Delivery Workers Win + Legislature Fails Tenants
No. 326 | Monday, June 12, 2023
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
After three years of campaigning by workers and Los Deliveristas Unidos, the mayor announced that app-based food delivery workers in NYC will earn $17.96 an hour before tips, starting on July 12. The minimum pay was supposed to go into effect in January, but Mayor Adams reversed course earlier this year. “I feel fortunate to have been one of the people who fought for a better life for ourselves, and so that delivery workers can be finally recognized and be treated to a life with dignity,” said Los Deliveristas Unidos leader Sergio Ajche.
After last week’s apocalyptic air quality conditions, Senator Chuck Schumer is asking the White House to double the number of firefighters sent north to battle wildfires raging across Canada. Schumer warned that we risked a “summer of smoke” in New York.
A housing legislation package meant to expand tenant protections and incentivise certain kinds of development in NYC fell apart, again. The legislature ended its session without even voting on a housing package. Meanwhile, tenants continue organizing and fighting landlords and the real estate lobby.
Gothamist covered what legislation did pass this grueling legislative session.
The New York Times reports that the NYPD is once again stopping and frisking civilians illegally, with a disproportionate emphasis on people of color under the Adams administration.
The construction industry is witnessing a resurgence of mob influence, especially at non-union job sites, with alarming numbers of worker injuries, fatalities, and general exploitation.
New York State has lagged far behind Governor Hochul’s promises of more than 100 legal marijuana dispensaries open by now: only 12 are currently in operation.
There are more than 164,285 active eviction cases in NYC courts, with only a fraction represented by legal counsel. City Comptroller Brad Lander is calling for an immediate adjournment on all cases in which low-income tenants are unable to get a lawyer despite their right to counsel.
Eric Adams's sister-in-law was hired to a management position at the Department of Education that doubled her prior salary, raising potential conflict of interest alarms.
The NYC Board of Correction, a regulatory body that sets policies for the city's jail system, moved to thwart an attempt by the Adams administration to replace its leadership. The board is intended to be independent from mayoral control.
The federal monitor assigned to oversee Rikers Island jail released a report that accused Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina of failing to address rampant violence on the island and that his leadership is responsible for hiding information from the public.
City Council passed a bill requiring residents to separate organic waste from trash and recycling.
Projectionists at a NYC Alamo Drafthouse filed a petition to unionize with the National Labor Review Board on Wednesday. Two days after the petition was filed, Alamo informed staff that they were replacing the projectionist position with a “technical engineer” role.
Four City Council Members failed to report a multi-thousand dollar free trip to Israel on their annual financial disclosure filing this year. The incidents underline that the Conflicts of Interest Board is not accurately fact-checking disclosures.
Elections
With early voting starting on June 17, The City published a look-up tool that will tell you what City Council district you’re in, who’s running, and the socioeconomic makeup of your district.
City & State also created an overview of some of the most interesting races.
Statewide early voting by mail could be implemented if Governor Hochul signs a bill headed to her desk.
The NYC Local
Subscribe to the NYC Local, a publication of the Legislative Committee of the NYC-DSA Labor Branch.
Revolutions Per Minute
Listen to NYC-DSA's weekly radio show Revolutions Per Minute. Check out the show here.
