A Newsletter for the Movement for Economic, Climate, and Racial Justice

In support of the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “All labor has dignity” speech in front of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union as a call for racial solidarity across class lines. Dr. King understood that poverty and white supremacy could not be dealt with in silos – it took a multiracial, working class movement to make transformative change necessary to protect the dignity of oppressed people in America and across the world. Sanitation workers were also demanding the right to a safe workplace as a clear environmental and racial justice issue. MLK’s legacy and the sanitation workers’ boundless commitment to solidarity and intersectionality is a central guiding force in our coalition building work. Bringing together labor, climate, and community is more than just a winning strategy. It is about building a broad movement that fully realizes the dignity of our community. This newsletter outlines the work we are doing in building off that tradition in our fight for a just and equitable New York.

Together, we can win a stronger, more resilient New York in 2022. Please consider donating to ALIGN so we can continue building coalitions fighting for economic, climate, and racial justice.

No Empty Promises:

Our Fight to Fund Climate Justice

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is about recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis as much as it is proposing a vision for a better, sustainable future. After four years of organizing, what was once a dream of a better tomorrow is now written in the books: New York must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 85% and be completely carbon-neutral by 2050. But this is a world we must fight to win. Look no further than Governor Hochul’s recent State of the State speech, alongside the Executive Budget, which outlines promising clean infrastructure projects, yet does not answer how we are going to make those projects a reality.

There’s too much at stake in this fight for empty platitudes and broken promises – this is a struggle for our collective survival. We are proud to join NY Renews, and its 300+ member organizations in their fight for $15 Billion in this year’s state budget. This past month, the coalition held a press conference in response to the Executive Budget alongside state legislators and environmental justice leaders. Executive Director Maritza Silva-Farrell was quoted in Times Union about the budget demand: “There is a clear pathway to a healthier and sustainable future: $15 billion in this year’s budget will move us toward a renewable energy economy, resilient infrastructure, and thousands of career, green jobs." 

Member organizations also testified at the Environmental Conservation hearings to make sure our legislators understand the people demand bold investments and good, green jobs. You can check out ALIGN’s testimony here. The urgency of the climate crisis will only be felt by a movement that will shake the collective legislative body to act. Join us as we are calling, lobbying, and even sending valentines to our legislators.

Workers Demand More Than Survival

With the rollback of New York’s mask mandate, the NY HERO Act is now the only law in place that provides workers with enforceable safety protections from COVID-19. That is why our NY Essential Workers coalition is urging Governor Hochul to invest $50 million in NY HERO enforcement, education, training, and ventilation upgrades to fully realize the potential of this groundbreaking law. Executive Director Maritza Silva-Farrell was quoted in Spectrum News about our demand: “We must honor the sacrifices of essential workers by protecting them and all workers, throughout this pandemic and for whatever comes next."

In order to ensure that workers learn about their rights under NY HERO, we held training sessions with organizers and worker leaders on how we can best use this law to build power in the workplace. The trainings focused on workplace health and safety committees, another powerful tool that gives workers a seat at the table on any health and safety issue in the workplace. Visit the NY HERO Know Your Rights landing page to check out our new “How to Form a Worker Committee Guide” alongside a sample “Worker Committee Request From” and updated FAQs on the law.

Small Businesses Stand Up to

Corporate Monopolies

We hear a lot of praise from legislators about the importance of New York’s small businesses, but it can mean very little without condemning the corporate abuse that is destroying those same businesses. Brooklyn kitchen store Whisk is one of the small businesses fighting alongside our New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition to hold these corporations accountable. In a powerful op-ed in the Daily News, owner Natasha Amott calls for the restoration and protection of the businesses that make the communities of New York, centering the importance of updating our anti-monopoly laws as the first step to returning power to small businesses and workers.

Our movement to hold corporate monopolies accountable is gaining momentum as the legislative session enters full swing. This past month, the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection passed the 21st Century Antitrust Act. We thank Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris and Committee Chair Kevin Thomas for standing with our communities to keep this legislation moving. Our coalition of small businesses, labor unions, and community organizations that is supporting the bill is also growing to over 50 member organizations. We are building a coalition ready to take on the most  abusive corporations in the world, all with the power of the people on our side. Join our movement to hold corporations accountable.

Toward a Progressive Climate Agenda for NYC

This month, Mayor Eric Adams took the next steps to shape his administration’s climate agenda by appointing a Climate Leadership Team. We are pleased to see the appointments of Rohit T. Aggarwala and Kizzy Charles-Guzman as part of this team, both of whom have a track record of supporting climate and jobs policies like Local Law 97, installation of solar, and prioritizing Environmental Justice communities. Indeed, our Climate Works for All coalition is making the implementation of Local Law 97 a top priority so NYC can begin drastically cutting dangerous building emissions and create tens of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers. We are also pushing the City to build Green Healthy Schools with the installation of HVAC air control systems and solar into school infrastructure. Our communities must have access to clean, sustainable schools as part of our Covid recovery. These infrastructure upgrades will be critical as New York City begins to reopen after the winter surge and mask mandates are being rolled back.

Transforming the waste industry continues to be a critical issue for climate and jobs equity in NYC. Our Transform Don’t Trash coalition is now working to ensure the effective and immediate implementation of Commercial Waste Zones, which will cut truck pollution, improve street safety, raise waste and recycling standards, and provide good living-wage jobs in the commercial waste sector. Now, we are in the final stages of the Request for Proposal process, which would grant carters a 20 year contract to different zones across the city. We are focused on ensuring that the best, high-road union carters receive these bids.

#AntiBlackAmazon

Dr Martin Luther King warned us about the “giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.” Abusive corporations like Amazon are the very embodiment of this threat. So when the D.C. Public Library Trustees voted to name the auditorium in MLK Library after Jeff Bezos, local organizers alongside Athena partners took action. Jeff Bezos’s name has no place near the name of Dr Martin Luther King; not on Black History Month or any month. Their pressure worked. After almost 19,000 letters were sent to the board, the decision was rescinded. Instead, they will be naming the auditorium after Toni Morrison.

Bezos built an empire by exploiting and fueling racism, materialism and militarism. Right now, across the country, Amazon warehouses poison Black neighborhoods with pollution and lower job standards. That is why we stand in solidarity with board members Retail Wholesale Department Store Union (RWDSU) in their union election in Bessemer, Alabama where black workers are leading the effort in a historic union organizing drive for dignity and respect at work. The ballots are officially out and will be due to the NLRB by March 28th. You can follow the campaign and hear why workers are voting #UnionYes on this website.

This past month, the Athena coalition also joined the Missouri Workers Center to deliver concrete worker safety demands following the deaths of six Amazon workers during the devastating tornado that struck a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois on December 10, 2021. For too long, Amazon has subscribed to a business model that puts its warehouse workers at risk. At risk from getting sick or hurt on the job. And as December’s horrific tornado proved, at risk of death during severe weather events. Add your name to support the demands here.

Welcome Reyna!

We are excited to welcome Reyna Cohen as ALIGN's new State Climate Policy Coordinator!

As the State Climate Policy Coordinator, Reyna will be coordinating with the climate justice coalition NY Renews. She began her career at the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency, developing policies and programs to foster energy democracy, food sovereignty, and social justice. Most recently, she was an environmental policy advocate, where her work included helping to establish a coalition to electrify New York’s 50,000 school buses. Reyna is driven by her passion for the intersection of policy, climate change, and social justice. She holds an MSc in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Join Our Team!

We’re hiring! ALIGN is seeking a talented, motivated, and dedicated Deputy Director to join our fight for a just and equitable New York. Full-time, with a salary range of $75,000- 85,000 and benefits. Learn more about the exciting opportunity here.

ALIGN in the News

Our campaigns in the news

Times Union - Activists, progressives say state needs to spend $15B in climate fight

NY Daily News - Amazon vs. N.Y.’s small businesses: The little guys need a 21st century antitrust act

Spectrum News 1 - As mask mandate ends in New York, what's next for businesses and their workers?

Spectrum News 1 - $50M sought for law limiting spread of airborne illnesses in New York workplaces

Gotham Gazette - Governor Hochul Must Act Now to Protect Essential Workers

WSHU/NPR - Hochul’s budget for the environment is the biggest yet, but advocates push for more

WNYT - Activists push for $15 billion investment on climate, environment

Bloomberg Law - New York Needs $15 Billion More to Combat Climate, Advocates Say 

Buffalo News - Letter: Hochul’s climate strategy should be taken further

Times Union  - Letter: Don't delay on climate funds

WIVB - State organizations, leaders respond to the lift of the indoor business mask mandate

Buffalo News  - Businesses weigh next moves as mask mandate lifts 

Newsday - 23 months into pandemic, employee safety committees due

Alliance in Action

Our partners’ work to fight for just and equitable recovery

Teamsters JC 16 - Workers have been on strike against Catsimatidis’ oil company, United Metro Energy Corporation, for almost 10 months. These essential workers help earn Catsimatidis his millions, yet he refuses to pay industry-standard wages – and now he has illegally permanently replaced workers on the job. Support workers by donating to the strike fund!

Make the Road NY - The #FundExcludedWorkers coalition is fighting to be #ExcludedNoMore: $3 Billion in the budget to the fund and will make it easier for all workers who are eligible for the fund to get access. Join their “love your excluded workers week of action” as we celebrate the industry workers that power our state.

NYC Environmental Justice Alliance - On January 31, the PEAK Coalition joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney at the Ravenswood Generating Station to unveil the Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act. This bill would require a cumulative impact assessment to ensure that any permitting of power plants not pose harm to the surrounding communities, and establishes the Just Energy Transition Fund to advance renewables and storage throughout the country prioritizing environmental justice communities.

Read the press release on the bill here.

NYC Central Labor Council - Drivers and delivery workers from across the city kicked off the Justice for App Drivers Campaign with a rally in Foley Square in Manhattan. The workers have six core demands: living wages; a safe working environment; an end to unfair account deactivation; quality healthcare benefits; reliable, safe bathroom access; and the right to form a union. Learn more and join the movement at JusticeForAppWorkers.org, and watch their launch video here!

DC 37 - DC 37 is fighting for quality and affordable healthcare for all New Yorkers and demanding funding for NYC's public hospitals. Please sign the petition to demand pricing transparency and to stop unfair practices that hurt working families.

New York Communities for Change - There’s a housing crisis in New York and  NYCC is joining the statewide Housing Justice for All coalition to demand Good Cause and permanent rental assistance for New York State. Without good cause eviction, rents will continue to skyrocket, tenants will face discriminatory eviction, and homelessness will increase. 

Stand with workers and fight for #GoodCause.

Together, we can win a stronger, more resilient New York in 2022. Please consider donating to ALIGN so we can continue building coalitions fighting for economic, climate, and racial justice.

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