January 2021

The year begins with an insurrection at the Capitol building. Leading the charge are white supremacists who believe that the election is fraudulent and that the racial order should be kept untouched: white men on top, the rest at the bottom. The promise of the new year comes with an outburst of violence built by centuries-old sentiments, bolstered by the structures that plague this country. These are the structures that in 2021 leave millions of Black and Latinx families in poverty, sick with Covid-19, and breathing toxic air. Yet despite the constant attempts to attack working people and communities of color, our communities find the strength and courage to fight back. Indeed, the Biden-Harris administration signals a new direction for economic, climate, and racial justice for this country. But that path can only be paved and fought for by the movements on the ground led by Black, Brown, and indigenous women. The year begins not with despair, but with a fire in our hearts that burns for justice and peace. Bring on the new year.

You can support our movement for economic, racial, and climate justice by donating to ALIGN.

Essential Workers Can’t Wait for a Vaccine

Amidst surging Covid cases and vaccine shortages, our NY Essential Workers Coalition was able to create the urgency and momentum needed to introduce the NY HERO Act (S1034 / A02681), legislation that would ensure New Yorkers immediate protections and a greater voice in the workplace. Last week, the bill passed the Senate Labor Committee with unanimous approval from Democratic members of the committee. We thank the bill sponsors, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris and Assemblymember Karines Reyes for championing the bill. We commend Senate Labor Chair Jessica Ramos for passing the bill through the committee with urgency. 

Building off of this momentum, coalition members across the state are speaking to their legislators urging them to pass the NY HERO in the Senate and Assembly without delay. In an op-ed published in the New York Daily News, Executive Director Maritza Silva-Farrell called on the NY legislature to act now: “It was never enough to call New York’s essential frontline workers heroes. Those words are empty unless they’re backed by action.” You can take action by sending a letter to your state legislator urging them to pass the NY HERO Act now. 

Alma González, Apple Farm Worker, speaks at the Break Time Virtual Rally: “We would like for people to be treated with more dignity and respect so they have better health and quality of life.”

Mario Cilento, President of NY AFL-CIO, speaks at the NY HERO bill introduction press conference: “If this pandemic has taught us anything, we need to make the health and safety of workers a priority.”

Climate Action from NYC to Albany to Washington D.C.

Movements on the ground, especially the most impacted Black and Latinx communities, have been calling for unprecedented aggressive climate action at the city, state, and national level. Through our Climate Works for All coalition, we are fighting for a just and equitable recovery in NYC. This includes the implementation of Local Law 97, a groundbreaking climate law that will slash building emissions as well as create good, green jobs. This week, the Climate Works coalition sent a letter to Governor Cuomo, opposing a budget proposal that includes provisions that would allow building owners to evade doing necessary retrofits needed to comply with Local Law 97.In March, our coalition will be hosting the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Mayoral Candidates Forum which will give incoming 2021 Mayoral candidates an opportunity to share their plan for racial, economic, and climate justice. You can RSVP here.

Through our work with the statewide NY Renews coalition, we are ramping up efforts to #MakePollutersPay through the Climate and Community Investment Act , which will build off the achievements we’ve made with the groundbreaking Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. We are also taking our work with NY Renews to the national level as part of the Green New Deal Network. It is imperative that the Biden administration is kept accountable on their commitment to climate action so that frontline Black and brown communities get clean air and water, good climate jobs, and a growing economy.

NY Renews and BK ROT released a new video on next steps for #ClimateJustice — the Climate and Community Investment Act! Fossil fuel companies have put their profit over our lives and our futures.

Implementing a Just and Equitable Commercial Waste Zone System

In 2019, our Transform Don’t Trash coalition achieved a huge win for worker and climate justice by pushing for the passage of Commercial Waste Zones in New York. This law ensures more access to recycling and organics collection, reduces diesel truck miles, increases safety protections, and opens opportunities to creates good, green union jobs.

This week, we testified at the Department of Sanitation hearings to ensure the city moves forward on the implementation of commercial waste zones. We want the city to implement the transformation needed in the commercial waste system with high standards for workers and protections for Environmental Justice Communities. Douglas Washington, private sanitation worker and Teamster member also testified: “The owners are always taken care of. I hope with Commercial Waste Zones, you put the workers first this time... a new day is coming, and workers in this industry can’t wait.”

Phoebe T. Flaherty, Organizer at ALIGN, speaks at the Department of Sanitation hearing: “We need to ensure now more than ever that workers are protected and good green jobs are created."

Sean T. Campbell, President of Teamsters Local 813, speaks at the Department of Sanitation hearing: “Private sanitation workers have for years worked long hours, for too little pay, without PPE or the safety training they need. The Covid pandemic shows that we need this program now more than ever to protect our essential workers.”

Amazon: Hands off our Government

ALIGN is part of Athena, a national coalition committed to stopping Amazon's growing grip over our government, economy, and everyday lives. This effort includes tackling how big tech is monopolizing markets and hurting small businesses, underpaying and not adequately protecting workers, and surveilling Black and brown people across the country. Athena and other progressive allies are raising big flags about the leading candidate of Biden's administration's Antitrust division, Renata Hesse, who has worked for Google and Amazon. Check out the letter that was sent to President Joe Biden urging him to avoid appointing antitrust enforcement positions to tech insiders.

ALIGN in the News

NY Daily News - Protect Essential Workers Now, New York

New York Now - Democrats, Unions Seek Workplace Protections Against Infectious Diseases through NY HERO Act

QNS - Queens lawmaker calls for state Legislature to pass COVID-19 workplace safety bill

NY Daily News - Queens Sen. Gianaris, union leaders renew push for COVID worker protections under NY Hero Act

National Herald - Gianaris, Assembly Member Reyes Build Momentum for New York HERO Act

Queens Daily Eagle - NY union backed measure would create workplace COVID protections, employer fines.

WBAI - Executive Director Maritza Silva-Farrell speaks to WBAI on the NY HERO Act. Listen here. 

NY1- Reopen New York? One Scientist Says Shutting Down Again Is Safer

Alliance in Action

Teamsters JC 16 - We want to congratulate board members Teamsters JC 16 for securing a historic contract after a six-day strike. The contract gives Teamsters Local 202 members the biggest pay increase in over 30 years. Many of the workers spoke out about the lack of health and safety protections, underscoring the importance of passing legislation to protect frontline essential workers now while vaccines remain undersupplied and unpredictable. Read more about their win here.

RWDSU - We stand in solidarity with the Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama who are going to vote next month on whether to unionize. Stuart Applebaum, RWDSU president, told the New York Times: “The pandemic changed the way many people feel about their employers. Many workers see the benefit of having a collective voice.”

Make the Road NY - Over 1.2 million New Yorkers have gone almost 300 days without relief. Join Make the Road NY to urge Governor Cuomo and state legislature to #FundExcludedWorkers to ensure the survival of working, immigrant families. 

NYC Environmental Justice Alliance - A report prepared by the PEAK Coalition, which includes NYC-EJA members UPROSE and The Point, "Dirty Energy, Big Money," details the egregious negative impacts of NYC's peaker plants on frontline environmental justice communities in terms of health and wealth. Check out the report here. 

DC 37 - On January 25, board members District Council 37 hosted a members only Virtual Mayoral Candidate Forum, asking leading Mayoral candidates on issues most affecting their members from worker justice to climate change to transportation. 

New York Communities for Change - This month, NYC will be divesting nearly $4 billion NYC pension funds will divest an estimated $4 billion from fossil fuels—one of the largest fossil fuel divestments in the world. Read more on this huge victory here. 

CWA District 1 - Take two minutes to email Gov. Cuomo to urge him to sign the Broadband Data Collection bill and help bring affordable broadband access to all New Yorkers!

You can support our movement for economic, racial, and climate justice by donating to ALIGN.

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