Latest news with #RWDSU
New York Post
6 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Andrew Cuomo has a target on his back as NYC's crowded mayoral field prepares to gang up on the frontrunner at first Dem debate
Democratic mayoral candidates are expected to pounce on ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Wednesday night's hotly-anticipated debate — as they aim to make more of a name for themselves by targeting the frontrunner. But the crowded field of low-polling Dems will have to walk a political tightrope — attempting to sling mud at the ex-governor while remaining viable in voters' eyes, experts told The Post. 'If people go out there and fire away at the frontrunner, it will turn people off,' said political strategist and lobbyist Yvette Buckner. 4 Former New York Governor and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks at SEIU in midtown Manhattan as he gains the endorsement of RWDSU, ATU and UFCW unions for his mayoral bid. Stephen Yang 'They have to find something that sticks, that people will remember them by.' The first mayoral primary debate — co-hosted by WNBC and Politico and airing live starting at 7 p.m. — will mark Cuomo's first time sharing the stage with the eight other candidates vying for the party's nomination. Cuomo, who had locked up his frontrunner status even before he formally joined the race March 2, is set to be in candidates' crosshairs after his monthslong 'Rose Garden campaign' shying away from public grilling. Political operatives said the bar is set quite low for Cuomo, with the ex-gov just needing to calmly bat away or counter the attacks and he'll come out on top. 4 Zorhan Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, accepts the New York Working Families Party's (NYWFP) number one choice for mayor of New York City on May 31, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York. Michael Nigro But all eyes will be on the surging socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani to see if the can keep his momentum going. The relatively unknown state Assemblyman from Queens jumped from single digits to a close second place in the polls, behind Cuomo. The rest of the hopefuls — City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, ex-Comptroller Scott Stringer, the Rev. Michael Blake, former hedge funder Whitney Tilson, and state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos — will have to capitalize on their time on stage to make a mark with voters. 4 Democratic New York mayoral candidates (left to right) Michael Blake, Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander attend the Pride Kick Off Mayoral Forum in New York City on May 31, 2025. Leonardo Munoz 'This is the time where the most eyes are going to be on the candidates,' Buckner said of the exposure the debate will grant the pack of candidates. 'People are going to be looking for the candidates who have bold, thoughtful ideas that are distilled into bite-sized pitches that people can digest.' The debate will not include incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who will be running as an independent in the general election in November. 4 Mayoral hopeful Zellnor Myrie stops by the NY Post. Matthew McDermott A second debate is set for June 12 that will feature the top polling Democrats, leaving Ramos and Blake off the dais. The primary is set for June 24, with early voting on June 14-22.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New York's Retail Worker Safety Act Is Live
New York's retail crime compliance countdown has closed as the Retail Worker Safety Act (NYRWSA) has been implemented, and Governor Kathy Hochul's 'landmark legislation' has commenced. The Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU), for one, is grateful. More from Sourcing Journal Activists Know How to Stop Sexual Violence in the Garment Supply Chain. Will Brands Buy In? Are Amazon's Warehouses Facing an 'Injury Crisis'? SHIPS for America Act Reintroduced to Reinvigorate US Shipbuilding Effective June 4, the NYRWSA (S. 8358B/A. 8947C) will 'introduce critical safety measures to protect retail workers across the state,' according to the semi-autonomous division of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). 'Retail workers—and shoppers—across New York will be safer because of this law,' Stuart Appelbaum, president of the RWDSU, said. 'Retail workers should not have to go to work every day in fear; this law goes a long way towards ending that.' New York State Senator Jessica Ramos introduced the NYRWSA last January to compel employers to evaluate their workplaces for risks, develop a violence prevention plan, provide ongoing safety training for workers—and revisit these efforts annually. The Harris-endorsing union has worked with Ramos and New York State Assemblymember Karines Reyes, who chairs its subcommittee on workplace safety, throughout the bill's ascension and amendments. While the New York State Senate passed S8358B last summer, Governor Kathy Hochul signed an amendment to the act in February, extending the effective date of some of its provisions to June 2. 'The Retail Worker Safety Act provides for preventative measures that will help deter violence and harassment before it starts,' Appelbaum said. 'And, most importantly, will assist workers in getting help quickly in the event of an emergency.' Retailers with 10 or more employees must develop 'comprehensive violence prevention plans, conduct regular risk assessments and provide biennial training on de-escalation techniques and active shooter scenarios,' the NYRWSA mandates. Retailers with 500 or more employees, meanwhile, must install silent response buttons—allowing 'workers to discreetly alert security personnel during emergencies,' the RWDSU said—before January 1, 2027. 'As a produce manager, I've witnessed firsthand the escalating tensions in retail environments,' said Edwin Quezada, a manager at a stop-and-shop in Long Island and Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW member. 'This Act ensures we have the training and tools to handle volatile situations, making our workplaces safer for both employees and customers. We worked hard to see it brought into law and I'm proud to see it starting to take effect.' The issue has become a source of anxiety for retail employees as retail crime ratchets up, a survey conducted by the RWDSU last spring found. Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed said they've personally experienced verbal harassment or intimidating behavior at work. Eighty percent reported concerns about an active shooter entering their place of business. Seven percent reported that their employers 'made safety improvements following violent incidents,' per the survey. 'Every day I came to work with a pit in my stomach, not knowing if today would be the day someone got aggressive or violent,' said Nancy Almodovar, a salesperson at a major department store in Manhattan, per the RSDSU. 'We've been ignored for too long by our employers, but this law finally says: our safety matters. It gives us real tools and real protection—and for the first time in a long time, I feel like someone's looking out for us.' There's precedent for such programs, the labor union said. The NYRWSA builds on the public sector's workplace violence protection law from 2006 and uses the statutory framework of New York's 2018 workplace sexual harassment protection law, per the RWDSU. 'We are grateful that Governor Hochul has focused on preventing retail violence and theft and for bill sponsors Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblywoman Karines Reyes,' said Appelbaum.
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Cuomo flip flops again with lefty $20 minimum wage proposal for NYC — after shooting it down as gov
Andrew Cuomo is flip flopping once again — this time with a lefty pitch to boost New York City's minimum wage after slapping down such efforts when he was governor. Cuomo — the frontrunner in the Democratic mayoral primary — rolled out the campaign proposal Wednesday before a raucous crowd of labor union members, saying it was aimed at putting 'more money in people's pockets.' 'The best way to combat affordability, the best way is to raise wages… and today we announce we're going to raise the minimum wage to $20,' he said from the Midtown HQ of the Service Employees Local Union 1199 SEIU. Cuomo's latest nod to the left-wing of the party comes as he tries to stall the momentum of Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the state Assemblyman from Queens who has been coming in second to the ex-gov in recent polls. Advertisement Andrew Cuomo also received endorsements from RWDSU, ATU, and UFCW Local 1500. Stephen Yang His proposal would raise the minimum hourly pay to $20 by 2027, which he says would bring Big Apple wages in line with inflation. Cuomo's campaign said the proposal builds on a law he signed as governor in 2016 that mandated a multi-year phase-in plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2020. Advertisement But when then-Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly pushed for the city to set its own, similar increase in 2014, Cuomo sharply shot down the proposal, saying the 'chaotic situation' would be bad for the state's economy. 'We don't want to cannibalize ourselves,' Cuomo said at the time. 'We don't want to have different cities with different tax rates competing amongst themselves.' If elected, Cuomo would need to go hat-in-hand to Albany and get the approval of state lawmakers to make any moves on the minimum wage. The union members cheered the announcement. Stephen Yang Advertisement 'How do we get him passed? We get it passed the way we've gotten every progressive reform and in the past 30 years, we've organized the working men and women of this city,' he said at the rally. The thrice-elected Democrat ignored The Post when asked about the flip-flop at his Wednesday event, instead slinking out of the back of the building and appearing to blow through a red light in an attempt to avoid reporters. Mamdani — the ex-gov's main challenger in June 24 primary — has proposed a $30 minimum wage by 2030. Advertisement Mayor Eric Adams, who opted out of the primary and will contend as an independent in the general, attacked Cuomo Tuesday for pandering throughout his bid back in public life. 'He would say anything, anything to get elected, to get back in office. That's just how he is,' Adams said at City Hall.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYC workers ratify the first Barnes & Noble union contracts in the United States
March 6 (UPI) -- Workers at three New York Barnes & Noble bookstores have ratified their first union contracts. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said Thursday these are the first Barnes & Noble stores union contracts in the United States. "Workers at Barnes & Noble should be incredibly proud of what they've accomplished together in these historic first union contracts. United in their fight for increased safety in their stores, it was their voices among others across our union that won increased protections for everyone in the industry through the Retail Worker Safety Act," RWDSU President Stuart Applebaum said. According to the RWDSU the union contracts "raised the standard for safety, wages, and healthcare for their newest union members." Workers at Barnes & Noble's Union Square Flagship, West 82nd Street, and Park Slope New York stores voted to approve the union contracts. "I'm really excited to have a contract in place and to have a say in the conditions in which I work. To be a part of the first-ever union contract with Barnes & Noble feels like I'm a part of history!" Eve Greenlow, a bookseller at the West 82nd Street store, said in a statement, The RWDSU said through workers' organizing and solidarity, starting wages increased $4an hour even before the contract goes into effect. Workers are getting an additional pay raise of $1an hour for each year of the three-year contracts. The workers won union healthcare coverage, seniority and layoff protections, job security provisions in case stores close, a new break room and additional annual anti-discrimination training. "When we started organizing, we were making minimum wage in unacceptable work conditions," Senior bookseller at the Union Square store Aaron Lascano said in a statement. "The contract we voted on today was fought for and won by the workers of this store. Now, we're looking forward to finally having guaranteed raises, excellent union health care coverage, protections from layoffs and store closure, and so much more." The RWDSU said while these three New York stores are the first ratified union contracts in the nation, there are a total of seven Barnes & Noble stores that are unionized across the United States.
