Hamilton, IDC Use Legislation To Protect Unions, Collective Bargaining
New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) and other members of the Independent Democratic Conference and leaders of major labor unions will introduce legislation to combat union-busting tactics used to stop collective bargaining today, also known as May Day, in a bid to protect labor unions.
The Trump Administration is looking to pass right-to-work legislation at the national level, which would prohibit union security agreements. Twenty-eight states currently have such laws in place that protect employee wages, employee benefits like health insurance, among other employee-employer agreements through collective bargaining.
The IDC is looking to stop Congress from passing such laws in New York state with their proposed four point “Labor Protection Plan.”
May Day, also known as international Worker’s Day, is used by many labor advocates as a day to protest for worker’s rights.
The event is slated for 12:30 p.m. today, May 1, in the New York State Capitol Building. on the 3rd Floor in Albany.
Schumer Fights Against Proposed ‘Trump Tax Plan’
New York State Senator Charles Schumer (D-Brooklyn) denounced President Donald Trump’s tax plan yesterday, as a measure that puts New York City and Long Island homeowners in jeopardy.
Schumer went on to explain that the Trump Tax Plan endangers homeowners due to the proposed elimination of state and local property tax deductions, especially middle-class residents who are already finding it hard to own a home due to the high local cost of living.
“Taking away or even reducing the state and local tax deductions would be brutally unfair and hit New York homeowners right between the eyes. This is the wrong thing to do if we are serious about helping to build and expand the middle class. Under President Trump’s plan, the top rate would come down, taxes that disproportionately affect the very wealthy would go away, while middle-class and working families would be denied some of the most frequently-used deductions: the state and local tax deduction. I will use my clout in the Senate to fight all efforts that would roll back the state and local property tax deductions,” said Schumer.
“President Trump’s plan includes massive tax cuts for the very wealthy, and crumbs – at best – for everyone else,” said Schumer.
Schumer said that if the Trump Tax Plan were to move forward New York City residents would see an average increase of $5,500 per year.
Lander Works To Reduce Smokers, Save Lives
Council Member Brad Lander (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington) announced he is working on a package of legislation to reduce the number of smokers in New York City by 160,000 by 2020.
In a meeting of the Council’s Health Committee, held last Thursday, a number of smoke-reducing bills were introduced including raising the minimum price for cigarettes from $10.50 to $13/pack, banning the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, reducing the number of tobacco retailers citywide, creating a new retail license for e-cigarettes, and capping the number of e-cigarette retailers, regulating and reducing through attrition the number of hookah smoking venues and requiring residential buildings to create a smoking policy and disclosing it to tenants.
Lander is a sponsor of the bills that would ban the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products in pharmacies (Intro 1131), and the one that would reduce the number of cigarette retailers citywide (Intro 1547).
“This legislation is primarily about saving lives — we estimate that these bills could save the lives of 50,000 New Yorkers over the next few years — but it is worth remembering that there is a huge cost to the public as well, driving up the cost of healthcare for all of us by as much as 10%,” said Lander.
Cymbrowitz Honors Winners Of Holocaust Memorial Art Contest
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach) hosted a ceremony yesterday honoring winners of his Holocaust Memorial Creative Arts Contest for students in grades three to 12.
The contest attracted hundreds of entries from elementary, middle and high schools. Cymbrowitz sponsors the contest to honor the six million Jews who perished and also to teach students that anti-Semitism and bias-motivated violence remain painfully relevant issues. Cymbrowitz parents were Holocaust survivors.
“In the not-too- distant future, there will come a time when no one will be around to bear witness to the Holocaust,” he said. “We need our children to inherit the memories, to share thestories, and to keep alive the terrible reality of what can and did happen when people remain silent in the face of evil,” said Cymbrowitz.
