John,
There's nothing more powerful than New Yorkers organizing together to better their own working conditions. Worker organizing has been at the heart of political and policy change in NYC for hundreds of years – and it's workers who are powering some of the most exciting efforts to improve the lives of New Yorkers today.
From Triangle Shirtwaist Factory workers demanding protections in 1911, to MTA workers striking for higher wages in 1980, to public sector doctors and nurses fighting for pay equity in 2023, generation after generation of New Yorkers have demonstrated the power of collectively fighting for fundamental rights.
In fact, the earliest recorded strike dates back to 1768, when New York journeymen tailors protested a reduction in wages!
This spring has been an important moment for organized labor in NYC and across the country. The US unionization rate dropped to 10.1 percent in 2022, the lowest on record according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet approval of unions is now currently at its highest point since 1965, per a recent Gallup Poll. We’re seeing robust labor campaigns spark change and dialogue across the country – including the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
I am proud to stand with New York City workers, as an elected official and as the custodian of the retirement security of public sector union members. In March, Starbucks workers went on strike at 100+ stores across New York and the country to protest Starbucks’ refusal to negotiate a contract in good faith.
Soon afterwards, at the Starbucks annual shareholders meeting, investors voted to confirm the Office of the Comptroller’s shareholder resolution calling for a third-party assessment of the company’s labor practices. This is a huge step toward guaranteeing better working conditions for Starbucks workers.
Did you know that United Parcel Service (UPS) workers made the company billions in profits last year?
The Teamster contract negotiations with UPS are shaping up to be a major fight, and I was honored to rally with Teamsters Local 804 in April to demand a fair contract.
Despite its massive pandemic-induced profits, UPS is driving its workforce to extremes, demanding six-day workweeks from many full-time workers while part-timers often get just 3.5-hour shifts at $15.50 an hour.
When public sector nurses are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!
During National Nurses Week earlier this month of May, New York City nurses are demanding pay equity and safe staffing to save more lives.
The City can't afford to keep relying on a revolving door of temporary agency nurses. The last two years have taught us just how essential nurses are, and we need to ensure that they get the pay, working conditions, safe staffing ratios, and respect that they deserve.
Organized labor builds power for the majority of workers in New York, especially for Black and brown communities, is key to making our city a more equitable, flourishing place.
My office is committed to expanding workers rights using all the tools in our toolbox – through policy initiatives like fighting to raise the minimum wage, to expanding the work of our office on enforcing prevailing wages on public works projects, to pushing the companies we invest in on behalf of retired union workers to respect the rights of their employees.
In solidarity,
Brad
