observer — she now manages the mayoral campaign for Democratic rival Brad Lander. But her accounts were substantiated by two others familiar with the talks around the minimum wage at the time. Cuomo's plan, first reported today by The New York Times, will need approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul. She has already passed legislation to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. She is up for reelection next year, and will have to weigh liberal pushes like this one against fiscal concerns that may be raised in response from business leaders. The state minimum wage now stands at $16.50 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island, with the upstate minimum wage at $15.50 per hour. As governor in early 2014, Cuomo blocked then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to raise the minimum wage in New York City, opposing local control over an issue he felt should be dealt with statewide. With his latest proposal, he's attempting the same thing as the mayor he spent years feuding with. In initially rejecting de Blasio's 2014 proposal, Cuomo argued that allowing local governments to set their own wage and tax rules could create a 'chaotic situation' and that the issue should be left to the state. In early 2015, when de Blasio suggested a $13 minimum wage for the city, a Cuomo spokesperson called it a 'non-starter' with state lawmakers. Cuomo was pressured by the Working Families Party in 2014 to back a minimum wage hike as he faced a left-flank challenge from Zephyr Teachout, who was campaigning on the issue. The then-governor recorded a video for the WFP's state convention endorsing an increase along with linking it to inflation. But progressive skepticism that Cuomo truly wanted a hike continued, despite the WFP ultimately supporting his reelection. After sustained pressure from unions and other advocates, Cuomo finally came around. He announced his support for a $15 minimum wage later in 2015 and signed legislation to that effect the following year. He also faced substantial opposition from the Senate, which was then led by a coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats. Cuomo claimed Thursday his proposal to boost the minimum wage to $20 matches what the city's minimum wage would be today, if the $15 wage had been indexed to inflation in 2016. 'That is the fair way, and that's what we want, and that's what we're going to get passed,' Cuomo said at the rally. At the time, the Cuomo administration was decidedly against indexing the minimum wage to inflation. 'If he hadn't resisted the efforts at the time in 2016 to have the minimum wage indexed, it would be $20 an hour already,' said James Parrott, senior adviser and fellow at the New School's Center for New York City Affairs. 'In a way he's proposing a solution to a problem he created.' Hirsh remembered calls with Cuomo and his staff, including top Cuomo advisers Melissa DeRosa, Neal Kwatra and Bill Mulrow, where the team berated her as she pushed for Cuomo to raise the minimum wage. 'Andrew Cuomo would yell and scream, or he'd have Melissa or Neal scream, or Bill Mulrow would be very nice about it and block it, but he blocked every attempt at wage increases,' she said. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi pushed back, saying in a written statement that "not a single person she mentions has any recollection of what she's talking about, but I get it — she's desperate." "Andrew Cuomo masterminded and executed a successful campaign that led to the first statewide $15 minimum wage law in the nation," he added. "New Yorkers know he has the experience and the record to make this city more affordable and make a $20 minimum wage a reality." A version of this story first appeared in New York Playbook PM. Subscribe here.
Politico
5 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Cuomo fought efforts to raise the minimum wage before boosting it as governor
NEW YORK — Mayoral front-runner Andrew Cuomo rallied with several unions Thursday to announce his plan to push for a $20 minimum wage by 2027 — citing his success as governor in raising the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2016. But the former political director of one of the city's largest unions remembers it differently — it was Cuomo who remained the biggest obstacle to boosting the minimum wage in the state, until the push for a $15 minimum went national in 2015 and pressured him to act. 'He only got to $15 after massive national campaign pressure and a commitment from SEIU to basically run a multimillion-dollar ad campaign' said Alison Hirsh, who was the political director and vice president for building service workers union 32BJ SEIU at the time. Hirsh recalled staunch opposition from Cuomo and his administration before they finally got on board with the increase, adding: 'It had nothing to do with actually giving a shit about workers, he just wanted to be able to say, as he had contemplated a national profile, that he was the first in the country to do it, because the winds changed.' Hirsh is no neutral observer — she now manages the mayoral campaign for Democratic rival Brad Lander. But her accounts were substantiated by two others familiar with the talks around the minimum wage at the time. Cuomo's plan, first reported today by The New York Times, will need approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul. She has already passed legislation to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. She is up for reelection next year, and will have to weigh liberal pushes like this one against fiscal concerns that may be raised in response from business leaders. The state minimum wage now stands at $16.50 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island, with the upstate minimum wage at $15.50 per hour. As governor in early 2014, Cuomo blocked then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to raise the minimum wage in New York City, opposing local control over an issue he felt should be dealt with statewide. With his latest proposal, he's attempting the same thing as the mayor he spent years feuding with. In initially rejecting de Blasio's 2014 proposal, Cuomo argued that allowing local governments to set their own wage and tax rules could create a 'chaotic situation' and that the issue should be left to the state. In early 2015, when de Blasio suggested a $13 minimum wage for the city, a Cuomo spokesperson called it a 'non-starter' with state lawmakers. Cuomo was pressured by the Working Families Party in 2014 to back a minimum wage hike as he faced a left-flank challenge from Zephyr Teachout, who was campaigning on the issue. The then-governor recorded a video for the WFP's state convention endorsing an increase along with linking it to inflation. But lefty skepticism that Cuomo truly wanted a hike continued, despite the WFP ultimately supporting his reelection. After sustained pressure from unions and other advocates, Cuomo finally came around. He announced his support for a $15 minimum wage later in 2015 and signed legislation to that effect the following year. He also faced substantial opposition from the Senate, which was then led by a coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats. Cuomo claimed Thursday his proposal to boost the minimum wage to $20 matches what the city's minimum wage would be today, if the $15 wage had been indexed to inflation in 2016. 'That is the fair way, and that's what we want, and that's what we're going to get passed,' Cuomo said at the rally. At the time, the Cuomo administration was decidedly against indexing the minimum wage to inflation. 'If he hadn't resisted the efforts at the time in 2016 to have the minimum wage indexed, it would be $20 an hour already,' said James Parrott, senior adviser and fellow at the New School's Center for New York City Affairs. 'In a way he's proposing a solution to a problem he created.' Hirsh remembered calls with Cuomo and his staff, including top Cuomo advisers Melissa DeRosa, Neal Kwatra and Bill Mulrow, where the team berated her as she pushed for Cuomo to raise the minimum wage. 'Andrew Cuomo would yell and scream, or he'd have Melissa or Neal scream, or Bill Mulrow would be very nice about it and block it, but he blocked every attempt at wage increases,' she said. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi pushed back, saying in a written statement that 'not a single person she mentions has any recollection of what she's talking about, but I get it — she's desperate.' 'Andrew Cuomo masterminded and executed a successful campaign that led to the first statewide $15 minimum wage law in the nation,' he added. 'New Yorkers know he has the experience and the record to make this city more affordable and make a $20 minimum wage a reality.' A version of this story first appeared in New York Playbook PM. Subscribe here.
Politico
5 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Cuomo was against raising the minimum wage before he was for it
MINIMUM RAGE: Mayoral front-runner Andrew Cuomo rallied with several unions today to announce his plan to push for a $20 minimum wage by 2027 — citing his success as governor in raising the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2016. But the former political director of one of the city's largest unions remembers it differently — it was Cuomo who remained the biggest obstacle to boosting the minimum wage in the state, until the push for a $15 minimum went national in 2015 and pressured him to act. 'He only got to $15 after massive national campaign pressure and a commitment from SEIU to basically run a multi-million-dollar ad campaign' said Alison Hirsch, who was the political director and vice president for building service workers union 32BJ SEIU at the time. Hirsh recalled staunch opposition from Cuomo and his administration before they finally got on board with the increase, adding: 'It had nothing to do with actually giving a shit about workers, he just wanted to be able to say, as he had contemplated a national profile, that he was the first in the country to do it, because the winds changed.' Hirsch is no neutral observer — she now manages the mayoral campaign for Democratic rival Brad Lander. But her accounts were substantiated by two others familiar with the talks around the minimum wage at the time. Cuomo's plan, first reported today by The New York Times, will need approval from Gov. Kathy Hochul. She has already passed legislation to raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation. She is up for reelection next year, and will have to weigh liberal pushes like this one against fiscal concerns that may be raised in response from business leaders. The state minimum wage now stands at $16.50 per hour in New York City, Westchester and Long Island, with the upstate minimum wage at $15.50 per hour. As governor in early 2014, Cuomo blocked former Mayor Bill de Blasio's push to raise the minimum wage in New York City, opposing local control over an issue he felt should be dealt with statewide. With his latest proposal, he's attempting the same thing as the mayor he spent years feuding with. In initially rejecting de Blasio's 2014 proposal, Cuomo argued that allowing local governments to set their own wage and tax rules could create a 'chaotic situation' and that the issue should be left to the state. In early 2015, when de Blasio suggested a $13 minimum wage for the city, a Cuomo spokesperson called it a 'non-starter' with state lawmakers. Cuomo was pressured by the Working Families Party in 2014 to back a minimum wage hike as he faced a left-flank challenge from Zephyr Teachout, who was campaigning on the issue. The then-governor recorded a video for the WFP's state convention endorsing an increase along with linking it to inflation. But lefty skepticism that Cuomo truly wanted a hike continued, despite the WFP ultimately supporting his re-election. After sustained pressure from unions and other advocates, Cuomo finally came around. He announced his support for a $15 minimum wage later in 2015 and signed legislation to that effect the following year. He also faced substantial opposition from the Senate, which was then led by a coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats. Cuomo claimed today his proposal to boost the minimum wage to $20 matches what the city's minimum wage would be today, if the $15 wage had been indexed to inflation in 2016. 'That is the fair way, and that's what we want, and that's what we're going to get passed,' Cuomo said at the rally. At the time, the Cuomo administration was decidedly against indexing the minimum wage to inflation. 'If he hadn't resisted the efforts at the time in 2016 to have the minimum wage indexed, it would be $20 an hour already,' said James Parrott, senior advisor and fellow at the New School's Center for New York City Affairs. 'In a way he's proposing a solution to a problem he created.' Hirsch recalls calls with Cuomo and his staff, including top Cuomo advisors Melissa DeRosa, Neal Kwatra and Bill Mulrow, where they team berated her as she pushed for Cuomo to raise the minimum wage. 'Andrew Cuomo would yell and scream, or he'd have Melissa or Neal scream, or Bill Mulrow would be very nice about it and block it, but he blocked every attempt at wage increases,' she said. The Cuomo campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Jason Beeferman, Janaki Chadha and Nick Reisman From the Capitol SENATE TAKES ON PLASTICS: The Senate is expected to pass a sweeping measure to reduce plastics and packaging waste later today. The measure, which would also eventually ban certain toxic chemicals from packaging, faces intense opposition from the chemicals and packaged foods industry. Opponents say the bill will raise consumer costs and make some convenient packaged foods unavailable on store shelves in New York. Those concerns are gaining traction with some Assembly Democrats, who worry about affordability, POLITICO Pro reported last week. The Senate passed the packaging bill last year, but it did not get to a vote in the Assembly, where it faces a tougher path. Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who sponsors the bill, last week said she remained 'guardedly optimistic' it would pass this session. She said the study circulated by business groups showing higher consumer costs included products that aren't covered in the bill. 'We understand we're up against big money but I think that we either have to do something to protect the public in a very minor way or just fold up the tent and let the industry do whatever it wants,' Glick said. Business groups have pushed an alternative bill that would give companies more control over reduction efforts and doesn't ban any chemicals from packaging. 'The problem with some of their packaging is that it's got toxic substances that are going to leach into our food,' Glick said. — Marie J. French From City Hall CRYPTO BRO: Mayor Eric Adams pledged to create a cryptocurrency bond in New York City today at a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas. Speaking from the stage, he also urged state lawmakers to nix a license needed to transact in virtual currency and repeatedly compared Bitcoin investors to Betsy Ross, the 19th century seamstress credited with sewing the second American flag. 'She was not some philosophical, intellectual person who wanted to decide what was going to be the foundation of our country. She was an ordinary person like you and I — hardworking, blue-collar people,' Adams said. 'But that flag still stands today.' Adams encouraged Bitcoin investors and practitioners to come to the Big Apple, where he plans to create a 'Bit bond' that could be invested in with cryptocurrency. And he urged attendees to return to their local governments and start advocating for more lenient digital currency policies. Adams spoke directly after Vice President JD Vance, and reflected upon a portion of the GOP standard-bearer's speech. 'Vice President Vance said something you should all listen to: We must be part of the political strength in our country,' Adams said before employing a golf metaphor and adding: 'Local politics will determine what will happen to this industry.' — Joe Anuta IN OTHER NEWS — MESSENGER IN THE MAYOR'S RACE: Assemblymember and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has a thin legislative record but is a forceful voice in Albany. (The New York Times) — PAROLE DIVIDES: Racial disparities in parole decisions continue to worsen across New York state under Hochul, with new data showing a widening gap from a year ago. (Gothamist) — RACE FOR SUPPORT: Several major Jewish community endorsements are still up for grabs in the mayoral race. (THE CITY) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Washington Post
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Immigrants rally to show their worth during annual May Day celebration
For the crowd of hundreds assembled outside the White House on Thursday afternoon, the message displayed on a large banner onstage seemed to sum it all up: 'Worker Rights, Immigrant Rights.' 'May Day is our day,' Jaime Contreras, executive vice president of the union 32BJ SEIU, said while standing in front of the banner. 'This day was born out of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice, where workers refuse to be treated like machines.'
