Welcome back to The Local, a publication of NYC-DSA Labor Working Group reporting every two weeks. There is a solidarity picket happening this morning at LaGuardia airport by the AFA-CWA and APFA, EWOC will be hosting its next Workers’ Circle on June 17th, and find time to hit the doors and spread the word about our socialist electoral campaigns with early voting kicking off this Saturday. Send us any tips, corrections, and other feedback to thenyclocal@substack.com. In this issue, workers across the healthcare industry continue to join 1199SEIU, resident physicians at Health + Hospitals reached a tentative deal, and unions across the city applauded the pause on congestion pricing.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Organizing
Workers at SAGE are organizing with OPEIU Local 153.
Workers at the Bridge View Nursing Home are organizing with 1199SEIU.
Workers at Harper’s Magazine are organizing with UAW Local 2110.
Five more Starbucks organizing drives with Workers United – one in West Hempstead, one in Brooklyn, and three more in Manhattan.
Physician assistants at Mount Sinai Queens are organizing with 1199SEIU.
Drivers at Reliance Ambulette in Bayside are organizing with UFCW Local 342.
Lieutenants and sergeants with the Co-op City Police are organizing with the United Security Officers of America Local 1013.
Workers at the Vera Institute of Justice are organizing with UAW Local 2325.
Nurses at the Huntington Hospital in Long Island are organizing with NYSNA.
Ushers at National Sawdust voted 10-1 to join IATSE Local 306.
Workers at CGI Federal voted 48-39 to join the International Association of Machinists.
Workers at Banner Smoked Fish in Brooklyn voted 5-0 to join UFCW Local 342.
Workers at the American Folk Art Museum have voted unanimously to join UAW Local 2110.
Workers at podcast network Lemonada Media have won voluntary recognition for their union repped by WGA East.
NYC Health and Hospitals voluntarily recognized a unit of pharmacy residents represented by 1199SEIU.
Environmental police officers with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection voted to join the Environmental Police Benevolent Association.
Bargaining & Action
05/28: NYSNA members at Ellis Medicine, including Ellis Hospital and Bellevue Woman’s Center, voted by 94% to authorize a 3-day ULP strike for intimidation and surveillance.
05/29: Blank Street Coffee workers with UFCW 1500 unanimously ratified their first contract.
05/29: 2,300 CIR-SEIU resident physicians in 11 NYC Health + Hospitals reached a tentative agreement including raises that total 22.6 percent over 5.5 years.
06/04: 18,000 32BJ SEIU security officers ratify new contracts with Security Contractors and the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations by 98%. [The Chief]
06/04: Mount Sinai Eye And Ear Infirmary NYSNA members held an informational picket for safe staffing and keeping the facility open.
06/05: Tabletop Workers United presented a solidarity letter during bargaining signed by dozens of NYC electeds.
06/06: 32BJ SEIU members rallied at JFK as the contract covering 10,000 workers at JFK, LaGuardia, and EWR under the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is set to expire.
06/11: NYSNA members held a speak-out at Albany Medical Center for safe staffing.
06/12: The Bronx Defenders Union ALAA-UAW 2325 held a lunchtime picket to demand a fair contract.
06/13: APFA is hosting a Worldwide Flight Attendant Day of Action for fair contracts. Join the 11am LaGuardia Airport action at Terminal B Arrivals in Queens.
06/14: Join the Doctors Council SEIU at noon at Jacobi Medical Center 1400 Pelham Pkwy S in the Bronx as they rally for a fair contract. More rallies on 06/18 noon at Elmhurst Hospital, and 06/20 noon at South Brooklyn Health.
Pineapple Street Studios members with WGA East have been bargaining for their first contract for more than a year. Send a letter to Audacy, their parent company and demand a fair contract.
Albany
New York City labor gave thunderousapplause for the pause put on congestion pricing by governor Hochul. This included the UFT, TWU, CWA, the UFA and more, who put out statements rejoicing the decision that they said would hurt working people and suggested other forms of taxation to pay for the subway. [Work Bites]
While Hochul’s congestion pricing reversal took up local and national headlines a number of bills to help workers passed last week including: the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act and a bill to require employers to provide more safety for retail workers.
Hochul announced a “Youth Worker Bill of Rights” to inform teenage workers about labor laws after a recent spike in workplace violations for young people. The governor also announced $8 million for the Summer Youth Employment Program. [The Chief Leader]
The Department of Labor recovered $44,000 in unpaid wages by home health care companies in Queens.
In an effort to reduce the administrative costs of providing home health care aid for the state’s budget included language for the state to create a database to consolidate provider information. A move that raised concern by home health care providers and some advocates, but was welcomed by 1199SEIU, who are actively looking to further unionize this sector. [Crain’s New York]
City Hall
Fifteen labor organizations – including DC37, 1199SEIU, and the Building Trades Council – call on Mayor Adams to reverse cuts to 3K/Pre-K.
Chi Ossé’s bill in City Council to end rental broker fees has secured the endorsem*nt of the NYC AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, among a slew of other union endorsem*nts.
In another attack on street vendors, a Parks Department enforcement officer assaults a child for selling food in Battery Park. [Gothamist]
Private day care centers (which receive city funding) struggle to hire as the NYC Department of Education pays more for lighter work loads. [Gothamist]
Miscellaneous
The New York City Comptroller’s office released a dashboard that monitors the vacancy rate of city agencies. An accompanying report notes that the number of jobs budgeted for remained elevated despite a continued fall in the number of actual city employees.
The Amazon Labor Union announced an intention to affiliate with the Teamsters, per approval by union members. This is happening as the union is preparing to have its first internal election, spurred by the actions of a reform caucus due to ongoing concerns about the lack of democracy in the union. (Leaders of that caucus expressed support for joining the Teamsters.) [Labor Notes]
Workers within DC-37 are facing pushback when trying to push their locals to resolutions for the ongoing genocide happening in Gaza. In particular, workers within Local 375 were reported muted and kicked from the Zoom meeting for raising this proposal, despite the fact AFSCME at the national level has called for a ceasefire. [The Chief Leader]
Job Listings
Research Analyst I, II - SEIU 32BJ (Salary - $68,111 - $75,466)
Research Analyst - American Federation of Musicians (Salary - $60,000)
Bilingual Internal Organizer - Workers United (Salary - $75,000 - $85,000)
Senior Enforcement Counsel (Workers’ Rights) - NYC Department of Consumer & Worker Protection (Salary - $89,613 - $103,055)
A complete list of local union jobs can be found at unionjobs.com, alongside here is the complete list of New York City’s civil service exams. Additionally if you’re interested in taking a job in a strategic industry and want to be connected through the Labor Working Group, check out this form here.
