The Newsletter for the Movement for

Economic, Climate, and Racial Justice

Working class New Yorkers are being pushed out of the state, struggling through unrelenting cost-of-living, health, and climate crises. But instead of delivering on affordability, the Trump administration is pursuing regime change in Venezuela for oil, making deadly cuts to climate action, and empowering a police state that denies the right to life and liberty. New York stands to set an example for what a truly green, affordable future for all can look like. In 2026, ALIGN and our coalitions are fighting for a New York that puts people power over corporate power and a future with clean air, safe jobs, and a living wage. This newsletter features our Cost-of-Living Action Plan, our 2026 legislative agenda that directly tackles the affordability crisis and brings dignity and respect to New Yorkers.

ALIGN can't do it alone. We need your support to sustain our movement and keep winning in 2025. Can you make a donation to fight for our vision for economic, climate, and racial justice?

Support Striking Nurses!

On Monday, Jan. 12, nearly 15,000 NYC private sector nurses went on strike to protect patient and nurse safety! You can support nurses by taking the actions below to support their fight for the fair contracts that New York’s nurses and patients deserve:

Download this flyer to share the ways New Yorkers can support striking nurses.

Send a message to greedy healthcare CEOs: Email millionaire hospital CEOs to let them know that you are in solidarity with NYSNA nurses who are fighting to protect patient and nurse safety and demand a fair contract now! 

Donate to the NYSNA Strike Hardship Fund. 

100% of contributions will be used to provide aid to NYSNA members who experience financial hardship due to strikes or protected actions.

In 2023, our Raise Up NY coalition won a $17 minimum wage downstate and $16 minimum wage upstate by 2026, delivering 1.1 million New Yorkers $670 more dollars in their pockets every year. But $17 an hour in New York City is not a living wage. MIT estimates New Yorkers need more than $30 to afford basic necessities like food, childcare, healthcare, housing, and transportation. Voters turned out in historic numbers to vote for Mayor Mamdani, who supported a $30 by 2030 minimum wage in his affordability agenda. Now, it’s time to deliver. We must tackle the affordability crisis head-on by raising New York City’s minimum wage to a living wage.

NYC 3K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school staff deserve safe and healthy learning and work environments, no matter their zip code. Our Climate Works for All coalition is calling on Mayor Mamdani to make good on campaign promises and fund Green, Healthy Schools. By investing $2.2 billion this year to upgrade school building ventilation and transition to green energy, we can create green union jobs, reduce emissions, slash City energy bills, and deliver the safe and healthy schools New Yorkers deserve.

Our Transform Don’t Trash NYC coalition is calling for an urgent and equitable rollout of the Commercial Waste Zones system by the end of 2026 for safe working conditions, safe streets, and clean air. Additionally, as New York City develops its 10-year solid waste management plan, Transform Don’t Trash is advocating for 30 recommendations from its People’s SWMP report to be included, centering community solutions while rapidly decarbonizing the solid waste sector. The coalition also supports city legislation to establish more local composting facilities and legislation to utilize marine and rail transfer stations for commercial waste, reducing truck traffic in overburdened communities.

We’re fighting for two critical bills that can deliver clean air, safe streets, and sustainable working conditions, holding Amazon and the e-commerce industry accountable while ensuring NYC is safe and just for workers and communities for generations to come. Council Member Cabán’s Delivery Protection Act would require Amazon to hire last-mile workers directly, making them responsible for worker safety instead of hiding behind third parties, while Council Member Avilés’ Indirect Source Rule bill would regulate facilities via community input and environmental review processes.

New York’s Cap-and-Invest program is designed to cap state greenhouse gas emissions, make fossil fuel corporations pay for overages, and invest revenue in community climate projects. If done right, an equitable emissions-cap system could reduce energy bills for households and small businesses; improve public health and cut rates of asthma and other illnesses, particularly in Black, Brown, and low-income communities; and fund investments in green jobs and climate justice to build a safer, more resilient New York. We’re calling for an immediate and equitable implementation so we invest in the climate solutions that are at the scale of the crisis.

Governor Hochul must fund at least $3 billion in climate projects in the 2026-2027 Executive Budget to account for the money we could have raised over the last year if Cap-and-Invest were already in place. These funds can and should be directed to NY’s Climate Action Fund to prepare for when New York launches Cap-and-Invest. Within this investment, $200 million should be directed to advancing Thermal Energy Network (TENs) projects for cost-effective, energy-efficient renewable heating and cooling while creating family-sustaining union jobs and improving public health.

The cost of living remains a top issue for voters. But our affordability crisis doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it’s fueled by corporate greed. New York needs a healthy economy that works for everyone, not just the Amazons of the world. The 21st Century Antitrust Act (S335/A2015) would empower New York to penalize corporations for unfair price gouging and abuse of monopoly power, so they can’t corner the market and make all the rules.

The proliferation of artificial intelligence and surveillance has created new retail traps for consumers: retailers are using AI to set discriminatory, dynamic prices based on personal data and demand. This is a brazen display of corporate greed and a clear violation of consumer privacy that only worsens our already-crushing affordability crisis while eliminating jobs and putting workers’ livelihoods at risk. A new state bill (S8616/A9396) aims to rebalance the scales, prohibiting digital shelf displays, algorithmic or surveillance pricing, or the use of personal user data to set prices, and protecting retail jobs statewide.

We are sending our warmest, best wishes to Lucas Shapiro who will be transitioning out of ALIGN after nearly four years as our Deputy Director. Lucas has been foundational in building ALIGN’s organizational infrastructure, steering political strategy, and leading the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) coalition. With his leadership, the NYFE coalition won critical warehouse worker protections and continued to grow the momentum to hold Amazon accountable and bring power back to workers, communities, and small businesses. ALIGN continues to be inspired by Lucas’ energy and passion for social justice.

We are also proud to announce that Lisa Thomas will be assuming the role of Deputy Director, where she will lead on press strategy, organizational relationships, and staff development. She was previously our Director of Communications.

We stand with the Amazon Delivery Drivers at the Woodside, Queens warehouse who are unionizing with the Teamsters and calling for reinstatement of the unjustly fired workers and the passage of the Delivery Protection Act.

We joined 32BJ to fight for the Aland Etienne Safety Security Act. NYC Council’s passage of this bill is a huge step forward and will set real standards that keep every New Yorker safer.

Executive Director Theodore Moore speaks at a press conference with the Street Vendor Project calling for reforms that will provide more opportunities for working class New Yorkers.

Solidarity with the nearly 15,000 NYSNA nurses on strike for safe staffing, fair pay, and respect! New York’s private healthcare CEOs pocket millions in salaries and bonuses, while frontline nurses are overworked and burned out from the staffing crisis.

We need your support to sustain our movement and keep winning in 2026. Can you make a donation to fight for our vision for economic, climate, and racial justice?

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