Electeds Thrilled With $15 Wage For Fast Food Chain Workers
Brooklyn’s elected officials reacted with praise to yesterday’s State Fast Food Wage Board’s decision to raise the minimum wage to fast food chain workers with 30 or more stores nationwide to $15 an hour.
Currently, many of these workers get the state minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. The board, which was convened under the authority of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also voted to phase in the increase incrementally to take effect in New York City by December 31, 2018 and by July 1, 2021 for the rest of the state.
Below are some comments from elected officials:
Cuomo: “This is about something more important and more fundamental and profound. This is really about who we are as New Yorkers and what we believe. And what we believe in New York is that there should be opportunity for all and there is fundamental fairness for all and there is justice for all. That’s what the Statue of Liberty says. That’s what we believe, that’s what brought generations to this state, to stand up to those principles.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio: “It’s long past time for New York to catch up with the times and raise the wage – because it’s vital to lifting New Yorkers out of poverty and moving our economy forward. Our work can’t stop here – and this only underscores how necessary it is to raise the wage across the board. As much as fast food workers need and deserve a raise – and we know they do – we must ensure that every worker gets a living wage.”
Fort Greene/Prospect Heights Assembly Member Walter Mosley, Jr.: “Raising the minimum wage for employees in the fast-food industry to $15 per hour is a major step forward for New York State and is welcome news for these workers, who are struggling to provide for their families. The Assembly has worked continuously to raise the wages of the working poor, many of whom are single parents.
“So while we acknowledge the help this will provide to working families, we must also recognize that everyone deserves to make a livable wage, not just those in one particular industry. I helped pass legislation (A.7257) in the Assembly this year that would have raised the state minimum wage for every worker, and I continue to believe that is the best solution moving forward, because no one who works full time should have to live in poverty.”
Flatlands City Council Member Jumaane Williams: “Today, New York joins a growing number of other cities who have adopted similar legislation, including Seattle and Los Angeles. This was a hard-fought victory, and I applaud the organizing efforts of New York City fast food workers, and the thousands of fast food workers around the country, who have been guiding elected officials on this issue.”
Clarke On Fifth Anniversary of Dodd-Frank Act
Flatbush Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, yesterday, took note of the fifth Anniversary of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that set stricter regulations on Wall Street and financial institutions following the mortgage loan crisis that started the Great Recession.
“Between 2007 and 2010, wealth for African American families declined by an average of thirty-one percent, home equity by an average of twenty-eight percent, and retirement savings by an average of thirty-five percent. The predatory lending practices that resulted in this loss of wealth were immoral and, indeed, criminal. Dodd-Frank and the agency responsible for enforcing the law, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, have worked to protect families from such unconscionable practices and to restore confidence in our financial institutions,” said Clarke.
Clarke noted that the agency has already returned more than ten billion dollars to seventeen million people who were victims of fraud. Additionally, credit card and bank account statements now include useful information so that people can reach the best decisions on their personal finances, she said.
“Despite claims by Republicans that Dodd-Frank would undermine our economy, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has nearly doubled since the law was enacted, and more than twelve million private sector jobs have been created,” said Clarke.
Hamilton, Menchaca Launch LGBTQ Advisory Committee
Central Brooklyn State Sen. Jesse Hamilton and Sunset Park City Council Member Carlos Menchaca, yesterday, launched a new LGBTQ Advisory Committee with a response to recent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in Crown Heights heading the agenda.
Among the organizations involved in the committee are voices from the Empire State Pride Agenda and Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn.
“The recent anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in Crown Heights demonstrate that we have more work to do to ensures no one faces harassment, intimidation, and outright violence because of who they are or who they love,” said Hamilton.
“I commit to working with the newly launched LGBTQ Advisory Committee to ensure that no one is marginalized, no one’s voice is silenced – and that we not only bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice, but also that we take steps to build a culture of inclusion that these vile criminals seek to dismantle. I continue to have every confidence that, with our united efforts, we will ensure that love triumphs over hate.”
Menchaca said it is an important moment in the country’s history as it relates to the rights and protections of those who identify as LGBTQ.
“While marriage equality has secured the ultimate win, we are still seeing aggression and hate in our communities to which we will not respond to with silence. We will be unwavering in our call for respect for all persons, in every place. Senator Hamilton’s LGBTQ Advisory Panel is a welcome step, and I look forward to being a part of this important conversation.”
Treyger, Colton Celebrate Gravesend Speed Bump Installation
Gravesend City Council Member Mark Treyger and Gravesend Assembly Member William Colton recently joined Principal Janet Ndzibah, staff, activists and parents to celebrate the installation of a new speed hump along Van Sicklen Street in front of P.S. 95 in Gravesend.
The Department of Transportation agreed to install this traffic-calming device after years of requests from residents including neighborhood activist Vincent Sampieri and at the urging of Treyger, who took up this issue immediately after entering the City Council last year.
The new speed hump will help reduce the speed of vehicles traveling along Van Sicklen Street and should greatly improve safety for students, staff and parents as they walk to and from the school between Avenue U and Gravesend Neck Road.
“The safety of our students, staff and parents as they travel to and from their school is paramount. There have been problems with drivers speeding past this building and endangering lives for many years now, so getting this speed hump installed was a top priority for me after taking office. This will help ensure the safety of the P.S. 95 community and will provide parents with a little more peace of mind as their child leaves for school each morning,” said Treyger.
“The installation of a speed bump in front of P.S. 95 represents the efforts of parents, school personnel, community activists and elected officials working together to make a street safer for children. I want to especially thank Council Member Mark Treyger for all his work in achieving this success. I am proud to have been part of this joint effort,” said Colton.
“All schools should have speed bumps and other safety measures to ensure the safety of our children. They are the future of this great country and must be safe coming and going to school. We should not wait until someone is injured to install safety measures. Children cannot fend for themselves and that is why we must act to make sure that children, parents and staff are safe,” said Mr. Sampieri, who spearheaded this effort several years ago.
