Donald Trump is officially in office and New Yorkers are already building collective power to fight against a dangerous anti-worker, anti-climate, and anti-migrant agenda. Local leaders must step up and join our movement. Post-election, State and City legislators have markedly shifted focus toward affordability and families. But the policy proposals offered don’t match the flowery rhetoric. When a dozen eggs cost $9 and rent is (still) too damn high, band-aid fixes such as one-time payments and small tax cuts just aren't enough. What we need is a fundamental shift in how our economic system works, tilting the power toward our workers, families, and communities. In this newsletter, we’re presenting our 2025 legislative agenda built by our grassroots coalitions, not corporate lobbyists. This is a powerful set of proposals that will actually take on poverty, pollution, and corporate abuse, and move us toward A Green, Affordable New York.
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Make Polluters Pay. New York’s Cap, Trade, and Invest program has the potential to “cap” greenhouse emissions from corporate polluters and “invest” the revenue into community-led climate action. We’re fighting to make sure it’s done right: no loopholes for fossil fuel corporations and real accountability and penalties for over-polluting. With a strong cap-and-invest program we can make polluters pay, improve public health, and create green jobs.
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Check the Power of Mega-Corporations Like Amazon. Mega-corporations like Amazon are using their outsized power to monopolize the markets, bury their competition, hurt small businesses, and drive prices up for consumers. We need to fight for a healthy economy that works for everyone, not just the Amazons of the world. This starts with reining in corporate power. This year, we’re fighting for legislation to combat price gouging, monopoly power, and worker exploitation.
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Fight for Fair Wages. New York’s minimum wage went up $0.50 in this month, bringing downstate to $16.50 and the rest of the state to $15.50. But New Yorkers need much more than a 50 cent pay bump, especially upstate New Yorkers being left behind. While corporations are making huge profits, working families deserve much more. This year, the Raise Up NY coalition is fighting to ensure there is one statewide minimum wage that catches up to increased costs. We’re also supporting critical local grassroots efforts like the fight in Tompkins County to raise the local minimum wage.
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Protect Workers from Extreme Temperatures. New Yorkers working in both outdoor and indoor sites are exposed to extreme temperatures due to the climate crisis, especially skyrocketing heat in the summer. As heat waves are getting more frequent, we need to ensure employers are protecting workers. The Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program or TEMP bill would create workplace heat safety standards for millions of workers requiring access to hydration, relief and rest from extreme temperatures, and PPE, as well as expanded multilingual training.
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Invest in Green, Healthy Schools. NYC 3K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school staff deserve safe and healthy learning and work environments, no matter their zip code. As the country is facing unprecedented wildfires, droughts, and flooding, we’re making sure New York City is doing our part to cut dirty emissions in our buildings. Our Climate Works for All coalition is calling on Mayor Adams to fund Green, Healthy Schools and make NYC’s school district emissions-free by 2040 so all students can breathe clean air and attend school safely.
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Build Public Solar with Green, Union Jobs. In 2024, labor and community came together to win Local Law 99, which requires solar power installation in NYC's public buildings. With 70% of NYC’s emissions coming from buildings, this law will be key in moving New Yorkers toward a healthy, sustainable economy. But the law won’t work as intended if we don’t have the money to build the renewable energy infrastructure. Our Climate Works for All coalition is calling on the administration to ensure this mandate is adequately funded in the FY2026 budget so we can build the public solar power future that students and teachers deserve.
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Transform NYC’s Waste Industry to Ensure Safe Streets & Safe Jobs. In 2019, we won NYC’s Commercial Waste Zones legislation, which will regulate private waste companies notorious for exploiting workers, wreaking havoc on our streets, and polluting our neighborhoods. Our Transform Don’t Trash NYC coalition, which played a critical role in the bill’s passage, is calling for an urgent and equitable rollout of the full zone system for safe working conditions, safe streets, and clean air.
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Solidarity with Amazon Teamsters! We joined the picket line in Queens and Staten Island in solidarity with workers striking for better working conditions, higher pay, union recognition, and a fair contract!
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We're proud to join New Yorkers United for Childcare to fight for free child care for NYC’s 2 year olds!
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Immigrant rights organizations rallied at City Hall to stand with immigrants and protect them against Trump’s inhumane mass deportation agenda.
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