June Jordan’s “Poem for South African Women,” a tribute to the 40,000 women and children who protested the apartheid on August 9, 1956 in Pretoria, ends with a powerful reminder: “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” The crisis of leadership is demanding us to look within our own communities for the courage and integrity that is currently void at all levels of Government. We saw a marvelous display of collective power last week when hundreds of New Yorkers rallied with the People’s Plan NYC to call for the resignation of Eric Adams amidst political scandals and dangerous budget cuts. The Mayor is signalling a clear allegiance with Trump through his silence on the rollback of congestion pricing and the escalating violence towards New York’s immigrants. New Yorkers deserve better. Trump’s first 30 days reveal an administration hellbent on harming and weakening the working class, especially our Black and Brown neighbors. The power is in our hands to disrupt that agenda. June Jordan saw it in the anti-apartheid movement. We see it here now too.
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NYC Mayoral Candidates Share
Their Plans on the Affordability Crisis
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From left to right, moderator Annie McDonough, mayoral candidates Michael Blake, Zohran Mamdani, and Jessica Ramos. Photo credit: Natania Malin Gazek
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This month, we saw egg prices rise to as high as $15 with corporate profiteering to blame as much as the bird flu pandemic. There’s no question that affordability is a priority issue for New York voters for the upcoming mayoral election. Last week, candidates Michael Blake, Zohran Mamdani, and Jessica Ramos joined 200+ New Yorkers to discuss their plans to address the rising cost of living for working families in NYC. Annie McDonough from City and State NY moderated the forum, asking questions about key issues like wages, homecare, childcare, and more. ALIGN led the forum with the support of 20 grassroots organizations and unions. In case you missed it, we have a recap with a full recording of the forum and results on how attendees ranked the candidates’ plans.
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A packed house at the PSC-CUNY Union Hall. Photo credit: Noah Levin
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Worker Leaders Advocate to #RaiseTheWage
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Worker leaders from Make the Road NY, New York Communities for Change, SEIU1199, Churches United for Fair Housing, and more join the Wage Warriors Graduation
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This past month, our Raise Up NY coalition celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of the Wage Warriors Leadership Academy, a 4-month program that trained worker leaders on labor history, organizing, advocacy, and storytelling. As part of their graduation, the Wage Warriors also met with lawmakers at the State Capitol for the Upstate Parity and Minimum Wage Protection Act, a bill that would ensure upstate and downstate have the same wage and end a loophole that prevents guaranteed cost-of-living raises. The coalition also played “The Price is Right: Money is Tight Edition”, where “contestants” had to guess the price of everyday goods, including the cost of groceries, a tank of gas, and one month of childcare. When the average rent of Rockland County is $2158, it is clear that upstate workers deserve the same minimum wage as downstate workers. We’re so glad to have worker leaders on our side fighting for dignified wages and more across the state.
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Iridian Lucas Garcia from Columbia County Sanctuary Movement plays The Price is Right with Senator Julia Salazar
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Don’t Miss the Climate Justice Mayoral Forum
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Trump’s attacks on climate action are a major disaster for local and federal progress in reducing dirty emissions and creating green jobs. Now more than ever, we need our City's leaders to pass bold climate legislation, fight fossil fuel interests, and prioritize climate and environmental justice. We must ensure that NYC's future Mayor prioritizes climate as a key issue for our city's future. Join Climate Works for All and our allies on Monday, March 31st at 6:30 PM for a Climate Justice Mayoral Forum to find out more about the candidates’ plans to protect NYC’s most vulnerable communities from the climate emergency.
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People’s Plan NYC launch the People’s Budget Campaign at Tweed Courthouse
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Press Conference to protect NYC’s Dirty Buildings Law, Local Law 97, at City Hall
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Breaking bread and building power at a labor brunch
with dozens of unions, worker centers, and advocacy nonprofits
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