November 1, 2024 by thechiefleader.com

Former workers at botanical garden claim retaliation

BY CRYSTAL LEWIS clewis@thechiefleader.com

Two former part-time instructors at the Queens Botanical Garden alleged that some of the instructors were terminated in retaliation for voting to unionize — and that their union did nothing to fight the firings.

The ex-employees said that the workers within the Queens Botanical Garden’s Education Department began talking with the union, District Council 37’s Local 374 in April 2023 to improve their working conditions and morale. On Dec. 13, 2023, the employees, including part-time instructors, a farm manager and an education assistant manager, unanimously voted to unionize, according to the National Labor Relations Board.

But about a week later, five of the 12 part-time instructors re-

ceived letters telling them that their seasonal positions had ended, according to Rebeca Pagan-Rodriguez, who was hired as a parttime instructor in February 2023 and was tapped as an organizer for the bargaining unit.

“They fired the five most recently hired employees. I called [one of the organizers] and said ‘There’s already retaliation, it’s been seven days,’” said Pagan-Rodriguez, who was among the employees who was let go.

Evie Hantzopoulos, who was named the executive director of the Flushing institution in 2022, said that the garden had to implement furloughs and make “seasonal adjustments in each department” because of the Adams administration’s November “Pro-

See GARDEN, page 11

BY DUNCAN FREEMAN dfreeman@thechiefleader.com

Birders and fans of the late celebrity owl Flaco have got a new ally in their push to make the city safer for avian creatures: The 11,000-member District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

The union has come out in support of a City Council bill that would require most buildings to make their windows bird-friendly to prevent the animals from slamming into buildings’ reflective glass.

The legislation, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and introduced earlier this month, is one part of a bill package supporters are calling “Flaco’s Laws” for the Eurasian eagle owl who escaped

from his enclosure in the Central Park Zoo in February 2023. Flaco gallivanted throughout the city for months, capturing the imagination of birders and other upward-gazing New Yorkers before dying from traumatic impact after flying into an Upper West Side building. Along with DC 9, Glaziers Local 1087, also part of the IUPAT, has expressed support for the legislation.

Devon Lomax, DC 9’s political director, said that Cabán’s bill is a “winwin for both our environment and our workers.”

“By retrofitting glass on buildings to protect birds, we’re taking a vital step toward preserving wildlife and making our cities more sustainable,” he said in a statement. “At the same time, we’re creating good-paying union jobs for skilled glaziers,

Successive

to a private plan. But the Adams administration, and before that Bill de Blasio’s, ran into full-throated opposition from coalitions of retired municipal workers who argue that the private plans pale in comparison to traditional Medicare, and therefore violate promises from city officials, whose assurances of quality, lifelong health care was an essential draw to city employment.

The retirees, through the New York City Organization of Public

ensuring that the benefits of this initiative reach working families. It’s a smart, responsible investment in our future.” Cabán, speaking at a rally in support of the bill on Oct 23, said that it was the first time ever that animal protection organizations and labor organizations have joined together to pass legislation. She said the legislation is going to “benefit animals, it’s going to help the environment while also creating job opportunities for thousands of middle-class New Yorkers.” The bill has the support of several other Council members, including Robert Holden, a strong advocate for animal welfare but who has had public

Unions, laborers rip ‘anti-development’ stance tied to Manhattan casino project

But High Line officials dispute ‘elitist’ label

BY RICHARD KHAVKINE richardk@thechiefleader.com

Laborers converged on a block on Manhattan’s Far West Side last week to hear union leaders denounce what they are calling the “anti-development” policies of special-interest groups and city officials, who they said are stalling construction and compromising the livelihood of trades people.

The labor leaders, among them Gary LaBarbera, the president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, and Vincent Alvarez, who heads the New York City Central Labor Council, were vehement in their criticism of the Friends of the High Line’ opposition to development near the elevated park.

According to LaBarbera and others who addressed the throng of laborers who assembled on West 18th Street last Thursday evening, High Line officials are against further development along or near the park that would cast shadows on the elevated walkway. In particular, the Friends of the High Line don’t want to see a casino built near the park’s northern end, LaBarbera said.

“The project they’re trying to stop is a $12 billion project over seven years that will employ 30,000 building trades members. That’s what they’re trying to take away from us. 30,000 jobs is what they’re trying to kill,” he told the hundreds of assembled union members. “We can’t let them do that, brothers and sisters, because again, it’s your futures.”

The centerpiece of the project, a partnership of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts, would be a shimmering, 80-story skyscraper and two smaller towers overlooking the Hudson River across 11th Avenue in the Hudson Yards development. Besides the casino, the project would include offices, apartments and a park.

LaBarbera chided the High

Line’s opposition, which he told the workers was principally because the project would cast unwanted shade on the elevated park, which spans nearly 1.5 miles, from Gansevoort Street to 34 Street.

“It’s all lies … that the shade is going to ruin the visitor experience. Well, the project they’re trying to stop is three blocks,” he said. “So what are you telling me? That you may have a little shade, but the other mile and a half you have the sun?”

Risks ‘permanent damage’

High Line officials, though, say that labor leaders have materially mischaracterized their position on development. While park officials were on board with Related’s 2009 plans for development, which included a significant housing component and open space, those have

UAW staffers authorize strike

After a year of bargaining on an initial contract

BY DUNCAN FREEMAN

dfreeman@thechiefleader.com

Staff organizers at the United Auto Workers have authorized a strike after a year of bargaining with the massive international union failed to result in a first contract for around 40 staffers.

According to members of UAW Staff United, the independent union representing staffers in UAW Region 9A, encompassing New York City, Long Island, New England and Puerto Rico, 98 percent of those who cast ballots last week voted to authorize a strike.

The vote is the latest escalation in an increasingly hostile contract process between a union trying to regain its militant and progressive posture and staffers whose job is to support and organize union members. Last month, USU members filed an unfair labor practice charge against the UAW after the union declined to renew the employment of a USU member who had been outspoken about union issues. USU members have also picketed UAW events in recent months to highlight their demands for raises, increased job security and to democratize the union’s organizing system. USU members held a practice picket Oct. 25 outside UAW Region 9A’s headquarters in Manhattan, where they announced the strike authorization vote.

Molly Ragan, a temporary organizer and USU member, said that the UAW’s refusal to agree to raises and job security provisions

convinced her that it was time to approve a strike. Before she was hired to work as a temporary organizer, Ragan helped lead a strike at The New School in late 2022.

She said Monday that the UAW is trying to “bulldoze” staffers in the same way that university administrators did then.

“It’s pretty disappointing to me that we have to go through the same steps that our workers have to go through to get any raises,” she said. “The UAW, one of the biggest unions in the country, is forcing us to do this.” Ragan, who teaches at Parsons School of Design at The New School, said that the UAW has also been attempting to divide the staffers from the UAW’s membership.

Claire Gavin, an organizer with UAW Local 2325 and a USU member, said that the UAW’s membership understands that the members’ and staffers’ fights are connected. “We want to do this work to fight for our members,” she said Monday.

Gavin wasn’t surprised that she and her coworkers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike because of the “disconnect” between the UAW’s professed values and the way it treats its staffers.

“This is something I hoped we wouldn’t have to do,” she added.

Now that the strike authorization vote has been approved, USU members can call a strike at any time. USU leaders said that they would formally present the outcome of the vote to UAW management this week and could call for a strike as early as next month.

A UAW spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about the staffers’ vote.

been set aside in favor of two redevelopment scenarios that would “substantially increase the negative impact on the High Line.” One of those would include the casino project, which considerably downsizes the number of housing units.

“We want the Western rail yards developed. The Building Trades Council wants the Western rail yards developed. And that would be happening right now if Related and Wynn hadn’t secretly changed their original plans without community input,” Josh Vlasto, a spokesperson for Protect the High Line, said in an emailed statement. “The Building Trades should be protesting Related for slowing down development with their changes that permanently harm the High Line and the community.”

Protect the High Line is affiliated with Friends of the High Line, the nonprofit that operates and main-

tains the park.

In a Daily News op-ed last week, the executive director of Friends of the High Line, Alan van Capelle, said the altered development plans for the site were submitted without input from the community, and that, if built, the project would do “permanent damage” to the elevated park.

“Unfortunately, design choices in the development plan for Hudson Yards West would severely and permanently block views of the city, shroud the High Line and other open spaces in shadows for most of the day and upset other community assets,” he wrote.

Van Capelle noted that the High Line “has been a catalyst for economic growth on the lower West Side,” with new construction sprouting on either side of the elevated park since its conception. But he chastised the new plans’

diminution of proposed housing on the site from up to 5,700 to about 1,500. “That’s right — in the middle of a housing crisis, the developers are asking to slash the amount of housing they would build,” van Capelle wrote.

He also noted that the restyled project would need zoning changes. And if a casino is part of the project, it would require a license from the state Gaming Facility Location Board. Before that, though, both the zoning changes and the casino would have to secure OKs from local officials, and neither is assured.

Of the six-member Community Advisory Committee that would have to green-light the casino, at least three — City Council Member Erik Bottcher, State Assembly Member Tony Simone and State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal — have reservations about a casino project in their district.

“I’ve been clear: I’m philosophically opposed to a casino on the west side of Manhattan. The community has been against it, and unless that changes, I’m a no,” Simone said earlier this year.

Van Capelle, who began his professional career as a union organizer and for a time served as a deputy political director for SEIU 32BJ, said that contrary to how he was being portrayed by the union leaders, he was allied with the union members — “standing with workers fighting for good jobs comes naturally to me,” he added.

But Alvarez, the Central Labor Council’s president, said the city needed a thriving labor force to keep it dynamic, and suggested that elected officials sometimes stand in the way of progress.

“We want to see the excuses stop. We want to see housing being built, we want to see stores being built, we want to see hotels being built, we want to see highways being built,” he told the laborers. “We want to see the excuses stop from people who have their own self interest, and [from] politicians who may have their own interests and putting their interests ahead of the city, too. So we got your backs in this fight as long as it takes.”

With negotiations stalled, SBA looks to arbitration

BY RICHARD KHAVKINE richardk@thechiefleader.com

Following months of deadlocked negotiations regarding pay scales, the Sergeants Benevolent Association has filed a declaration of impasse with the city’s Office of Labor Relations, which could pave the way for arbitration.

The union’s president, Vincent Vallelong, reiterated his dissatisfaction with the city’s latest contract offer, which he said would keep hundreds of sergeants at a lower salary than the officers they now supervise. He has also noted that the salary scale is so skewed that some recently promoted sergeants are earning more than others with years in the rank.

“We need a mediator to handle this,” Vallelong said Monday, adding that it had been more than two months since he and city labor officials had conferred. “I’ve gone to the mayor’s office, I’ve sent numerous emails, sent a personal letter. I was there on Friday looking to set up an appointment…. No one’s gotten back to me yet. So I don’t have any faith that they’re going to get this done.”

Of the NYPD’s roughly 4,500 sergeants, about 1,275 are making as much as $12,000 to $13,000 less annually than a police officer, Vallelong said. “There’s no way on this planet the supervisor in the NYPD should be making less than a police officer,” he said. The difference is attributable to the pay raises received by officers following the Police Benevolent Association’s deal with the city in April 2023.

Although the SBA was among 11 uniformed unions that concluded negotiations on the economics of a tentative five-year contract agreement in June of last year that included compounded 17.77-percent raises, matching the pattern negotiated by the city and the Police Benevolent Association in April 2023, unit bargaining — negotiations on matters pertaining to the SBA alone — has not progressed.

A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said the city remained hopeful of a deal with the union, noting the SBA was among those 11 unions with which it had reached a deal.

“Since then, we have continued to bargain in good faith on a unit agreement with the SBA pursuant to that

coalition agreement,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“We will review the papers that were filed and continue to work towards a fair unit agreement.”

The impasse filing could lead the state Public Employment Relations Board to order both sides back to the negotiating table or to appoint a mediator. If mediation fails, PERB could then call for an arbitrator to settle the matter.

‘Outdated ideologies’

The union a few weeks ago compiled a salary chart, which shows that a newly promoted sergeant with five years as a cop will earn $117,528, including payable benefits, and $6,359 more than the contract that includes the uniform pattern raises. But an officer with five and a half years on the job will earn $119,845, a difference of $2,317 when compared to the new proposal.

According to the chart, it’s not until the fourth step when sergeants, in this case with less than 10 years on the force, would begin earning $123,021 and surpass the salary paid to officers. Sergeants would then earn progressively more as they accumulate time on the job before topping out at $147,370 after 20 years.

Vallelong has been critical of city labor officials in their handling of the pay issue. “It is obvious they have

little respect for the rank of Sergeant, as well as little knowledge of financial accountability,” he wrote in a note to his members last week.

The SBA leader said the union had discussed how the city could address what’s known as a compression issue with regard to salary. “We have submitted logical and economically prudent strategies to correct the compression issue, but OLR is steadfast in relying on draconian outdated ideologies when it comes to negotiations,” the note said.

The city, in exchange for the salary bumps, is asking the SBA to agree to delay a retroactive raise of 3.25 percent initially due in December 2021 for about 20 weeks to late April 2022. That would translate to about $1,526 for sergeants and $1,755 for detective squad supervisors. Among the other givebacks requested by the city are no retro pay for sergeants promoted after January 2023, a two-month extension of the SBA’s contract and the forfeiture of two “chart” days each year for the first five years.

“The reaction I got from OLR was there’s not enough money,” Vallelong said of his proposals for an equitable deal. “However, they’re spending millions upon millions when it comes to housing migrants in this city. But they want us to police those people who are basically benefiting a lot better than we are.”

Jonathan Bloom

Members of the United Auto Workers staff union protested outside a union office Oct. 25, when they announced a strike authorization vote.

Courtesy Related Companies

A rendering of a planned project for the western portion of Hudson Yards that would include an 80-story tower, a casino,

lux hotel, apartments and offices as well as open space. The project, a partnership of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts

at $12 billion, is opposed by High Line officials and local elected officials, an opposition that city labor leaders said amounts to an ‘anti-development’ stance that will cost union workers jobs.

Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

The president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, Vincent Vallelong, shook hands with Mayor Eric Adams at City Hall in June last year following the announcement of a tentative five-year contract agreement with a coalition of 11 uniformed unions. Unit bargaining between the city and the SBA have since broken down.

Unions rally in support of Harris, Walz

Firefighters ‘international’ withholds endorsement

BY DUNCAN FREEMAN dfreeman@thechiefleader.com

Hundreds of union workers and officials rallied outside of City Hall last week in a show of support for Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Governor Tim Walz. Since Harris became the Democratic Party’s standard bearer following President Joe Biden’s July exit from the race, endorsements from labor organizations have poured in, including from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the parent union of District Council 37. Henry Garrido, DC 37’s executive director, said it was “important to show we have massive support here in New York” for the Democratic ticket.

“New Yorkers have a lot of family members in Florida and other places and it’s important for them to hear from us,” he told The Chief at the Oct. 23 rally. “I have family living in Pennsylvania and in Virginia and I want to make sure they know that we reaffirm our support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.” Garrido attended the Democrat-

ic National Convention in Chicago in August, where he introduced Governor Kathy Hochul who then officially pledged New York State’s delegates to Harris and Walz. The next month, Walz, a former teacher and union member, gave a 20-minute keynote speech at the AFSCME convention attended by Garrido and many of the AFSCME leaders present at last Wednesday’s rally. Garrido, replicating his convention role, introduced Hochul Wednesday. The governor, noting the vice president’s labor ties, said Harris “will be a great leader.” “I know that New York State will do the right thing and put Kamala Harris and Tim Walz over the top,” she said.

Other union leaders also spoke, among them James Davis, the president of the Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York, Vinny Alvarez, the head of the city’s Central Labor Council, and Gloria Middleton, the president of Local 1180 of the Communication Workers of America.

IAFF, others decline support

Despite the overwhelming support from labor that Democrats have received in recent weeks and months, several unions with members in New York declined to endorse the vice president’s run for the White House.

MEDICARE: Retirees back bill

Continued from Page 1

Service Retirees, have secured victories in court cases challenging the city’s efforts. The Adams administration, though, has filed appeal after appeal in a bid to push through the shift, which city officials have said would save the city some $600 million a year, even as the retirees note that amount equates to about a half-a-percent of the city’s budget.

Marte said his legislation is intended to conclusively thwart the city’s efforts. At a noontime rally in City Hall Park attended by hundreds of retirees and their advocates, he said he was thrilled to join with the retired municipal workers “to fight, to fight for what is right, to fight for what is deserved, for dignity, for pride, and to make sure that a promise that was made is a promise that is kept.”

Marianne Pizzitola, the president of the Organization of Public Service Retirees, noted her organization’s court victories, including two unanimous appeals courts decisions in commending Marte. “The law and the courts are on our side. We just need to make sure that everybody else is listening,” she said at the rally.

The legislation, Pizzitola said, would safeguard assurances made long ago made by city officials. “Unfortunately, we had a few leaders that lost their way. And we need to make sure that they remember what this is — a federal public health benefit and should never be privatized, and that you should have the promise that was kept,” she said. Brenda Scott, who taught elementary school in Brooklyn, has been attending retirees rallies for at least two years and said she remains hopeful of helping to convince the Adams administration to drop its plan. “At our age, we need the best care you can get. And I think we’re deserving of it. We sacrificed a lot when we were working — poor salaries and things of that nature. And now they want to pull the rug out from under us,” Scott, 75, said before the rally’s start. “We’re supposed to be revered, you know? We’re supposed to be revered.”

Unions growing apprehensive?

Scott, her fellow retirees and their advocates will hope for a better outcome for Marte’s bill than for a similar effort last year by then-Council Member Charles Barron.

Barron’s bill, drafted by the retirees, was essentially derailed by union opposition, some of it emphatic, and never got an airing. Soon after its introduction, Henry Garrido, the head of District Council 37, the city’s largest public-sector union, threatened to withhold the union’s endorsements and campaign cash from Council members who public-

ly supported the legislation.

Neither Council Speaker Adrienne Adams nor Civil Service and Labor Committee Chair Carmen De La Rosa clearly articulated why the bill did not move, despite the Council’s long-recognized allegiances to city retirees.

Twice asked about Marte’s bill, the speaker on Wednesday noted that while “seniors, retirees are indeed a priority for me and for this Council,” it was too early to weigh in on the legislation’s merits.

“If legislation is introduced today, we’re going to take it through the legislative process and we’ll proceed…. I think it’s a little preemptive to discuss it today,” she said during the press event preceding the Council’s meeting.

Both the Adams and de Blasio administrations earmarked savings from the planned switch for the city’s Joint Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Fund, which supports unions’ welfare-fund benefits, among other purposes. The savings would be derived from federal subsidies that help offset the cost to governments.

The municipal unions, in a split but weighted vote of the Municipal Labor Committee that favored larger unions, approved a Medicare Advantage agreement between the city and managed-care giant Aetna in March 2023. But some union leaders appear to have become apprehensive about the plan since then.

In a significant about-face, the United Federation of Teachers’ president, Michael Mulgrew, a vocal backer of the switch initially, in late June this year walked back his union’s support, in part blaming the Adams administration’s intractability on the issue.

“This administration has proven to be more interested in cutting its costs than honestly working with us to provide high-quality healthcare to city workers,” he wrote in a four-paragraph letter to the MLC’s chairman, Harry Nespoli, at the time.

Speaking before last Wednesday’s rally, Marte said the time was right to introduce his bill given the city’s ongoing effort to secure the switch despite the retirees’ clear court victories. The courts’ decisions and their reasoning, he said, “informs us as a Council that we can and should do something right. And we know the retirees are going to win.”

The International Association of Fire Fighters, the parent union of both the Uniformed Firefighters Association and the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, declined to endorse either Donald Trump or Harris after both Walz and Trump’s running mate Senator JD Vance, spoke at their convention in Boston. The IAFF, a longtime ally of President Joe Biden, endorsed the Democrat in the 2020 race more than a year and a half before balloting began. The union’s executive board voted by a 1.2-percent margin not to endorse any candidate this election cycle after polling its members, hosting town halls and focus groups and sending both candidates questionnaires. But the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters — which has members in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and elsewhere — announced last week that it would endorse Harris and Walz.

“Vice-President Kamala Harris has a proven record supporting

labor at every level,” the group’s president, Gary Tinney, said in a statement. “Her commitment to the working class has been exceptional. She represents all the people, standing up for communities of color as well as women, and fights to improve the lives of all Americans.”

Regina Wilson, an FDNY firefighter and the IABPF’s vice president, said that she was “disappointed” when the IAFF announced it wouldn’t be endorsing Harris and Walz. “It was a surprise to us that the IAFF was not able to stand up and stand out for the vice president,” she said. Wilson, also the president of the Vulcan Society, a fraternal organization of Black firefighters in the FDNY, said the IABPF would have endorsed Harris and Walz anyway, but the IAFF’s non-endorsement encouraged Black firefighters to announce their support “loud and clear.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters also declined to endorse either candidate and the union’s president Sean O’Brien spoke at the

Republican National Convention. The Teamsters had endorsed the Democratic candidate in every election since 1996. Several members of Teamsters Locals 804 and 808 nonetheless attended the Oct. 23 rally. One notable absence was Mayor Eric Adams, who has endorsed Harris. He instead lingered a few hundred yards away on the steps of City Hall overseeing the setup for the City Hall Plaza celebration of the New York Liberty basketball team’s championship win the next day. Garrido was nonplussed about the recently indicted mayor not joining the union members.

“We had and we have what we need,” he said. “The people that are here have been supportive and we’re supportive of them.” Members of DC 37 have already taken two canvassing trips to Pennsylvania, a crucial swing-state in the upcoming election, and the union is planning to organize a third for the week before the election. Garrido said he planned to cast his ballot on one of the upcoming early voting days.

He noted that the city was running a budget surplus, and that funding the retirees’ Medicare should not be an issue.

“So why are we delaying this any further?” Marte said. “It’s only bringing stress and hurting the retirees’ health without having the confidence of knowing what’s next…. We’re right on the legislation. It’s accurate, it’s legal, and it’s something that I think is long overdue.”

Duncan Freeman / The Chief

Union members rallied outside of City Hall on Oct. 23 to reaffirm labor’s support for the Democratic presidential ticket.

COMMENTARY COMMENTARY COMMENTARY

BEN AUGUST Publisher RICHARD KHAVKINE Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fast forward on Medicare

To The ediTor: Legislation introduced by City Council Member Christopher Marte to preserve retiree health benefits has a better chance of passage this time around.

Last year’s bill, introduced by former Council Member Charles Barron, died in committee, partly due to threats by DC37 head Henry Garrido to withhold endorsements and campaign donations from supporters.

Speaker Adrienne Adams added to the intimidation with threats of lost committee positions and discretionary funding.

But the new bill, Intro 1096, has more promise of passage. One excuse from Council leadership for inaction was the ongoing litigation, but since then, retirees have won ten court victories. Since then, the United Federation of Teachers has also withdrawn support for Medicare Advantage.

Marte said in a WBAI interview that “The winds are changing…. the momentum is definitely changing to the side of the retirees.”

Marianne Pizzitola, the president of the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, observed in the interview that while the Municipal Labor Committee originally endorsed the Medicare Advantage plan, it would probably not pass today given the UFT’s walk-back and resounding legal victories.

She added that it is “unlikely” that the city will win the appeals, so what is the city waiting for? We need to ask Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, chair of the Committee on Civil Service and Labor — who killed the bill last year, lamely citing “protocols” — what will she wait for? Legally, she doesn’t need permission from the speaker to advance the bill. Nor from the mayor. Especially a mayor whose popularity has plummeted since last year,

amid an indictment and corruption probes, who has no political future.

Adrienne and Carmen, cease worrying about political winds and enshrine health benefits for retirees that include the disabled and 9/11 responders.

As Van Morrison sang, “It’s too late to stop now!”

Harry Weiner

NYPD, quit the chase

To The ediTor:

Amanda Servedio, riding her bike in Long Island City, entered an intersection and was struck and killed by burglary suspects driving a Dodge Ram being chased by an NYPD van with its lights flashing.

To the officers’ credit, they did stop the chase and try to render aid to the victim, but Servedio, 36, succumbed to her injuries. The NYPD insists that high speed chases are sometimes necessary. The NYPD is wrong; in the crowded streets of NYC, they are never necessary or defensible when they endanger innocent pedestrians, bikers and other vehicles.

Many chases are unsuccessful, but even if a police chase results in the apprehension of a suspected criminal fleeing the police, is it worth the price of a dead or seriously injured victim — whether caused by the suspect’s vehicle or the police vehicle? Of course not. Let’s apply hyperbole to make the point: Do 50 successful police chases that result in apprehending 50 criminals justify the death of one child crossing the street? No, and that is obvious.

The rule that a supervisor must be called on the radio to greenlight a chase/pursuit doesn’t work because the chatter on the police radio usually drowns out any clear communication with a supervisor once a chase begins.

Every police pursuit should

stop immediately as soon as the suspect begins to flee at a high speed. It’s far more important to ban police chases than it was to ban chokeholds by police officers. The numbers of injured and dead clearly tell the story. .

Michael J. Gorman

The writer is a retired NYPD lieutenant.

Ripe for override

To The ediTor:

Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill that would allow the state law enforcement officers who protect our parks, forests and water to retire after 20 years. That is what all of the other police officers in this state can already do (“Hochul vetoes 20-year pension plan for state’s specialized officers,” The Chief, Oct. 11).

She claims she did this because the cost is not funded in the state budget. The cost is $6.6 million a year and a one-time retroactive service cost of $70.3 million. She wants us to believe that she cannot find these funds in a $229 billion state budget.

The legislature passed this bill nearly unanimously, with a single “no” vote in the State Senate. If state lawmakers want to, they can override her veto.

Richard Warren

Choose wisely

To The ediTor:

Prefatory matters: the individual that commented on “Capitol Offense” (The Chief, Letters, Oct. 11) commented on “The Defense Rests” (The Chief, Letters, Oct. 18) and apologized for misinterpreting my position. Gracious apology appreciated and accepted. Whatever disagreements I’ve had with Joseph Cannisi on these pages I have observed he is capable of critical, independent thought. His statement about not being able to vote Donald Trump out greatly surprises me.

The president is just that. Not a monarch, emperor, or dictator. The president does not have unlimited, unchecked power. If he/ she did, wouldn’t Trump have been able to overturn the results of the “fraud” of an election?

THE CHIEF welcomes letters from its readers for publication. Correspondents must include their names, addresses and phone numbers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and are subject to editing for clarity and length. Preference will be given to correspondence that references New York City and State topics. To submit a letter online, visit thechief.org and click on Letters to the Editor.

Wouldn’t he have been able to order the courts to rule in his favor?

Ask Rudolph Giuliani how that went.

To Richard Warren, who doesn’t want to look at Jill Stein’s platform: Has Trump cast a spell on you that’s preventing you from doing so?

As I have observed previously on these pages, whatever party or even write in vote it is your choice. Even if you vote for Harris you can still look at Jill Stein’s platform. May even change your mind. New York will almost certainly go to Harris. Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and the electoral college will decide the election. Not the popular vote.

Nat Weiner

It’s a crime

To The ediTor:

As a former New York City correction officer and decorated combat veteran, my heart sank into my stomach when I read that the Federal Order of Police endorsed Donald Trump for president. This news disoriented me in a variety of ways, because as a war veteran who watched many of my fellow comrades lose their limbs and lives in Iraq, I took umbrage when Donald Trump called all wounded and deceased soldiers suckers and losers and recently stated that the Presidential Medal of Freedom was better than our Medal of Hon-

or because, he said, recipients of the latter are “either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead.”

As a New York City resident who is also a minority, I have always been disgusted about how Trump has attempted to divide us by scapegoating multiple minority classes.

Even long before he considered taking any political office, he still has not yet apologized for how he brutally attacked and verbally crucified the five young African Americans known as the Central Park 5, by publicly demanding that they receive the death penalty long before they were even tried.

My question, as someone who once considered joining the FOP, is why would this fraternity that is made up of thousands and thousands of our nation’s law enforcement servants endorse this convicted felon who has brought our nation severely divided and broken to its knees with racial animosity and uncontrolled hate?

My only late wish is that FOP President Patrick Yoes try to reach out to some of his dues-paying members and ask them how they would feel about their fraternal leaders endorsing a man who appears to respect and admire Adolf Hitler.

A man of wealth and questionable taste

BY MARC BULLARO

William Shakespeare wrote, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” Hence, will Americans elect the voice of reason or the voice of treason for president in 2024?

And if Shakespeare was wrong, what fateful ballot will destiny cast?

Donald Trump’s nature is to idolize himself ad nauseam by providing a hagiographical account of his life while forcefully and vigorously denying all his treachery, corruption and fatal flaws.

“Doth protest too much, methinks.”

As the curtain rose at his political theater debut, he opened with a misanthropic scourge of hate, division and racism that has become a crucible to our very existence. His political presence is an excruciating tribulation for America and nothing short of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Trump’s narrative is a demented chimera in his mind and his game conjures the worst in people.

He is the bête noire of democracy hell-bent on fear mongering with luridly melodramatic soliloquies at his rallies, heralding Armageddon if he loses the election. But is the Donald a thespian, playing a part on the world stage or a nefarious mad scientist with a messiah complex proclaiming and believing his own blasphemous hype that he is the “chosen one” who will save the world?

It appears his blasphemy and flagrant repudiation of the teachings of Jesus Christ have gone unnoticed by the Catholic Church. At the Alfred E. Smith dinner attended by society’s upper crust and religious illuminati, Trump sat with the event’s host, Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan, to

camouflage his perfidiousness and continue to deceive Americans. In this political playhouse, where church meets state, is Dolan’s part to “mingle with society and play the humble host” or to be the vicar of Christ?

I digress. Like a pendulum, Trump oscillates between whistling Dixie and chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A.” He agitated for an attack on the nation’s Capitol seen by many as lèse-majesté and vows to pardon his fellow insurrectionists. Now he is promising to rename Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg. Braxton Bragg, a North Carolina slave owner and confederate general, was the eponym of the North Carolina military installation from 1922-2020. Bragg rebelled against the Union and fought during the American Civil War against the same U.S.A. that Trump and his partisans exalt and clamor for at

rallies.

While speaking at the Black Conservative Federation in South Carolina to a group of mostly whites, Trump asked “Would you rather have the Black president or white president?” He answered, “I think they want the white guy.”

In September, CNN reported that North Carolina’s 2024 Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson called himself a “Black Nazi” and supported slavery, writing, “Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring slavery back. I would certainly buy a few.” Trump supports and endorsed Robinson and said he is “better than Martin Luther King.”

Is the reversion to Fort Bragg and support for Robinson an attempt to fast-forward America back to the antebellum South?

Like a post Civil War carpetbagger, Trump is a Northerner seeking personal gain by exploiting the

South?

GOP vice-presidential nominee

JD Vance called Trump an “idiot,” “reprehensible” and in 2016 stated he was “a really bad candidate and frankly, I think, a really bad person,” and that he might be “America’s Hitler.”

Trump echoes Hitler by asserting that immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of America and while president he called neo-Nazis in Charlottesville “very fine people.”

But, “what’s in a name?” A Nazi by any other name is still a fascist.

Although Trump’s nature is puzzling there’s no mystery to him. He’s not an enigma nor is he shrouded by any remorse or contrition. He’s a white supremacist and his presidency yielded a welcoming environment that planted the seeds of racism and hate.

He toiled tirelessly, plowed the fertile political soil and helped the dystopian seeds quickly grow by adding his ideological manure, a once-secret potion of poison hidden behind a veil that has now produced a bountiful harvest of Americans that could figuratively remove the white hoods and allow racism and hate to proudly show their ugly faces in public.

Creating an enemy of the state is another part of Hitler’s nature that Trump shares and strives to emulate.

For years he has called the free press “the enemy of the people.” And recently he said this about political adversaries, “This time the greatest threat is not from the outside of our country I really believe this, it’s from within…. They’re very sick people.”

Although Trump is correct about the inside threat to America, it’s just more projection. He is the sick inside threat. He has succeeded in accomplishing what the Kremlin has not been able to achieve in 80

years, namely, undermining democracy, dividing Americans, subverting the electoral process and governmental institutions and inciting insurrection.

The doppelganger within Trump is the enemy within America.

The former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley during Trump’s presidency called Trump “a total fascist,” adding, “He is now the most dangerous person to this country.”

Ending America’s ideological civil war, which Trump encouraged, spawned and nurtured, will not be easy, but the inherent good in most Americans and their genuine patriotism will ultimately prevail. We see more and more traditional Republicans like Utah Senator Mitt Romney, former U.S. Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and current Mesa, Arizona, Mayor John Giles each emerging with a “Profiles in Courage” moment where they put county over party and rebuke Trump’s abject turpitude and undermining of democracy.

The chorus of Republican voices warning of the consequences of a second Trump term has since grown by dozens. It now includes John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, who also likened the Republican standard bearer to a fascist.

Meanwhile, as America trembles with hope our destiny lies not in the stars but in our hands at the voting booth.

And years from now when students are taught American history and learn of Trump’s depravity they will not ask why Romney, Cheney, Kinzinger, Duncan and Giles renounced Trump but instead they will ask why others didn’t.

WORK RULES by Barbara Smaller

Alex Brandon/AP Photo

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures at an Oct. 23 campaign rally in Duluth, Ga.

Celestino P. Monclova III

COMMENTARY COMMENTARY COMMENTARY

WAKE-UP CALL

Dumping

BY RON ISAAC

A cortege of senior officials exited the Adams administration in a flash. They all want to spend more time with their families. This yearning for domesticity and familial bonding tends to dovetail with federal set-ups or bona-fide investigations of potential scandal.

It’s hard to focus on counting paper clips while in the line of fire. The selective loosening of constitutional restraints, sacrifice of rules of evidence and compromised presumption of innocence make self-defense more arduous. Like surgery that is deemed successful even when the patient dies, there’s no replenishing the lost time and money or restoring the smeared reputation of a vindicated target.

When Edward Caban resigned as NYPD commissioner, he was replaced by Thomas Donlon, who was viewed as an interim caretaker, pending a permanent replacement. Less than two weeks later, after federal search warrants were executed on his homes, it seemed that his departure would be expedited, and the odds-on favorite to succeed him, Commissioner of Sanitation Jessica Tisch, would slip with unseemly seamlessness into the role. She was on top of the heap.

The vultures of political punditry were mystified when Donlon didn’t take the bait. Instead of hitting the road he stayed put. Good for him. No allegations of corruption or wrongdoing have been lodged so far.

An exhaustive process entailing canvassing the nation for the best person for the job would have taken a fraction of a nanosecond. Tisch’s credentials would render compet-

Hypocrisy On Supreme-Court Choice

ing CVs laughably unviable. Forbes estimates her family’s pecuniary resources at over $10 billion. A panoramic screenshot of their portfolio would be a passport to A-list heaven.

All the neurons in our cerebral cortexes and spinal cords don’t have the connections of the Tisch clan. When a member has a hankering for the guilty pleasure of public service, there’s no stopping them or standing in their way. Their entry level is always chief. Jessica’s mom, Meryl, is the former chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents. They are all competent and honest, but there must be other candidates who would have proven equally so, but never had a chance.

I admit to having a personal, though indirect grudge against philanthropist Jessica Tisch in her other capacity as the trash czarina who injected her compost gendarmes with quota lust as a revenue-enhancement scheme.

As a resident of a ZIP code singled out for petty persecution, I recently got a summons for failure to segregate a few items of recyclable garbage. Probably I didn’t separate my cat’s digestive byproducts from the print media on which it had rested in the litter box.

My bad.

$999 twice a day, the official admoni-

Letters to the Editor

I got two summonses on the same day for the same offense. Inside envelopes boldly stamped “Personal and Confidential,” were multipaged documents with the warning that I “may lose the ability to keep or get a city license, permit or registration” and “the City might also take legal action.” Had I sucker-punched a wheelchair patient or shoplifted

tions would have been milder. I called the city and was told that the summons would be voided if I provided evidence that it was issued in error. Two weeks had elapsed from the date of the violation and the receipt of the summons. I guess that meant tracking and identifying the landfill where the garbage bag

Audacity to Criticize Molina

The Supreme Court is reshaping, and weakening, labor rights

BY CARTER MYERS-BROWN

George Herbert Walker Bush had to replace the ﬁrst African American, Thurgood Marshall. He looked all over the country and the “most-qualiﬁed” was Clarence Thomas, also an African-American? Of course not. Clarence Thomas is an African-American conservative and he got the gig. Expect a Top Candidate

While Kamala Harris must, if elected, ensure the rights of organized labor, the Supreme Court’s influence on labor rights may be equally significant, if not more so. Since the election of Donald Trump four years ago and especially over the past year, the Court has begun to dismantle decades of precedent that have protected labor.

To the Editor: On Feb 19, the NY Daily News published an article entitled, “As NYC Correction Commissioner Molina cleans house, critics worry he’s coddling jail unions.”

THE CHIEF-LEADER welcomes letters from its readers for publication. Correspondents must include their names, addresses and phone numbers. Letters should be submitted with the understanding that all correspondence is subject to the editorial judgment of this newspaper. To submit a letter to the editor online, visit thechiefleader.com and click on Letters to the Editor. years of been Justices the more have women is 4 over decision to African-Amerhe we qualified comical if ignoJobs the and What an President for selectblue-ribbon apconfirm or politicontext is Ronto woman immedifrom find obvious1991,

was dumped, and making a positive identification (which should be easy, since it was black) in the presence of notarized witnesses who had passed background checks.

You’d have a better chance surviving a guillotine execution than fighting City Hall. Nice to know it’s our democratic right, though. But if venting your indignation makes you feel better, you could still call a radio talk show, although that freedom may be on the chopping block too.

Most of these stations are conser vative-oriented.

our media landscape” and “consolidate left-wing control over a massive portfolio of stations.” They suspect that Soros Fund Management convinced the FCC to fast-track approval by having them “bypass the traditional national security review, despite raising $400 million for the purchase with foreign investments.”

With cases against SpaceX, Starbucks and the National Marine Fishing Services, which challenges the Chevron doctrine, the Supreme Court will weaken the NLRB’s regulatory mechanisms, while bolstering its own role in interpreting policy.

On Jan. 3, the NLRB charged SpaceX with illegally firing nine employees, conducting interrogations and surveilling workers. SpaceX responded with a lawsuit against the constitutionality of the agency’s administrative structure, and the capacity of agencies like the NLRB to adjudicate. The company specifically argues that the NLRB’s role as judge and jury infringes upon the Constitution’s separation of powers clauses.

Let’s please stop the nonsense in this country. We have never had an African-American woman on the court. Biden will not be selecting a cashier from Stop-and-Shop or a pilates instructor from the local sports club. He will select a highly educated, highly credentialed woman who attended a top college, top law school, clerked for a Justice, served on the Federal appellate court and all the other “credentials” deemed necessary in this day and age for a Justice. The attacks on this decision should be seen for what they are. They are idiotic political theater from a cohort that sees even a tiny effort at progress as threatening the white male position in society.

elected Mayor, Governor or President, every new administration replaces personnel, notwithstanding their work performance. No reason is needed to remove someone in an appointed position within NYC government with the exception of the Commissioner of the Department of Investigation, even though there is more than enough justiﬁcation to ﬁre all the top managers in DOC.

Top managers likely get their jobs through political connections and serve entirely at the pleasure of the Mayor. Moreover, the personnel that Louis Molina removed were in charge of critical units which they failed to lead effectively.

ring industry to cover the costs of observers on fishing boats. The U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit applied the Chevron doctrine and upheld the ruling.

DOC was on the brink of an implosion as a result of the feckless leadership of Vincent Schiraldi and his coterie. Now Schiraldi, who was the worst DOC commissioner in its 127-year history, is questioning Molina’s personnel decisions.

sions. Martinez, Chief Justice John Roberts and other conservative justices argued overturning Chevron would have a limited effect. Martinez specifically claimed cases formerly resolved through Chevron would remain closed. Preloger rebuked these claims, saying rulings “would be open to challenge” and “litigants will come out of the woodwork.”

Audacy is the second biggest ra dio company in the country. It is almost $1.6 billion in the red, which makes them worthy of entrepre neurial predation. The investment firm of George Soros has received expedited approval from the Feder al Communications Commission to be its majority shareholder.

criminals and probably require arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment? If the homeless who are removed from the subways refuse to cooperate with programs designed to help them turn their lives around, what are the penalties? Will they be arrested or placed in secure mental facilities where they will be less likely to do harm to others?

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court in June weakened the NLRB’s authority to seek injunctions by requiring the use of a stricter traditional four-factor test for preliminary injunctions under Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act.

This decision arose from the Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney case, which resulted from Starbucks firing several employees for announcing plans to establish a union in Memphis in 2020. The employees took their case to the NLRB, arguing Starbucks illegally fired them and restricted their right to organize.

Soros’ detractors, including many of the talk show hosts on the radio stations he has acquired, in cluding Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, regard him as the evil genius who installed dozens of anarchistic district attorneys who have emboldened violent criminals and ignited civil unrest.

Muting conservative voices would mean, according to Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), a “risk to our national security” and a breach of Section 310 (b) (4) of the Communications Act.

They demand to know whether circumventing standard FCC protocols for foreign ownership of U.S. stations was requested and if so, whether it was granted or denied. They also question whether an opportunity was provided for oppositional testimony, and “what efforts were made to undergo a legitimate The Media Research Center condemned the FCC’s approval of restructuring, license transfer and issuance of “special warrant” and common stock and dubbed it the Billionaire propagandists George Soros and Rupert Murdoch, pretty much on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, have expanded their spheres of influence as media emperors by legally exploiting free market principles and purchasing the access necessary to reduce the minds of their readers to protectorates.

After investigating “major challenges to the historic marketplace dynamic of conservative radio dominance,” the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability warned of “backroom deals to ... rig

They have not gamed the system by playing it as it is. Decades ago, the federal government thwarted monopolies by restricting the media properties a single owner could possess within a single market. Regulations exist to stifle or vivify competition, depending on who is in power and whose ox is gored.

Vincent Scala is a former Bronx Assistant District Attorney. He is currently a criminal-defense attorney in New York City and its suburbs.

The NLRB scheduled a hearing on March 5 in Los Angeles before an administrative law judge, but Elon Musk filed his lawsuit in Texas, hoping for a more favorable ruling from a Trump-appointed judge rather than likely landing a more progressive judge in California.

How is it that Schiraldi, a so-called juvenile-justice reformer and expert, failed so miserably in managing DOC?

The fishing companies brought their case to the Supreme Court, seeking not only to challenge this specific regulation but also to overturn the Chevron doctrine. Roman Martinez, representing one group of fishing vessels, argued that the Chevron doctrine undermines the judiciary’s responsibility to clarify the law and contradicts federal statutes that require courts to independently assess legal issues.

Those homeless people who are mentally or emotionally incapable of living safely with others have to be “imprisoned,” either in prisons (if convicted of crimes) or in secure mental institutions. Those who refuse to cooperate with reasonable and necessary treatment from qualiﬁed and competent authorities have to be treated the same way—prison or secure mental facilities.

Since SpaceX filed suit, more and more businesses are issuing similar complaints against these regulatory structures. Trader Joe’s, for example, based their complaints on similar grounds after a Jan. 16 hearing with the NLRB for illegal union-busting.

BARRY LISAK

Such claims threaten to overturn precedent from New Deal-era legislation that normalized Congress delineating these administrative structures. For decades, these complaints would have been ignored, but now are granted attention due to the court’s recent shift to the right. UC Berkeley Law Professor Catherine Fisk notes, “The Supreme Court has given lawyers reason to think that they might be able to invalidate part or all of these statutes as being unconstitutional.”

additional deduction because she is 70 years old. Her standard deduction for 2021 is $14,250 ($12,550, the standard deduction for 2021, plus $1,700, the 2021 additional standard deduction for the singles who are over 65 or blind). Example 2 In 2021, Nicole and her spouse are joint ﬁlers. Both qualify for an additional standard deduction because they are both over 65. Their Form 1040 standard deduction is $27,800 ($25,100, the 2021 standard deduction for joint ﬁlers, plus 2 x $1,350, the 2021 additional standard deduction for married persons who are over 65 or blind). The above examples reflect the benefit of the new standard deduction. Millions of taxpayers won’t be itemizing this year to reduce their Federal income-tax bill.

Simultaneously, the Supreme Court appears poised to reconsider the Chevron doctrine, which was established in the landmark 1984 case, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council. That case affirmed that agencies have the primary authority to interpret ambiguous statutes. Calls to overturn the doctrine arose from cases where two fishing companies were challenging a National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) law that mandates the her-

How is it that Oren Varnai, the head of DOC’s Intelligence Bureau and a “former covert officer in the CIA,” could not stop the scourge of gang violence from dominating and ravaging Rikers? Varnai, at least, must be commended for wishing Molina success, and I must say he has impressive credentials.

The Court sided with Starbucks and determined that the NLRB must demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits and other factors, rather than relying on a more lenient two-part test previously established by the U.S Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In other words, the Supreme Court has made it more difficult for the NLRB to receive injunctions from district judges required to start investigations.

You have a better chance surviving a guillotine execution than fighting City Hall.

He pointed out that under Chevron, even if all nine justices agree that the fishing companies’ interpretation of federal fishing law is superior to that of the NMFS, the court would still have to defer to the agency’s interpretation as long as it is deemed reasonable.

How does Sarena Townsend, the Deputy Commissioner for Investigations and a former prosecutor who preferred departmental charges on thousands of uniformed staff—resulting in scores if not hundreds of correction officers being fired or forced to resign—now cries foul when she gets fired ?

Recent oral arguments before the Supreme Court indicate that a majority of justices may favor significantly limiting or even discarding this doctrine, a shift that could reshape the landscape of administrative law. Critics of Chevron argue that it undermines judicial responsibility, while proponents, including U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, defend it as crucial for maintaining agency expertise in interpreting complex regulations.

Only those homeless who cooperate with those who provide necessary treatment, and can live peacefully with others, should be placed in housing in the neighborhoods in all ﬁve boroughs of the city.

Any changes in tone, talent and editorial stance that Soros may decree for his new radio stations are likely to be gradual. He won’t want to replicate the debacle of Air America (not the secret CIA airline, but the liberal radio network that fizzled in 2010 after only six years).

As a social activist he’ll lease his soul, but as a businessman, he won’t sell it.

He’ll keep a steady hand on Audacy. If he needs help, there’s probably a Tisch not only waiting in the wings but riding them.

MICHAEL J. GORMAN

The ruling complicates the NLRB’s ability to act swiftly against employers accused of unfair labor practices, potentially hindering timely investigations and allowing employers to retaliate against organizing workers without immediate legal repercussions.

Schiraldi praises his managers who created a “war room” to redeploy staff on an emergency basis. That “war room” should have also been utilized to generate and implement new policy to stop the devastating inmate violence that inflicted pain and suffering on ofﬁcers and inmates alike. Further, the now-garrulous Schiraldi was speechless when the unions continuously sounded the alarm regarding chaos, bedlam, lawlessness and gross mismanagement by top bosses. Commissioner Molina is addressing all those issues. Neither Schiraldi, nor any of his senior managers, have the credibility or standing to

The three liberal associate justices — Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson — also expressed their support for the doctrine. Kagan advocated that particular agencies have more technical expertise than courts in deciding the best interpretation of policy. Jackson put forth similar sentiments, arguing that the doctrine is essential for the separation of powers, and would lead to an increased judicial role in policy deci-

To the Editor: The proposed New York Health Act would provide on a statewide level what Medicare-for-All would provide nationwide. Yet in recent issues, it has been claimed that the reason some unions oppose this is because the medical plans they already have provide benefits that this proposal would not include.

The election of Trump has the chance to further weaken the rights of organized labor and limit the functionality of agencies like the NLRB in protecting those rights. He could flood the judicial system with even more anti-labor and anti-bureaucratic judges who are emboldened with a crippled NLRB.

Labor policy reform has taken a backseat in the Democratic agenda, and Harris has offered little hope in galvanizing the working class. Yet Harris’ election and a Democratic Congress would offer the best chance to reconfirm Biden appointee Jennifer Abruzzo to continue her aggressive leadership as NLRB general counsel.

Lacking both of these possibilities, decades of New-Deal era legislation and protections for labor will continue to crumble, all while the Supreme Court gains more and more power in determining the rights of labor and the effectiveness of bureaucracy.

Now as a retired transit worker, I have always had good health coverage since I started working for the system in 1979. But one friend who was an excellent Transport Workers Union Local 100 rep had serious health issues before he recently passed away. He had a stroke while he was still working, and had to fight numerous large bills for medical care that was supposed to be covered. I remember him saying, “I have great coverage as long as I don’t get sick.” Under the New York Health Act, patients would not have to worry about ﬁghting bills. They would not Skeptical of

Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

Mayor Eric Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch in January at the DSNY’s Staten Island Compost Facility.

Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/AP Photo

The National Labor Relations Board’s top prosecutor, Jennifer Abruzzo, at National Labor Relations Board headquarters in Washington, D.C., in June 2022.

Dear Friends:

Dear Civil Servants,

November 1, 2024

I am delighted to extend greetings to the readers of The Chief-Leader as it celebrates the 69th Annual Public Employees Recognition Month.

Dear Friends:

Founded in 1897 as an independent newspaper for New York City firemen, The Chief-Leader later expanded to its scope to include all municipal and state government staffers, including correction officers, clerical employees, police, sanitation personnel, social workers, and teachers. This outstanding publication has informed and empowered generations of hardworking New Yorkers through its in -depth news articles and opinion pieces addressing such vital topics as contract negotiations and settlements, pensions, labor-related legislation, and occupational health and safety issues. It also posts job listings and information about civil service exams, and in recent years, it began covering matters of concern to all working people in the private and public sectors as well as in the gig economy. This month, I am pleased to join The Chief-Leader in applauding the dedicated women and men who power the five boroughs and serve our diverse population of more than 8.3 million. Together, we will continue to #GetStuffDone and forge a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future for all.

Sincerely,

I am delighted to extend greetings to the readers of The Chief-Leader as it celebrates the 69th Annual Public Employees Recognition Month. Founded in 1897 as an independent newspaper for New York City firemen, The Chief-Leader later expanded to its scope to include all municipal and state government staffers, including correction officers, clerical employees, police, sanitation personnel, social workers, and teachers. This outstanding publication has informed and empowered generations of hardworking New Yorkers through its in-depth news articles and opinion pieces addressing such vital topics as contract negotiations and settlements, pensions, labor-related legislation, and occupational health and safety issues. It also posts job listings and information about civil service exams, and in recent years, it began covering matters of concern to all working people in the private and public sectors as well as in the gig economy. This month, I am pleased to join The Chief-Leader in applauding the dedicated women and men who power the five boroughs and serve our diverse population of more than 8.3 million. Together, we will continue to #GetStuffDone and forge a brighter, fairer, more prosperous future for all.

It is my distinct pleasure to acknowledge the unwavering dedication and loyalty of New York’s civil servants and union workers This November marks the 69th consecutive year that The Chief has recognized the monumental contributions of our public employees a tradition that honors the commitment and the professionalism of the civil servants' unions and organizations that keep our great state running

It is my distinct pleasure to acknowledge the unwavering dedication and loyalty of New York’s civil servants and union workers. This November marks the 69th consecutive year that The Chief has recognized the monumental contributions of our public employees — a tradition that honors the commitment and the professionalism of the civil servants’ unions and organizations that keep our great state running.

As we reflect on the achievements of our public workforce, it’s important to acknowledge the tremendous responsibility you shoulder Day in and day out, you ensure the essential functions of our state continue to operate smoothly whether it’s maintaining public safety, keeping our schools running, supporting health services, or ensuring public transportation is reliable Your impact is seen and felt in every corner of our state allowing New Yorkers to live work and enjoy the vibrancy our

On behalf of the City of New York, I offer my best wishes for a meaningful and uplifting celebration and further success.

I am delighted to extend greetings to the readers of The Chief-Leader as it celebrates the 69th Annual Public Employees Recognition Month.

On behalf of the City of New York, I offer my best wishes for a meaningful and uplifting celebration and further success.

Sincerely,

Eric Adams Mayor

As we reflect on the achievements of our public workforce, it’s important to acknowledge the tremendous responsibility you shoulder. Day in and day out, you ensure the essential functions of our state continue to operate smoothly — whether it’s maintaining public safety, keeping our schools running, supporting health services, or ensuring public transportation is reliable. Your impact is seen and felt in every corner of our state, allowing New Yorkers to live, work, and enjoy the vibrancy our state has to offer. For that, we owe you our deepest gratitude. My own career has been deeply rooted in public service — from my time as a fraud investigator at the NYS Department of Labor to representing 50,000 of employees with the Public Employees Federation. These experiences have only deepened my respect for civil servants like you, who serve as the backbone of our society. Your work does not just support the mechanism of governance — it enriches every facet of our community life. Now, as the Chair of Civil Service and Pensions, I stand before you not only as a representative of our state but as a staunch advocate for the rights and benefits of our public employees. The ongoing journey to reform Tier 6 and advance tier equity is a commitment and a mission that I hold dear. It is imperative that we continue to fight for fair compensation, benefits, and working conditions that respect the dignity and necessity of your work. On behalf of a grateful city and state, thank you for your service, your dedication, and your perseverance. You are the unsung heroes who shape New York, and we deeply appreciate all you do.

Eric Adams Mayor

“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the public sector employees and retirees who run New York City.

My first job in the labor movement was at a mighty, mighty union - SSEU Local 371, and I myself have worked in public service for 20 years. I firmly believe that a job in the civil service should secure a worker a place in the middle class. After you retire with dignity, it is our responsibility to keep our promises so that you can age with peace of mind. That is why, as Senate Labor Chair, I have worked hard to ensure we fully fund our public schools & hospitals, fix Tier 6, and strengthen protections against bullying and unsafe working conditions.

This Public Sector Employee Appreciation Month, I want to commit to expressing my gratitude for public servants with more than words. You are the backbone of the public institutions that make New York home. Thank you.”

– Jessica Ramos

Managerial Employees Association says ‘Thank

you!’

The New York City Managerial Employees Association (MEA) would like to express gratitude to its Members - NYC Managerial, Confidential and Original Jurisdiction Employees - for the service they perform keeping the Greatest City in the World operating effectively and efficiently for all New Yorkers. We are proud to advocate on behalf of all managers for salaries, benefits, working conditions, and more. MEA was founded in the summer of 1968 in reaction to the passage of New York State’s Taylor Law and the implementation of the City’s Pay Plan for Management Employees. Recognized by the City administration, we are the only organization who represents non-unionized - civil service managerial employees who are not included in Taylor Law collective bargaining agreements with the City of New York. Since inception, MEA’s primary purpose has been to provide superior advocacy services and support to all of our members. With chapters forming in virtually every agency, the MEA has become an advocacy association where managers can be heard and represented. We have provided our members with numerous benefits, including financial and pension counseling, and access to supplemental medical and dental benefits. Our team works on hundreds of member cases a year, helping managers from all over the City navigate workplace issues such as performance evaluations; time / leave; promotions, re-assignments, or transfers; and demotions or suspensions. MEA’s attorneys provide legal services for EEO, DOI, COIB, and Civil Service interviews and hearings.

The MEA has become a strong advocate for members and non-members alike. We have advocated successfully for managers to receive across-the-board salary increases at the same rate as collective bargaining employees, and successfully advocated for hybrid work options to improve work-life balance for managers. Additionally, we are a source of information on manager benefits, compensation, workplace rights, and other related issues. Our bi-weekly ebulletin has become an invaluable source of important information regarding relevant City government activities and events.

Most importantly, MEA believes in the irreplaceable value managers bring to City government. Managers accumulate knowledge and wisdom from training and everyday experience managing the activities to provide unwavering public service to millions of New Yorkers. With steadfast commitment, career managers maintain the day-today and year-to-year public service operations of City government. Managers are responsible for achieving individual Agency goals as well as satisfying Administration mandates and expectations. Within given parameters - and sometimes with unforeseen limitations and challenges, these tasks are invariably achieved by our managers. Career managers are the morale builders of the City’s workforce. Their extraordinary leadership and management skills are reflected in every component of City services.

The MEA applauds New York City Managers and extends sincere appreciation for their invaluable public service to the City of New York.

Wayne Spence President

Joe Donahue Secretary-Treasurer

NYC doesn’t require hotels to be licensed. That’s likely changing soon

BY CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press

In New York City, you need a license to cut hair, work as a tour guide or operate a doggy day care. But you do not need one to run a hotel.

That’s likely going to change after city lawmakers passed legislation Oct. 23 that would require hotels to get a license and maintain it by complying with a slate of new rules on day-to-day operations, from how often rooms are cleaned to who can staff the front desk.

If signed into law by the mayor — whose office said he supports the bill — advocates say the bill will reduce criminal activity, increase cleanliness and service levels, and improve labor standards at the city’s roughly 700 hotels. They run the gamut from luxury five-star venues in Manhattan, where rooms cost upward of $1,000 a night, to budget inns in the outer boroughs.

Most major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, have some form of hotel permit, but in the Big Apple, hotels are regulated only by separate business, health and building regulations.

“There is desperate need for regulation,” City Council Member Julie Menin, the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers ahead of the vote, citing an example of a hotel that received complaints but that the city couldn’t shut down.

Under the proposed law, front desk staff, housekeepers and bellhops will have to be employed directly, rather than subcontracted. They’ll be entitled to a panic button system to be able to quickly alert a security guard if something goes wrong. Menin said that the rules on subcontracting would increase accountability by hotel owners “instead of shifting responsi-

bility to third parties.”

For guests, the bill sets a floor for service: continuous coverage from a security guard and front desk operator, fresh linens upon request, and daily room cleaning unless a guest asks not to be disturbed. Following the pandemic, many hotels across the U.S. cut costs by cleaning rooms less than once per day, or only when a guest asked. When first proposed, the bill was supported by the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the union for hotel workers in the city, but faced strong pushback from some hotel owners.

In response, more sweeping regulations on the use of subcontractors were scaled back.

The bill passed Wednesday will grandfather in existing subcontracts, exempt hotels with fewer than 100 rooms from subcontracting rules, and allow all hotels to continue subcontracting a range of secondary roles such as park-

ing valets, food workers, and specialty cleaners like people who wash windows, marble floors or aquariums.

The final version of the bill also watered down the consequences of violating its provisions from the instant revocation of the hotel license for major violations to a 30-day grace period to correct the deficiencies.

The bill passed in a 45-4 vote.

American Hotel & Lodging Association interim CEO Kevin Carey called the bill a “special interest victory at the expense of small and minority-owned businesses.”

“The updated version of the bill — while including some concessions thanks to the advocacy efforts of hundreds of hotels and hospitality professionals — still unfairly and arbitrarily targets hotels with 100 or more rooms with regulations that have nothing to do with the bill’s stated goal of increasing health and safety,” Carey said in a prepared statement.

We all took our city jobs for some of the same reasons; opportunity to make a difference in the city we love, the chance to do something we love, premium free healthcare and a pension. We were told if we served we would have these grand benefits as a form of deferred compensation in retirement. Medicare eligible retirees are those on disability or over 65 years old - this is our future eventually! These former workers are our most vulnerable population and we must make sure we have the healthcare we were promised. Many are not aware our health insurance changes when we are on Medicare and trying to enjoy retirement. Did you know when we retire, we are no longer in unions, and legally they no longer represent us, including the UFT - under state law? The Taylor law makes it specific, Unions can only represent those in their unit for wages, hours and work conditions. Retirees do not have those. But they are morally obligated to protect us, some do and sad-

ly, some don’t. November 1st - 30th is “Open-Enrollment” where we choose our health plans for our family for the year. Many employees and retirees choose the Emblem Health GHI/CBP plan over the HIP plan because it is not a managed care plan and more doctors accept it even though both are free.

But what if I told you the City has been negotiating away our health benefits and most recently has been attempting to reduce its costs by 10%! The only way to achieve this reduction is reduce coverage or pass the costs to us! That is why this issue is so important. WE MUST STAY VIGILANT ! The Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella group of unions that tries to manipulate healthcare negotiations agreed to this. The two largest unions not only agreed (with many others) to reduce healthcare for those on Medicare forcing them into managed care like HIP, they also agreed to reduce the active worker/under 65 years of age health plan by 10 %. Remember, retired workers by state law are not in unions, but their benefits were always protected by unions as a whole until recently. When you retire, is someone going to reduce your healthcare benefits you earned and paid for? How will you know when you are no longer a union member? Every copay, required network, deductible you face, is because the MLC negotiated it. Since 1992, the City cannot take unilateral decisions in healthcare. THEY MUST INCLUDE THE UNIONS! So I ask you, did you know that your healthcare is being forced into managed care? Increased costs are coming to us all because of backroom deals. Time is now - call Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams and tell them to pass legislation to protect our health benefits from being diminished! Mayor Adams 212-7883000 mayoreric@cityhall. nyc.gov Speaker Adams 718-2062068, 212-482-6731 speakeradams@council.nyc. gov

Richard Khavkine/The Chief

The Four Seasons New York Downtown hotel in Tribeca.

UFT slams DOE for special-education shortfall

Cites shortage of staff

BY CRYSTAL LEWIS clewis@thechiefleader.com

The United Federation of Teachers is calling on the state Education Department to investigate the city public school system’s failure to hire enough staff to provide mandated special-education services for the school year.

In a letter to state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent earlier this month, the union’s president, Michael Mulgrew, highlighted the shortage of paraprofessionals, occupational and physical therapists and other staff that provide services required by state law for students with disabilities. According to the letter, Rosa has agreed to meet with the union and DOE officials to discuss the issue.

The union noted that when it asked city DOE officials why these

services weren’t being fulfilled, the officials cited a lack of funding necessary to hire a sufficient number of staffers. But, according to the UFT’s letter, the Office of Management and Budget disputed that claim, saying the DOE had been given sufficient funding.

“One agency blaming the other is not helping our students. We are asking you to make it clear to both agencies that they have to stop playing these games,” Mulgrew wrote.

The union leader also noted that the application process for paraprofessionals is “broken.”

“To alleviate our current paraprofessional shortage, we must improve the hiring process for paraprofessionals and retain those new hires with competitive pay that increases paraprofessionals’ buying power,” he wrote. “As it stands, the paraprofessional hiring system is broken, leaving hundreds — and possibly thousands — of people who want these jobs unable to navigate

the application process.”

Marie Wausnock, a member of the paraprofessional chapter’s executive-board-at-large, previously told The Chief that while paraprofessionals’ workloads have increased, their salaries have remained stagnant.

Many paraprofessional titles earn low salaries, with teachers aides starting at $29,621 and education assistants starting at $33,687. Their respective salaries will increase to $32,605 and $37,080 by September 2026, according to their contract.

The union also expressed frustration that although the union and the DOE reached an agreement to add a ninth period to occupational and physical therapists’ workloads in order for them to provide services for more students each day, the DOE has been contracting out the services.

“This doesn’t just hurt our OT/ PTs; it hurts our children as well. The outsourcing process comes with serious delays in service and moves services from inside the

school building to alternate inconvenient locations,” the UFT noted.

“All of this means that our students with special needs — some of the most vulnerable in our city — are denied countless therapy sessions.”

For years, occupational and physical therapists have sought pay parity with speech teachers, citing a top salary that is significantly less and a lower education differential. Occupational and physical therapists voted down the union’s contracts last year and in 2018.

A spokesperson for the UFT said understaffing of special-education employees has been an issue for years, but so far this school year the union has been “deluged” with complaints. The union also noted in its letter that it was concerned because the DOE has not provided the exact number of vacancies of special education staff.

The UFT is currently surveying members to try to assess how many special education staffers are cur-

rently working in schools. “We are still in the process of gathering additional data, however, we have heard endless accounts from our members that suggest this is the worst year we have seen for paraprofessional and OT/PT shortages,” Mulgrew wrote.

A DOE spokesperson stated that since the 2022-2023 school year, the school system has added more than 1,100 special education staffers. “This administration does not shy away from the fact that we need to do more to support students with disabilities.,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to advocate for additional resources to support our student population and are working towards launching a new staffing pilot.” Mulgrew added that the special education system “has reached a breaking point.”

“We refuse to accept these learning conditions for our students and working conditions for our members,” he wrote.

Laborers build up support for wages, benefits bill

Council’s ‘Construction Justice Act’ gets airing

BY CRYSTAL LEWIS clewis@thechiefleader.com

Construction workers, union members and affordable housing advocates expressed their support for City Council legislation that would require developers of some affordable housing projects being built with city funding to pay workers $40 an hour in wages and benefits.

The bill, known as the Construction Justice Act, would create minimum wage and benefit standards for construction workers working on buildings with at least 100 residential units and a total construction cost of $3 million or more.

The bill, reintroduced earlier this year by Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, has garnered support from unions representing construction workers such as the Mason Tenders’ District Council and Laborers’ Local 79.

“The City Council has a long track record of taking action to boost wages and improve working conditions for our city’s most vul-

nerable workers. Now we are stepping up to ensure that construction workers who build city-subsidized affordable apartments earn just wages and benefits, and get a real chance to stay in the city they call home,” De La Rosa, the chair of the Council’s Civil Service and Labor Committee, said in a statement.

“This crucial legislation will create wage, benefit, and community hiring standards for affordable housing developments that receive city financial assistance. Across the five boroughs, New Yorkers agree that now is the time for construction justice.”

The Construction Justice Act, which has the backing of 34 Council members and is therefore veto-proof, mandates that at least $25 of the $40 wages and benefits package is pay.

Advocates noted that the legislation was especially important because many construction workers were susceptible to exploitation.

The state comptroller’s office found that about 53 percent of construction workers were immigrants, and only about one in five construction workers belonged to a union.

“We believe in raising wages and improving job quality for all

ers who are paid poverty wages and

exploited, especially those who are formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, and day laborers. They should earn enough to afford to live in the neighborhoods where they build affordable housing.”

REBNY: Bill would raise costs

Some opponents, among them the Real Estate Board of New York, expressed concerns about the legislation, noting that a $40 minimum wage and benefits standard would raise costs for developers.

During a Monday hearing of the Civil Service and Labor Committee, Justice Favor, a Local 79 organizer, noted that some developers who receive city money to build affordable housing don’t use that funding to pay fair wages.

without job security.

“I worked many years in dangerous conditions building affordable housing for low wages. My low pay made me feel easily replaceable,” said Aasim Martin, a construction worker from Harlem. Martin said that he was fired from his first construction job after he complained that he was being paid off the books, and then at his next job, which was on the books, he injured his leg while working on a project.

construction workers, not just our members,” Dave Bolger, the Mason Tenders’ District Council’s business manager, said in a statement. “This legislation will transform the lives of thousands of construction work-

“Our communities are being harmed by some bad actors in the affordable housing industry who take government subsidies and pay construction workers poverty wages. They are paid as little as $17 an hour by greedy, irresponsible contractors,” he said.

Longtime construction workers also spoke of their experiences being paid low wages while working

“I went back to work limping,” he said. “The most the masonry job paid me was $25 an hour, but they never gave me health insurance. It also is not steady work. I woke up every day afraid that I’d get a text that I wouldn’t be working that day, and not getting paid.” Martin said that he is now in an apprenticeship program and was able to lift his family out of poverty, and hopes to work for $40 an hour alongside his son, who has also started a Local 79 apprenticeship.

“Construction is the deadliest industry in New York City, all of us are risking our lives everyday,” he said. “We deserve safe jobs that pay us fairly and pay us at least $40 an hour.”

“We

Richard Davis President

Latonya Crisp Recording Sec’y

Lynwood Whichard Administrative VP

John V. Chiarello Sec’y Treasurer

Move New York ”

Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office Construction workers, including members of Laborers’ Local 79, advocated for the City Council to pass the Construction Justice Act during a committee hearing Monday. The legislation would require developers of large affordable housing projects that receive city funding to pay construction workers $40 an hour in combined wages and benefits.

GARDEN: Workers say they were fired for organizing

gram to Eliminate the Gap” budget cuts. She added that the union was informed about the cuts late that month.

“QBG received not only a PEG cut in November, but also the unexpected complete elimination of our composting funding of over $400,000 annually,” she said in an email to The Chief. She said that to “avoid significant layoffs across the organization, we reluctantly had to institute furloughs of one day per week for all full-time staff and the reduction of hours for all part-time regular employees.…We did this to keep as many staff positions as possible for the long term and avoid layoffs in the face of these deep cuts to our budget. No one was happy about it, least of all me.”

She also noted that seasonal employees typically finish their terms in October, November or December, given that visitations to the Garden drop once winter starts.

But the timing appeared suspect to the two former employees.

“We were told because of the budget cuts some people would be fired. I think it was just convenient timing for them to announce that,” said a part-time instructor who worked at the garden until this past summer who wished to remain anonymous.

Hantzopoulos denied that the staffing cuts were related to the union vote. “There was absolutely no retaliation. The timing and severity of the cuts dictated our actions, which again, were across the organization,” she said. “We have a good relationship with DC37 at QBG and are in the process of beginning talks to update the contract that was last updated in 2009, as well as for the new part-time unit in education, which again, includes seasonal employees.”

No seasonal instructors?

But the former workers believed job listings for seasonal part-time instructor positions at QBG posted shortly after the firings were also evidence of retaliation.

Pagan-Rodriguez noted that the garden in late January advertised for seasonal part-time instructors who would work temporarily for the spring season and were expected to start in March. “It was the same description, the same job, but now it’s seasonal,” she said during a phone interview.

She said she was encouraged to apply, and was rehired in March

and worked until August when the season ended. Four of the five former part-time instructors reapplied and were hired again, she said.

Hantzopoulos explained that the Queens Botanical Garden “has always had seasonal part-time employees in all departments, including seasonal instructors in our education department,” and noted that no part-time regular instructors were terminated.

But Pagan-Rodriguez and the anonymous ex-instructor disputed Hantzopoulos’ contention, both of them noting that they were hired as year-round employees. “I wasn’t a seasonal instructor; we were all parttime instructors. We always stayed on payroll,” Pagan-Rodriguez said.

The other former employee had a similar take. “I was hired as a part-time permanent employee, not a seasonal or temp. It seemed like they changed some things to make it a seasonal position,” the former instructor added.

‘Union didn’t take action’ Compounding their frustrations was the union’s apparent lack of concern about the terminations. “The union didn’t think there was enough to go on [to prove the firings were retaliatory],” Pagan-Rodriguez said.

Her former colleague added, “We

told the union that they laid five people off and we said ‘This is probably union-busting.’ And the union said ‘Let’s wait and see.’ I want them to take our concerns about union-busting seriously.”

Pagan-Rodriguez alleged that the workers “repeatedly” asked the union for help, and eventually so much time passed that they were no longer able to file a complaint with the NLRB. Complainants generally must file charges with the NLRB within six months of purported violations.

“Out of the seven who weren’t fired, five are still there. [Evie is] slowly getting rid of them, and DC 37 isn’t doing anything about it,” she said.

DC 37 did not return a request for comment as of press time.

The two ex-employees stated that the newly unionized workers were also annoyed by the lack of communication by the union and the lack of progress on starting the process to get a contract following the unionization vote and the firings.w

“It took four months to get us a negotiator,” the ex-employee who asked to remain anonymous said. “We would meet on Zoom with our negotiator and she would never say anything relevant to getting a contract. It was very bizarre.”

Pagan-Rodriguez said that after

nine months of no movement, the workers emailed DC 37’s head of research and negotiations to request a change in negotiators, “as a last ditch effort to move the process along.”

The former part-time instructor chose to leave the job, citing a work environment that had become “toxic.”

“It was a really intense workload for $20 an hour. There was a lot of pressure on us, and we felt like we weren’t being listened to,” the ex-employee said. “I just felt seen as very disposable by upper management.”

The workers said they initially were interested in joining DC 37 to address issues like heavy workloads, which included teaching large groups of students touring the garden and traveling to schools. They also lamented that they were paid less than employees at other cultural institutions, earning $20 to $23 an hour, and that instructors who visited schools were paid at the same rate as those who stayed in the garden.

But Pagan-Rodriguez, who chose not to apply as a part-time instructor for the current season because of scheduling conflicts, said that it was “distressing” how the institution’s education department has fared after joining DC 37. “It’s so disheartening and I feel so bad. These are people who have put their whole heart and soul into the garden,” she said.

ALLIED BUILDING INSPECTORS

BIRDS: Back ‘Flaco’s Law’

Continued from Page 1

disagreements with Cabán.

“This bill was just introduced this month and is currently going through the legislative process, which allows for thorough public engagement and input,” a spokesperson for Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement.

The Council in September passed the first bill named for Flaco, who had rat poison in his system when he died. It mandates the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, in consultation with the Department of Sanitation, to establish a pilot program for rat contraceptives. Advocates are also pushing for the Council to pass a bill that would mandate that many skyscrapers shut off their lights at night to avoid attracting birds.

More than 20 million birds migrate through New York City each year and around 250,000 birds die each year in the city from collisions with glass, advocates say. They’re hoping Flaco’s high-profile death galvanizes New Yorkers to advocate for the birds’ welfare as they traverse the city’s urban canyons.

“Everything that benefits animals helps people and the environment,” Kathy Nizzari, the founder of the Lights Out Coalition which is leading the efforts for bird-protecting legislation, said after the rally. “While this bill would save millions of birds it also helps humans by creating jobs for working class families.”

Dr. Andrew Farnsworth, a visiting scientist at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, explained in a statement read out by a member of the Lights Out Coalition at the rally that birds provide “essential ecological services,” like distributing pollen and seeds and eliminating pests.

“A bird dies every two minutes on average in New York City in a collision with untreated glass,” Farnsworth said. “Birds do not see this glass as an obstacle to avoid, instead perceiving reflection and transparency as safe places to fly. These places are not safe for birds, but we can make them safe. We know how to stop this unnecessary death, research on bird-friendly materials is conclusive, and we should do our part.”

International Union of Operating Engineers Local Union No. 211

Congratulations on another year of Service to all the NYC Construction, Housing, Plumbing, Boiler, Elevator, Hoist & Rigging, Housing Construction and Multi-Discipline Inspectors employed by the Department of Buildings, Housing Preservation & Development, NYC Housing Authority, and the Department of Homeless Services for protecting all New Yorkers. The Allied Building Inspectors Local Union No. 211 IUOE recognizes the vital Public Safety Service that it’s members provide to the City of NY every day. Your dedication & hard work as NYC Inspectors exemplifies our Local Union’s motto as “Guardians of Public Safety”. Local 211 Inspectors safeguard the Public & Property of NYC one inspection at a time!!

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!!

Matthew Gugliotta President & Business Manager

John Murphy Vice President

Kenza Kim Erman Financial Secy

Richard Baldwin Recording Secy

Danny Fung Treasurer

Courtesy of Ariane Hunter, via Flickr

Two former part-time instructors at the Queens Botanical Gardens’ Education Department claimed that five instructors were cut a week after the workers decided to join District Council 37. The ex-workers also believed that the garden’s management started advertising the part-time instructor position as a seasonal job as a form of retaliation, claims the Garden’s leadership has disputed, citing PEG budget cuts as the reason for the terminations.

JOB HIGHLIGHT

The

DUTIES

Emergency medical specialists-EMTs provide timely, professional pre-hospital emergency medical care/basic life support to anyone who requests or requires it; provide transportation to medical facilities; operate department vehicles; receive, prioritize and dispatch calls for emergency medical assistance; and provide patient care under the authorization of the medical director.

They treat patients who may have infectious and communicable diseases; work in confined spaces such as under vehicles, trains and build-

City recruiting emergency medical specialists with FDNY at $48k

ings; at hazardous-material scenes such as chemical spills or industrial fires or accidents; and at other unconventional locations, such as bridges and highways.

EMS-EMTs also prepare and submit reports, and may be assigned to work in any FDNY facility.

QUALIFICATIONS

By the last day of the application period, candidates must have a high-school diploma or its educational equivalent and either 1) a valid NYS Department of Health EMT-Basic Certification; or 2) a valid NYS Department of Health EMT-Paramedic Certification. The certificate must remain valid for the duration of employment. Appointees must have and retain a valid driver’s license. The education requirement must be met by Nov. 26 and the certificate requirements by May 31, 2025. Since EMS-EMTs must be able to

wear respirators, they are not permitted to have facial hair that interferes with the sealing surface of the respirator and the face, or interferes with the valve function of the respirator.

GUIDELINES AND TESTS

Medical and psychological guidelines have been established for the position of EMS-EMT, and candidates will be examined to determine whether they can perform the position’s essential functions.

Applicants will be required to pass a qualifying physical test and may be required to undergo periodic physical testing throughout their career.

Good character and satisfactory background are prerequisites to appointment. In accordance with the provisions of the State Emergency Medical Services Code, candidates for EMS certification or recertification must not have been convicted

of certain misdemeanors or felonies.

The New York State Department of Health will review all criminal convictions from any federal, military or state and/or local jurisdiction to determine if an applicant represents an unreasonable risk to property or the safety or welfare of patients or the public.

Candidates must pay a $102.50 fee for fingerprint screening. They also must furnish originals or certified copies of documents, including birth certificates, naturalization papers, proof of any military service and proof of education, if applicable. Background investigations must be completed prior to appointment.

City residency is not required.

12-MONTH PROBATION

Application scores will be determined by an education-and-experience exam. Candidates will receive

UPCOMING EXAMS LEADING TO JOBS

Below is a roundup of New York City and State exams leading to public-service positions. Most of the jobs listed are located in the New York Metropolitan area and upstate.

There are residency requirements for many New York City jobs and for state law-enforcement positions.

Prospective applicants are advised to write or call the appropriate office to make sure they meet the qualifications needed to apply for an exam. For jobs for which no written tests are given, candidates will be rated on education and experience, or by oral tests or performance exams.

DCAS Computer-based Testing and Application Centers (CTACs) have re-opened to the public. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, walk-ins are no longer accepted and appointments must be scheduled online through OASys for eligible list or examination related inquiries.

All examination and eligible list related notifications will be sent by email only, you will no longer receive notifications via the US mail.

All new hires must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for religion or disability. If you are offered city employment, this requirement must be met by your date of hire, unless a reasonable accommodation for exemption is received and approved by the hiring agency.

For further information about where to apply to civil service exams and jobs, visit the thechief.org/exams.

The Federal Government has decentralized its personnel operations and holds few exams on a national or regional basis. Most Federal vacancies are filled by individual agencies based on education-and-experience evaluations. For information, contact the U.S. Office of Personnel Management or individual agencies, or see www.usajobs.gov.

$59,507-$108,383

(Gerontology)

5007 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Neonatology) $59,507-$108,383

5008 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Obstetrics/Gynecology) $59,507$108,383

5009 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Oncology)

$59,507-$108,383

5010 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Palliative Care) $59,507-$108,383

5011 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Pediatrics)

7078 CR(D) Cytotechnologist I $43,863$91,243 7094 CR(D) Cytotechnologist II $52,099$108,383

7095 CR(D) Cytotechnologist III $66,357$132,168

61-639 CR Librarian I $43,000-$61,333

60-180 CR Librarian I, Bilingual (Spanish Speaking)

5263 CR(D) Medical Technologist I

$31,963-$74,978

5002 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Acute Care) $59,507-$108,383

5003 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Adult Health) $59,507-$108,383

5004 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Community Health) $59,507$108,383

5005 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Family Health) $59,507-$108,383

5006 CR Nurse Practitioner I

jobs at Administration for Children’s Services.

CUSTODIAN–40 eligibles between Nos. 70 and 166 on List 2072 for 3 jobs in DOHMH.

FORENSIC MORTUARY TECHNICIAN–9

eligibles between Nos. 20 and 51 on List 3100 to replace 5 provisionals in DOHMH.

MECHANICAL ENGINEER–2 eligibles (Nos. 8 and 10) on List 4068 for 2 jobs in DDC.

MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR–2 eligibles (Nos. 387 and 499) on List 8302 for any of 10 jobs in Police Department.

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER–4 eligibles (Nos. 2, 48, 180 and 219) on List 180 for 3 jobs in DOHMH.

RESIDENT BUILDINGS SUPERINTENDENT–36 eligibles between Nos. 2 and 69 on List 3138 for 1 job at HA.

STAFF ANALYST–41 eligibles between Nos. 453 and 2152 on List 9008 for 2 jobs in DDC.

PROMOTION

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER–35 eligibles between Nos. 6 and 115 on List 1552 for 3 jobs in DOHMH.

CAPTAIN (FIRE)–431 eligibles between Nos. 26 and 637 on List 1551 for 50 jobs in Fire Department.

PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE–100 eligibles between Nos. 1 and 117 on List 1507 for 1 job in Department of Sanitation.

SUPERVISING PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER–48 eligibles between Nos. 47 and 96 on List 3542 for 5 jobs in DOHMH.

110 and 200.5) on List 2017 for 2

SUPERVISOR OF MECHANICS (MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT)–87 eligibles between Nos. 27 and 120 on List 2545 to replace 14 provisionals in DSNY.

$59,507-$108,383

5012 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Perinatology) $59,507-$108,383

5013 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Psychiatry) $59,507-$108,383

5014 CR Nurse Practitioner I (Women’s Health) $59,507-$108,383

3138 CR(D) Occupational Therapist Assistant $31,963-$74,207

7288 CR(D) Occupational Therapist/ Occupational Therapist I $37,093$128,172 3139 CR(D) Pharmacist I $56,636$117,533 3140 CR(D) Physical Therapist Assistant

$31,963-$74,207

9030 CR(D) Physical Therapist/Physical Therapist I $37,463-$140,162

9029 CR(D) Physician Assistant I $57,200-$118,707

8049 CR(D) Radiologic Technologist (General) $34,720-$72,111

SUFFOLK COUNTY EXAMS ➤

Account

$51,430$60,990

Senior Bookkeeper ➤ OPEN CONTINUOUSLY 06-100 Emergency Medical Technician (Basic) 02-108 Sanitarian Trainee $53,760$67,010 02-600 Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator/Trainee $45,46055,390 02-601 Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator/Trainee 91-136 Paramedic (Local) 01-155 Cardiothoracic Surgical Physician Assistant 02-032 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist 02-900 Health Services Coordinator $75,406-$125,410 86-102 Hospital Pharmacist 93-133 Occupational Therapist (School Districts) 86-113 Occupational Therapist (WCMC) 94-138 Occupational Therapy Assistant 93-134 Physical Therapist (School Districts) 86-115 Physical Therapist (WCMC) 03-100 Physical Therapy Assistant (School Districts) 94-137 Physical Therapy Assistant 87-116 Physician’s Assistant 86-117 Public Health Nurse $72,635$125,175 09-002 Radiology Information Systems Analyst 90-118 Staff Occupational Therapist 90-120 Staff Physical Therapist 87-124 Supervising Hospital Pharmacist 99-101 Supervising Public Health Nurse $81,595-$135,715 97-363 Supervisor of Medical Social Work 99-102 Surgical Physician Assistant - Specialty Services $96,540$140,776 11-531 Coordinator of Computer Services 14-723 Database Specialist 20-532 Network Engineer II (BOCES #2 10-529 Server Engineer I $65,210-

a score of 70 points for meeting the education and certificate requirements listed above. They will receive additional credit up to a maximum of 100 points based on factors including full-time experience in the NYC 911 system performing emergency-medical-service duties while holding a valid NYS Department of Health EMT-Basic certification or EMT-Paramedic certification. During a 12-month probationary period, appointees will be required to successfully complete a training course. They must also successfully complete the Emergency Vehicle Operations course.

Complete information on the position, including testing requirements and on how to apply can be found online at https://www.nyc.gov/ site/dcas/employment/exam-schedules-open-competitive-exams.page.

LABOR AROUND THE WORLD LABOR AROUND THE WORLD LABOR AROUND THE WORLD

Musk wins court victory in a dispute over a 2018 Twitter post

BY KEVIN McGILL Associated Press

A federal agency was wrong to order that Tesla CEO Elon Musk delete a 2018 social media post that union leaders saw as a threat to employee stock options, a sharply divided federal appeals court has ruled.

The case involved a post made on what was then known as Twitter during United Auto Workers organizing efforts at a Tesla facility in Fremont, California. The post was made years before Musk bought the platform, now known as X, in 2022.

On May 20, 2018, Musk tweeted:

“Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues and give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare.”

The National Labor Relations Board said it was an illegal threat. After Tesla appealed, three judges on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld that decision, as well as a related NLRB order that Tesla rehire a fired employee, with back pay.

But Tesla sought a rehearing, and the full Fifth Circuit later threw out the earlier decision and voted to hear the matter again. In an opinion dated Oct. 25, the judges split 9-8 in favor of Tesla and Musk.

“We hold that Musk’s tweets are constitutionally protected speech and do not fall into the categories of unprotected communication like obscenity and perjury,” the unsigned opinion said. The majority also found the NLRB must reconsider its order that the fired employee be reinstated, saying there was no proof that the person who fired the worker acted out of ill will toward the union.

The 11-page opinion was followed by a 30-page dissent on behalf of eight judges, written by Judge James Dennis.

“Relevant here, the Supreme Court has consistently held that the First Amendment does not protect threatening, coercive employer speech to employees in the labor organization election context— the precise category of speech Musk disseminated via Twitter,” Dennis wrote.

He also argued that the attitude of the supervisor who fired the worker was not relevant to whether he should be reinstated. The worker, Dennis wrote, “was fired for declining to divulge information about protected union activities during an interrogation.”

The ruling sent the case back to the NLRB for further action. It was not immediately clear if there would be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The union didn’t respond to a question from The Associated Press asking about its next move. But on Tuesday night, President Shawn Fain cited the case in an online address to rally union members to vote and take part in the electoral process.

Musk, he said, has poured millions into Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

“It’s no coincidence that Elon Musk is one of the most anti-union auto CEOs in history, and he is buying elections to rig the law in his favor,” Fain said. “That’s what happens when the billionaire class makes the rules. And that’s what happens when working class people stay on the sidelines.”

The AP’s Tom Krisher contributed to this story.

Autonomous tech is coming to farming

But what will it mean for crops and workers who harvest them?

BY MELINA WALLING and AYURELLA HORN-MULLER Associated Press

Jeremy Ford hates wasting water.

As a mist of rain sprinkled the fields around him in Homestead, Florida, Ford bemoaned how expensive it had been running a fossil fuel-powered irrigation system on his five-acre farm — and how bad it was for the planet.

Earlier this month, Ford installed an automated underground system that uses a solar-powered pump to periodically saturate the roots of his crops, saving “thousands of gallons of water.” Although they may be more costly up front, he sees such climate-friendly investments as a necessary expense — and more affordable than expanding his workforce of two.

It’s “much more efficient,” said Ford. “We’ve tried to figure out ‘How do we do it?’ with the least amount of adding labor.”

A growing number of companies are bringing automation to agriculture. It could ease the sector’s deepening labor shortage, help farmers manage costs, and protect workers from extreme heat. Automation could also improve yields by bringing greater accuracy to planting, harvesting, and farm management, potentially mitigating some of the challenges of growing food in an ever-warmer world.

But many small farmers and producers across the country aren’t convinced. Barriers to adoption go beyond steep price tags to questions about whether the tools can do the jobs nearly as well as the workers they’d replace. Some of those same workers wonder what this trend might mean for them, and whether machines will lead to exploitation. How autonomous is farm automation? Not completely — yet

On some farms, driverless tractors churn through acres of corn, soybeans, lettuce and more. Such equipment is expensive, and requires mastering new tools, but

row crops are fairly easy to automate. Harvesting small, non-uniform and easily damaged fruits like blackberries, or big citruses that take a bit of strength and dexterity to pull off a tree, would be much harder.

That doesn’t deter scientists like Xin Zhang, a biological and agricultural engineer at Mississippi State University. Working with a team at Georgia Institute of Technology, she wants to apply some of the automation techniques surgeons use, and the object recognition power of advanced cameras and computers, to create robotic berry-picking arms that can pluck the fruits without creating a sticky, purple mess.

The scientists have collaborated with farmers for field trials, but Zhang isn’t sure when the machine might be ready for consumers. Although robotic harvesting is not widespread, a smattering of products have hit the market, and can be seen working from Washington’s orchards to Florida’s produce farms.

“I feel like this is the future,” Zhang said.

An answer to labor woes?

But where she sees promise, others see problems.

Frank James, executive director of grassroots agriculture group Dakota Rural Action, grew up on a cattle and crop farm in northeastern South Dakota. His family once employed a handful of farmhands, but has had to cut back due, in part, to the lack of available labor. Much of the work is now done by his brother and sister-in-law, while his 80-year-old father occasionally pitches in.

They swear by tractor autosteer, an automated system that communicates with a satellite to help keep the machine on track. But it can’t identify the moisture levels in the fields which can hamstring tools or cause the tractor to get stuck, and requires human oversight to work as it should. The technology also complicates maintenance. For these reasons, he doubts automation will become the “absolute” future of farm work.

“You build a relationship with the land, with the animals, with the

place that you’re producing it. And we’re moving away from that,” said James.

Tim Bucher grew up on a farm in Northern California and has worked in agriculture since he was 16. Dealing with weather issues like drought has always been a fact of life for him, but climate change has brought new challenges as temperatures regularly hit triple digits and blankets of smoke ruin entire vineyards. The toll of climate change compounded by labor challenges inspired him to combine his farming experience with his Silicon Valley engineering and startup background to found Agtonomy in 2021. It works with equipment manufacturers like Doosan Bobcat to make automated tractors and other tools.

Since pilot programs started in 2022, Bucher says the company has been “inundated” with customers, mainly vineyard and orchard growers in California and Washington.

Those who follow the sector say farmers, often skeptical of new technology, will consider automation if it will make their business more profitable and their lives easier. Will Brigham, a dairy and maple farmer in Vermont, sees such tools as solutions to the nation’s agricultural workforce shortage.

“A lot of farmers are struggling with labor,” he said, citing the “high competition” with jobs where “you don’t have to deal with weather.”

Since 2021, Brigham’s family farm has been using Farmblox, an AI-powered farm monitoring and management system that helps them get ahead of issues like leaks in tubing used in maple production. Six months ago, he joined the company as a senior sales engineer to help other farmers embrace technology like it.

But workers worry

Detasseling corn used to be a rite of passage for some young people in the Midwest. Teenagers would wade through seas of corn removing tassels — the bit that looks like a yellow feather duster at the top of each stalk – to prevent unwanted pollination.

Extreme heat, drought and intense rainfall have made this

labor-intensive task even harder. And it’s now more often done by migrant farmworkers who sometimes put in 20-hour days to keep up. That’s why Jason Cope, co-founder of farm tech company PowerPollen, thinks it’s essential to mechanize arduous tasks like detasseling. His team created a tool a tractor can use to collect the pollen from male plants without having to remove the tassel. It can then be saved for future crops.

“We can account for climate change by timing pollen perfectly as it’s delivered,” he said. “And it takes a lot of that labor that’s hard to come by out of the equation.”

Erik Nicholson, who previously worked as a farm labor organizer and now runs Semillero de Ideas, a nonprofit focused on farmworkers and technology, said he has heard from farm workers concerned about losing work to automation. Some have also expressed worry about the safety of working alongside autonomous machines but are hesitant to raise issues because they fear losing their jobs. He’d like to see the companies building these machines, and the farm owners using them, put people first.

Luis Jimenez, a New York dairy worker, agrees. He described one farm using technology to monitor cows for sicknesses. Those kinds of tools can sometimes identify infections sooner than a dairy worker or veterinarian.

They also help workers know how the cows are doing, Jimenez said, speaking in Spanish. But they can reduce the number of people needed on farms and put extra pressure on the workers who remain, he said. That pressure is heightened by increasingly automated technology like video cameras used to monitor workers’ productivity.

Automation can be “a tactic, like a strategy, for bosses, so people are afraid and won’t demand their rights,” said Jimenez, who advocates for immigrant farmworkers with the grassroots organization Alianza Agrícola. Robots, after all, “are machines that don’t ask for anything,” he added. “We don’t want to be replaced by machines.” AP reporters Amy Taxin and Dorany Pineda contributed to this story.

Microsoft

fires employees who organized vigil for Palestinians killed

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer

Microsoft has fired two employees who organized an unauthorized vigil at the company’s headquarters for Palestinians killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The two employees told The Associated Press they were fired by phone call late last Thursday, several hours after a lunchtime event they organized at Microsoft’s campus in Redmond, Washington. Both workers were members of a coalition of employees called “No Azure for Apartheid” that has opposed Microsoft’s sale of its cloud-computing technology to the Israeli government. But they contended that the Oct. 24 event was similar to other Microsoft-sanc-

tioned employee giving campaigns for people in need.

“We have so many community members within Microsoft who have lost family, lost friends or loved ones,” said Abdo Mohamed, a researcher and data scientist. “But Microsoft really failed to have the space for us where we can come together and share our grief and honor the memories of people who can no longer speak for themselves.”

Microsoft said it has “ended the employment of some individuals in accordance with internal policy” but declined to provide details. Mohamed, who is from Egypt, said he now needs a new job in the next two months to transfer a work visa and avoid deportation.

Another fired worker, Hossam

in Gaza

Nasr, said the purpose of the vigil was both “to honor the victims of the Palestinian genocide in Gaza and to call attention to Microsoft’s complicity in the genocide” because of the use of its technology by the Israeli military.

Nasr said his firing was disclosed on social media by the watchdog group Stop Antisemitism more than an hour before he received the call from Microsoft. The group didn’t respond to a request for comment on how it learned about the firing. The same group had months earlier called on Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to take action against Nasr for his public stances on Israel. Nasr, an Egyptian-raised 2021 graduate of Harvard University, is also a co-organizer of Harvard

Alumni for Palestine.

Google earlier this year fired more than 50 workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war. The firings stemmed from internal turmoil and sit-in protests at Google offices centered on “Project Nimbus,” a $1.2 billion contract signed in 2021 for Google and Amazon to provide the Israeli government with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. Microsoft said in its statement about the firings that it remains “dedicated to maintaining a professional and respectful work environment. Due to privacy and confidentiality considerations, we cannot provide specific details.”

Matt Rourke/AP Photo Elon Musk spoke at a campaign town hall in support of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Folsom, Pa., Oct. 17.

Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo

Jake Klocke prepared a pollen applicator last summer near Ames, Iowa.