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A kayak, a friend and a goal
FDNY firefighters take to water, from Buffalo to New York Harbor
BY DIANE DOBRY
A year ago, FDNY Firefighter
John Gayson began making plans to achieve an ambitious personal goal: to earn a coveted “360” sticker from the New York State Canal Corporation by kayaking the entirety of the Erie Canalway, from Buffalo to Albany.
Known as the End-to-End, the experience recognizes individuals who complete the journey by foot, bike or kayak in multiple-day trips or in segments. As a former Eagle Scout with a passion for adventure camping, backpacking and sailing, Gayson, of Ladder 125 in Jamaica, was determined to combine all three into one goal. Little did he know this journey would go beyond his original expectation. Well beyond.
The first step was finding a travel companion. Despite knowing several firefighters who had completed shorter trips, he sought someone who would match his enthusiasm for the lengthy adventure. Greg Walston, a firehouse colleague with Engine 315, eagerly signed on. Walston had already tackled significant hikes, including a 15-day solo trek along the Vermont Long Trail.
‘I learned that the human body can do amazing things.’
— FDNY Engine 315’s Greg Walston
He also spent his honeymoon climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his wife.
“At the end of the day, I wanted to be sure he’d be safe. That’s the brotherhood instilled in us by the Fire Department,” said Walston, who also acknowledged that long trips are more enjoyable to share with a friend.
As both men were experienced paddlers, they decided to embark on their adventure in early fall when mosquitoes were fewer. Gayson spent months meticulously preparing for various challenges, and scouted hotels on the Canal Corporation website and noting locations of laundromats and showers. He crafted detailed checklists and also undertook trial runs to ensure he could balance his gear effectively on his kayak. He even set up his tent a few times beforehand.
“John did all the planning and mapping,” Walston said. “I provided moral support and advice when needed. He did an awesome job putting the trip together.”
The duo also took time to research the history of the Erie Canal, enhancing their findings with information provided by landmarks and stories encountered along the way.
As September approached, they finalized their departure date for Sept. 18, allowing for several trial trips over the summer. After one overnight trip at the end of August with all his gear on a different canal, Gayson made a few tweaks and organized things differently.
After eight months of preparation, the morning of the Wednesday in question arrived, and at 5:45 a.m., Gayson and Walston launched their journey from the Harlem Road Fishing Access site on the Buffalo River. Outfitted with lightweight tents, waterproof bags, rain gear and cans of food, they were ready for whatever the trip might throw at them. “One of the more challenging aspects was finding shower facilities,” Gayson noted. “We had to get used to baby-wipe showers.” Their route led them through small towns where they could restock supplies and interact with locals who often asked where they were headed. “Initially we would tell them that we were doing the End-to-End from Buffalo to Albany,” Walston explained, “but as the journey progressed, we jokingly said we were heading to the Stat-
ue of Liberty.” Eventually, when finding themselves ahead of the planned schedule, they embraced Liberty Island as their new goal.
Whatever the weather
Walston noted that they lucked out with mostly favorable weather.
“Paddling into the wind is demoralizing,” Walston admitted. “You feel like you are going nowhere.” Gayson emphasized the importance of quality rain gear. After researching options, he chose Pata-
“We had clear sunny skies for a lot of the trip, though we did encounter a stretch of rain for two to three days.” While they avoided pesky insects, they found themselves battling winds.
Fitzsimmons clears path among Bravest
Fire’s first female deputy chief is one of just 177 women firefighters
BY RICHARD KHAVKINE richardk@thechiefleader.com
Michele Fitzsimmons’ grandfather and great-grandfather were FDNY firefighters, the former retiring as a battalion chief after a 36year career among the city’s Bravest. But when she brought up the idea of joining the department a few decades ago, he was skeptical. At best. A female was not suited for firefighting, his thinking went. Last Friday, Fitzsimmons made history, becoming the highest-ranking female in the department’s Fire Operations, outranking her grandfather in becoming the first ever female to earn a promotion to FDNY
deputy chief.
“I’ve been fortunate to work in a lot of great places. I’ve been supported by the Department. I’ve been supported by my friends in the Department, people who I’ve studied with. That’s made a really big difference in my career, and it’s an exciting moment for me, because I feel like it’s an opportunity for young girls to see what’s possible. That’s kind of the biggest thing for me when it comes down to it. I really love my job as a Battalion Chief, but I feel like it’s an important thing to happen in the Department for a woman to be in the rank of Deputy Chief,” Fitzsimmons said ahead of the ceremony at Queens College at which she was one of 70 to step up in rank.
Among them were 16 captains promoted to battalion chiefs, 18 lieutenants to captains and 32 firefighters to lieutenants. Fitzsimmons was one of four earning promotions to
State board prevails in rules skirmish with city counterpart
BY DUNCAN FREEMAN dfreeman@thechiefleader.com
Members of public sector unions in New York City could soon have their rights to decertify their unions expanded following a State Supreme Court ruling last month in a case involving the state agency tasked with administering labor law in the public sector and its city counterpart. The state Public Employee Review Board has been pushing since 2023 for the city’s Office of Collective Bargaining to change a 1960s-era “contract bar rule” that dictates when union members can decertify their unions to get it in line with PERB’s rules. In a legal petition, the board asked a judge to force OCB to change the rule. PERB is empowered under the Public Employees’ Fair Employment Act — commonly known as the Taylor Law — to dictate labor regulations in the public
deputy chief. She was the only one of the four to receive a standing ovation from department officials seated on the dais.
‘Paving the way’
Commissioner Robert Tucker said he met Fitzsimmons on his first day on the job last August.
“She, clad in bunker gear while I was visiting at Rescue 4, came over to say hello during that firehouse visit. We have since met several times, and I’m thrilled that she is the first woman to be promoted to the rank of deputy chief in fire operations,” he said during the promotion ceremony.
“A tough, compassionate, and knowledgeable leader, Chief Fitzsimmons is paving the way for women like my two daughters, who
See FITZSIMMONS, page 6
sector both on the statewide and local level. OCB sought to dismiss the legal action, but Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Shahabuddeen A. Ally ruled against the city agency Jan. 22, finding that PERB has a right to demand changes within what are commonly referred to “mini-PERBs,” such as OCB, if the regulations that those smaller agencies employ are not “substantially equivalent” to PERB’s. The judge also noted that the two agencies’ rules around decertification are clearly at odds.
FDNY
Newly promoted FDNY Deputy Chief Michele Fitzsimmons is one of 75 in the rank.
But she is just one of 177 women firefighters and fire chiefs among the 11,000 uniformed members of the department.
Courtesy John Gayson
FDNY firefighters John Gayson, left, and Greg Walston kayaked from Buffalo to New York City last fall.
Daily News journalists vow to forge ahead despite reduced staff, contract deadlock
Locked in battle with ‘destroyer of newspapers’
BY ALEXANDRA SEPE
The other night at KGB Bar in the East Village, the novelist, screenwriter and former Daily News columnist Denis Hamill recounted how his father’s experiences as a unionized factory worker shaped him as he was growing up.
Hamill also reminisced about the Daily News, recalling how people used to line up at newsstands every night for “the Bulldog edition,” the paper’s first of the coming day. He talked about watching his newspaper colleagues form friendships, argue about politics, fall in love and, of course, debate the relative merits of the Dodgers and Yankees.
“The Daily News was a catalyst for that, it was the common denominator of the common man,” said Hamill.
Hamill spent 24 years at the Daily News. It had been his dream job for years, after bouncing between other city publications, among them The Village Voice and New York Magazine. But he also spoke about the lack of union benefits he received while at the Daily News. “In those 24 years, I never had union pay, never got any kind of union pension. Forty years in the business, I never got attention,” said Hamill.
Hamill was riffing on the Daily News’ past, but also on its present incarnation, as a holding of hedge fund giant Alden Global Capital, aka “the destroyer of newspapers,” also based in New York City. Alden owns some 200 other newspapers and is the nation’s second-largest newspaper publisher, after Gannett. It is notorious for cutting newsrooms to bare bones, prioritizing profits over newsgathering.
The former newspaper columnist was among dozens who gathered at the East Fourth Street watering hole last Thursday both to reminisce but also to reinforce their commitment to the storied tabloid. The event, “Defend NY’s Hometown Paper: An Evening with The Daily News Union,” was hosted by
the Daily News Union, a 63-member group representing journalists at the paper and website, and held in conjunction with The NewsGuild of New York.
“Our message to Alden Global Capital is that you can take your penny pinching, you can take your stripping of resources, because we are keeping this paper alive,” the guild’s president, Susan DeCarava, told the gathering.
‘Because it’s important’
Since 2022, a year after Alden’s purchase of Tribune Publishing, which in addition to the Daily News also netted the hedge fund the Chicago Tribune and The Baltimore Sun among other major metro dailies, 37 staffers have either left the Daily News or been laid off, according to the union. Just 15 have been replaced.
Yet, the paper’s budget keeps shrinking. Union members have been at the bargaining table for three years, fighting for a contract that includes better wages, job security and benefits such as paid parental leave. Under Alden’s current proposals, management would have the power to shift full-time employees to part-time status and recall staff from vacation to work, the union said.
“We are without a newsroom. We haven’t had a metro editor in two and half years. We don’t have a politics editor,” said Ellen Moynihan, the Daily News Union’s unit chair and a metro reporter at the paper.
The remaining staff is left to cover an overwhelming amount of news during one of the headiest periods in the city’s recent history, making it unsustainable to provide New Yorkers with the coverage they need to stay informed. Key news sectors lack coverage, among them the governor’s office, state lawmakers at the Capitol, the migrant crisis, courthouses in Queens and the Bronx, and sports teams like the NHL’s Rangers.
“We basically have no support. We have each other’s backs,” Moynihan said. “We’re working together every day. We’re fighting
together, and we’re calling on you guys to fight with us.”
Hamill was followed by another former Daily News journalist, investigative reporter Tom Robbins. Robbins spent over a dozen years reporting for the Daily News and participated in a five-and-a-halfmonth strike in 1991 against Tribune management.
“It was a great, inspiring event, and I can only say don’t do it again,” Robbins remarked.
Robbins highlighted the Daily News’ reporting, including how it documented New York’s asthma epidemic, assigning reporters to cover the crisis in schools across the South Bronx and Brooklyn.
Robbins and Hamill were followed by other Daily News editorial staff. One speaker talked about
going on strike while pregnant, another about his 45-year tenure at the paper and another about his father, a Daily News reporter during the 90s strike, who had to drive cabs to make ends meet.
At the end of last year, union members filed an unfair labor practice charge against Alden Global Capital, accusing the hedge fund of trying to change the union members’ health care plans without union input. An agreement was reached at the end of December and staffers are now enrolled in a plan from United Furniture Workers Insurance (UFW) fund, which is part of the larger Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) insurance network. The plan is in place through 2026. This memorandum of agreement will be incorporated into a contract
once it’s approved. A next bargaining session is scheduled for February 20.
Alden representatives could not be reached for comment.
Moynihan, at the Daily News since 2015, is holding out hope that the union and Alden officials can arrive at an agreement and that the paper can again thrive.
“Despite all the signs I shouldn’t be, I am still hopeful. The people that work at this paper do it because they love it… they don’t do it because they’re paid large sums of money,” Moynihan said. “We do it because we think it’s important.”
Richard Khavkine contributed.
KAYAKERS: Buffalo to NY Harbor
Continued from Page 1
gonia gear that kept him dry and warm throughout their journey.
“Clothes that dry quickly, like Merino wool and Under Armour, were crucial; cotton was a no-go,” he said.
The duo set up camp wherever they could, often near locks along the canal, which closed at 6 p.m. “We found camping spots were peaceful with picnic tables and port-a-potties,” Gayson said. Although they brought bear cans to keep food safe, they mostly just encountered raccoons and deer. Occasionally, when there were no campsites nearby at the conclusion of a day’s journey, they found themselves carrying their kayaks and gear with them — a workout in itself.
Walston reflected on the physical demands of the adventure. “I learned that the human body can do amazing things,” he stated.
“We paddled for 24 hours straight covering over 40 miles, and then napped for just 45 minutes before going another 25 miles.”
One night they found themselves paddling all night to make up for lost time due to wind delays.
“We pushed through,” Gayson said, “feeling accomplished to be ahead of schedule.” As they nav-
igated the Hudson River, heavy fog obscured their view. Yet the experience was exhilarating, with light from towns edging the shoreline and the moon guiding them through the darkness.
The total journey spanned 17 days and covered 526 miles from Buffalo to New York Harbor. As they reached the Statue of Liberty, Gayson reflected on the adventure and enjoying the little things. “The morning fog on the water, and beautiful dew on spiderwebs on edges of the water were really pretty. It makes you appreciate nature, makes you realize how small we are in the big picture.”
For Walston, it was a source of pride. “Being born and raised in New York, I gained a fresh perspective of the state from the water,” he said. “I saw a lot of history, met incredible people and truly enjoyed the journey.”
Gayson echoed his companion’s sentiments, emphasizing the bond they formed through shared experiences. “Even on rainy days we embraced it. Being firemen mentally prepares you to push through adversity.”
Ultimately, they achieved their goal, created lasting memories, and showed that adventure is best shared with a friend.
Duncan Freeman/The Chief
Daily News editorial staff picketed in January 2024 outside of Workville, a co-working space in Midtown that the newspaper’s workers have used since their newsroom closed in 2020.
Courtesy of Shawn Inglima
The Daily News’ Vincent Panzarino, holding the microphone, was among dozens of current and former journalists who attended an event last Thursday at KGB Bar in the East Village to publicize their contract battle with the paper’s owners, hedge fund Alden Global Capital.
Courtesy John Gayson
Gayson, pictured, and Walston had originally planned to paddle the length of the Erie Canalway Trail, from Buffalo to Albany, a course known as the End to End.
Election protest at library local is dismissed
BY CRYSTAL LEWIS clewis@thechiefleader.com
Members of the union representing New York Public Library staff recently dismissed an election protest filed by two candidates, upholding incumbent President Deborah Allman’s win.
The election for District Council 37’s Local 1930 officers was held in early January, but several races had to be rerun earlier this month because of a ballot distribution issue. According to the Jan. 3 vote count from the American Arbitration Association, Allman outpolled two challengers with 193 votes to Amanda Ayala-Castro’s 99 votes and John Fahs’ 52.
A total of 1,195 ballots were mailed to members; 358 ballots were received by the AAA. Immediately after the ballots were counted in the January contest, Fahs, the union’s current vice-president of librarians, and Dia Carter, both of whom lost their races and ran on the Law Abiding Slate, filed a protest with the Local 1930 election committee alleging that there were “irregularities” in the election process.
Fahs and Carter alleged that the election committee introduced a change to the balloting process after the nominations took place in violation of rules outlined in the AFSCME Local Union Election Manual. The change in question separated two contests for regional titles — the Manhattan representative and the Bronx representative — from the rest of the races for the first time.
They also stated that the chair-
person of the election committee, Randell Herbert, was not approved by the current executive board, which allegedly violated the local’s constitution.
The pair further argued that members were not given enough time to submit their ballots. While
Homecare nurses demand contract, restored health care
BY CRYSTAL LEWIS clewis@thechiefleader.com
Home health care nurses at CenterLight Healthcare are ramping up their contract campaign, starting a petition and launching an ad campaign to demand the nonprofit settle a fair agreement and cease cuts to the nurses’ own health care benefits.
The 72 nurses, who care for homebound patients in New York City, Westchester and Long Island, said their pact expired last September. Their union, the New York State Nurses Association, said there has been little movement in contract negotiations for the past few months. The workers are demanding raises and improved benefits.
The union claimed that CenterLight, which is based in Flushing and operates 12 centers, proposed an agreement that would have quadrupled the nurses’ health care costs, which NYSNA refused. But in late December, CenterLight “unlawfully refused to continue nurses’ healthcare coverage,” the union said in a recent press release.
NYSNA called on the long-term care provider to reinstate the workers’ health insurance.
“I’ve now had to put off essential appointments and have been unable to fill prescriptions that total thousands of dollars because I can’t afford it,” said Reena Pradhan Singh, a CenterLight nurse. “I’m constantly worried that I’m going to get sick and get my patients sick while I continue to go into their homes. We are caring for patients who can’t receive care elsewhere, and this is completely unacceptable.”
NYSNA filed an unfair labor practice petition with the National Labor Relations Board over the unilateral changes to the members’ healthcare.
“No nurse should have to delay essential medical care while caring for others. Our patients deserve healthy nurses, and our nurses de-
serve health coverage they can rely on,” NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said in a statement. “I’ve dealt with bullies before, and CenterLight is no exception. CenterLight nurses should know they have the support of all 42,000 NYSNA nurses as they fight for what is right.”
The union also accused CenterLight of prioritizing spending on its top executives’ salaries and ad campaigns over patient care.
CenterLight disputed NYSNA’s claims, stating that it asked the union to sign a short-term agreement to extend the workers’ health benefits, but NYSNA declined to. It said that it offered two interim options to stop a lapse in the nurses’ health care coverage, but the union rejected those options.
The employer also claimed that the union sought an 18.5 percent increase in contributions to the NYSNA Benefit Fund, which was “no longer fiscally responsible for us as a nonprofit.”
Members of the union have passed out flyers about the contract campaign near CenterLight’s facilities and launched an online petition to gain public support for the nurses.
Several elected officials, including City Council Members Lynn Schulman, Kevin Riley and Amanda Farías, called on CenterLight to stop delaying a contract and to reinstate the nurses’ healthcare coverage.
“Expecting our healthcare workers to operate in high-contact environments with sick patients without their own healthcare is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. In the midst of a public health crisis and as frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, our nurses should be protected in their workplace,” Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, who chairs the Civil Service and Labor Committee, said in a statement. “CenterLight must provide continued coverage during contract negotiations and operate in good faith.”
the local’s constitution states that “ballots shall be mailed to the general membership no later than November 15 with a return date of no later than December 15th,” this time around, ballots were sent to members on Dec. 16, and members were expected to return their ballots by Jan. 3.
They pointed out that providing only about two weeks to return ballots during the height of the holiday season resulted in a smaller turnout than in previous elections.
“Our voter turnout decreased by at least half,” Carter said during a phone interview.
“It’s really classic voter suppression,” Fahs added.
But during a membership meeting held Feb. 12, Local 1930’s election committee determined that the protest was without merit, according to the pair. Fahs and Carter noted that the election committee did not send their protest letter to the membership, so they took the effort to mail the protest to the library branches. Both said that they were disappointed by the decision and that members were frustrated by the election process.
“It seems like the members are tired of the ongoing election process, so the members disapproved the protest,” Carter said.
“This is not sour grapes. We recognize that, even again in the runoff, [Carter] lost,” Fahs added.
Two more races — for the Manhattan and Bronx representative positions — have not yet been held.
“This election has been going on for months now and it’s not done,” Fahs said. “I can understand why the members have voter fatigue.”
Allman did not return a request for comment. A few races needed to be rerun because members did not receive ballots for the original contest, Fahs explained. The treasurer race also required a runoff among the two candidates who received the most votes because none of the contenders received a majority of votes. Ballots for the rerun contests were mailed Jan. 17 and were counted on Feb. 7.
Sabrina Jesram earned 44 votes for the information assistants representative position, defeating Carter, who received 17 votes. John Cordovez was re-elected vice-president for library technical assistants,
while Leslie Brown won the race for vice president for clerical. Chandra Best, of Allman’s slate, won the runoff for treasurer with 157 votes, narrowly defeating Digna Motta, who got 149 votes.
Most charges dismissed Fahs and Carter have previously brought charges to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees against Allman. In their letter to the AFSCME Judicial Panel, which was submitted in October, the pair alleged that Allman ignored an executive board motion for the local to complete over a decade’s worth of missing financial audits.
The other charges claimed that the union leader refused to hear a proposal for a constitutional amendment, made by Fahs during a membership meeting, that she suppressed members’ speech during meetings and refused to carry out a directive from the executive board to dissolve the election committee, which had not been approved. But in a Feb. 10 decision by Judicial Panel member Gerard Jolly, most of the charges against Allman were dismissed. Jolly dismissed the audit charge because the local’s financial audits were not part of Allman’s duties as president. Although he acknowledged that the local did not have or couldn’t locate audits conducted during previous Local 1930 President Valentin Colon’s term, he noted that the local’s trustees were ultimately responsible for the union’s finances according to the local’s constitution.
However, Allman was found guilty for refusing to hear Fah’s proposal for a constitutional amendment during a membership meeting held last May. She was issued a formal reprimand for the violation.
In his decision, Folly also noted that “Had the charges alleged a violation of Robert’s Rules of Order or a violation of Brother Fah’s speech rights under the Bill of Rights for Union Members, then a violation could be found on these facts.” Fahs noted that although some of the charges were dismissed on a technicality, on the “most serious charge, she was found guilty.”
“They threw the book at her, because they said they would have found her guilty of two charges if we had brought them,” he said. Although Carter believed the decision wasn’t entirely a win, “it wasn’t bad either,” she said.
John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit
Deborah Allman (in red scarf) was re-elected as the president of District Council 37’s Local 1930, which represents librarians and other staffers at the New York Public Library. Although two candidates filed protests contesting the election process, the local’s election committee announced that the protests were dismissed during a meeting held last week.
New York State Nurses Association
Nurses at CenterLight Healthcare, which provides home health care services, have repeatedly called on the nonprofit to settle a contract and reinstate their healthcare, according to their union, the New York State Nurses Association. Above, union members rallied and passed out flyers outside of a CenterLight location last month.
COMMENTARY COMMENTARY COMMENTARY
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Counter the chaos
To The ediTor:
In April 2020, I was exhausted and shell-shocked after a 94-hour week of intubating and resuscitating Covid patients at my safety net hospital in Queens.
When FEMA-funded relief workers arrived at Elmhurst Hospital, I finally felt able to test myself for Covid and took my 10 days of self-isolation, while a FEMA refrigerated truck was parked outside. Federal agencies and workers are essential. From safeguarding our national security to managing crises like pandemics, plane crashes and fires, they are the safety net.
Agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health are essential to prevent and respond to public health crises, providing essential guidance and research, and coordinating care across our patchwork health system.
Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump are illegally and unwisely taking a wrecking ball to these agencies, undermining our democracy, aiming to consolidate their power by sowing division, fear and chaos. They may well succeed in their attempt to destroy labor law and the NLRB, ending legal or administrative solutions to workplace conflict between managers and workers.
How can we stand up to these corporate thugs and support federal workers, the rule of law and our increasingly fragile democratic project?
The answer is to organize. If you are a federal worker, join the Federal Unionists Network (look up their Feb. 19 Day of Action). If you have a union, reform it to become strikeready. If you don’t have a union, start building an effective union in your workplace right now.
Dr. Damien Archbold
The writer in an anesthesiologist, NYC H+H/Elmhurst and a member of the Doctors Council SEIU
Justice, corrupted To The ediTor:
There was good news for Eric Adams on Feb. 10. After five months on bended knees currying favor with the authoritarian Donald Trump, the Justice Department ordered corruption charges against the mayor dropped. Given the subsequent blowback, the bad news for the mayor was that on Feb. 10 the Justice Department ordered corruption charges against the mayor dropped.
Adams’ response was, “I never broke the law and I never would…. I would never put any personal benefit above my solemn responsibility as your mayor.”
This was decidedly not the view of Danielle Sassoon, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. She and at least six other high-ranking Justice Department officials resigned after refusing to dismiss the charges against Adams. Sassoon, a member of the Federalist Society and a former clerk for the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, said dropping the case against Adams would result in her violating her duty to uphold the law fairly and consistently.
She revealed that in addition to the five corruption charges that included bribery, fraud and the solicitation of illegal foreign campaign contributions, prosecutors had uncovered additional criminal conduct by the mayor. There was “evidence that [Adams] destroyed and instructed others to destroy evidence and provide false information to the FBI.” There would be “further factual allegations regarding his participation in a fraudulent straw donor scheme.”
Sassoon also said there was a “quid pro quo.” If the indictment was dismissed, Adams would help the Justice Department’s immigration enforcement. He has recently agreed to implement an executive order allowing ICE agents to operate on Rikers Island, and said he favors loosening “sanctuary” policies. Sassoon concluded there was
sufficient evidence to convict Adams in what would have been his April trial.
Howard Elterman
‘Ah, but the strawberries’
To The ediTor: Does the United States military take an oath to an unstable leader or to the Constitution?
Donald Trump continues to target retired United States Army General Mark Milley based on Trump’s perceived betrayal by Milley who engaged in authorized communications with his Chinese counterpart to de-escalate a potential conflict ensuring that the U.S. was not planning to attack China after intelligence revealed that China thought an attack was possible.
In October 2019, when Trump appointed Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Trump referred to him as a “great gentleman” and a “great soldier.”
But in September 2023, after The Atlantic magazine published an article called “The Patriot” that discussed how Milley “protected the Constitution from Donald Trump,” Trump posted on Truth Social that Milley’s action was “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH,” implying that Milley a former Green Beret and Joint Chiefs chairman with 43 years of military service should be executed.
Bob Woodward’s book “War” recounts that Milley said Trump is “fascist to the core” and during his retirement speech Milley declared, “we don’t take an oath to a king or a queen ... and we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator ... we take an oath to the Constitution.”
On Jan 10, then Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin unveiled the portrait of Milley at the Pentagon. Ten days later, the White House ordered it removed.
Newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also wasted no time terminating Milley’s security detail and is looking to demote Milley in retirement.
Like irrational Captain Queeg in the classic novel, “The Caine Mutiny,” the only thing left for Trump to do is accuse Milley of stealing the strawberries.
Marc Bullaro
Treasonous
To The ediTor:
Since Donald Trump has a assumed presidential power, I watched him (just to name a few):
1. Pardon and release 263 violent felons who insurrected the State Capital, viciously attacking everyone in their path, resulting in many crippling injuries on the innocent who tried to protect it and even claiming the lives of five police officers.
2. Terminate hard working federal employees from their livelihoods, without just cause.
3. Completely dismantle U.S.A.I.D., which has cared for the millions of sick and ailing people throughout the world but has also protected and safeguarded our country from contracting any and all global pandemics that were sprouting up in other lands and could have soon found its way here.
These are just a few of the very many harmful catastrophic decisions he has implemented and executed, that has and will gravely harm millions if not billions of innocent lives. But my umbrage and detestation does come from this one man, but it comes from the Republican members of Congress who remain silent and when questions about their executive branch leader’s behavior.
In 1775, founding father Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” And back then our House of Representatives did just that. Voting to stand up against England and each and every one of them signing off on our U.S. Constitution, fully knowing that they were signing a document that could soon be declared an act of treason punishable only by death.
Today, according to Todd Garlington, it is more than obvious that our new House of Representatives stand by his quote: Once people said: “Give me liberty or give me death. Now they say: make me a slave, just pay me enough.”
Celestino P. Monclova
Trojan horse
To The ediTor:
Keeping up with the firehose of developments as the Trump Administration floods the zone with unrelenting chaos is challenging.
Hopscotching the headlines for news (federal and local) during the past week reveals the negative consequences of elected politicians, Justice Department toadies and local unions wrongly empowering others.
President Donald Trump gave Elon Musk, an oligarch, the authority to access sensitive records systems and dismantle federal agencies. Tactics have included cancelling government contracts, cal-
lously firing thousands of workers with little notice, and attempting to diminish civil service protections. Unions representing federal workers are fighting back in court but the outcome is unclear.
On Feb. 10, a memo from the acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove to the United States Attorney’s office in Manhattan not only directed a dismissal of the corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams — but ordered that there “shall be no further targeting of Mayor Adams or additional investigative steps” until after a review is conducted AFTER the election. As a result, the Mayor is free to break federal laws with no apparent consequences in the interim.
On Feb. 11, the chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, Harry Nespoli, sent a letter to Council Speaker Adrienne Adams opposing Intro. 1096, legislation that would preserve municipal retirees’ health benefits, claiming that the bill is illegal. It should be noted that member unions willingly conveyed to the MLC the power to negotiate health benefits, even though it doesn’t have a bargaining certificate. That very role is illegal.
The letter claims that the legislation jeopardizes collective bargaining, but the reality is that current retirees are NOT represented by the MLC. Nespoli calls the bill a “Trojan horse” that would cede health benefits to legislators.
In reality, Medicare Advantage is a Trojan horse for the privatization of traditional Medicare.
Harry Weiner
Dissent
To The ediTor: Nat Weiner and Joseph Cannisi (Letters, The Chief) have done a good job of exposing the weaknesses of each other’s arguments. Yes, Kamala Harris did not do a good job of emphasizing President Joe Biden’s accomplishments and distancing herself from his mistakes. But 77 million-plus Trump voters preferring a style of obnoxiously delivered lies does not say much for them. As for those who voted for him based on one issue, inflation, how is that working out?
Palestinian-Americans and their supporters who stayed home on Election Day certainly are not rejoicing over the past and present president’s Mideast policy.
But Cannisi is spot on when he
See LETTERS, page 5
Hochul’s discovery reform rush ignores the realities of NYC’s jail system
BY ELIAS HUSAMUDEEN
Elias Husamudeen is a criminal justice reform consultant and former president of the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association.
Once again, a major part of the city’s criminal justice system — our jails — is being ignored. This policy shift will likely result in more individuals remaining incarcerated for longer periods. The issue isn’t longer jail stays. Jails exist for a reason.
The real problem is that while Governor Kathy Hochul is fighting to maintain safety and order in the streets, NYC jails have been stripped of the ability to do the same. Data shows that incarcerated individuals, including those with mental illness, are more likely to engage in violent behavior the longer they remain inside, endangering both staff and other detainees.
New York cannot have safer streets without safer jails. Public safety does not stop at the jailhouse door. Safety on the streets of New York and safety in the jails are connected. The same policies proposed to protect the public must protect those inside our jails. Policies that keep more people in custody while preventing the DOC from instituting similar policies create a double standard that suggests the safety of those in NYC jails is of less importance.
This oversight is undeniable, coming from both Albany and City Hall. When violent crime rises in our city, critics argue that it’s be-
cause the NYPD isn’t allowed to do its job. The political response is more punitive measures — jail. But when the same population commits violent crimes inside our jails, critics accuse the Department of Correction of creating a “culture of violence.”
For a decade, the federal monitor’s reports have documented that a small group of detainees is responsible for most violent incidents, yet city and state lawmakers continue to blame the DOC for this so-called “culture of violence.” Both have imposed restrictions that limit how
jails respond to violence, creating a dangerous contradiction and failing to see the connection. We cannot have one standard for the streets and another for the jails.
If Hochul is giving judges more power to impose harsher consequences on offenders to ensure public safe-
ty, then she must also empower the DOC with the same authority inside the jails. Any reform that increases pretrial detention must include measures that allow the DOC to impose stricter consequences on individuals who commit violent acts while incarcerated. Without this balance, the policy is incomplete and will continue to fuel more violence behind bars.
Additionally, if Judge Laura T. Swain is to make an informed decision about whether or not to place NYC jails under federal receivership, she must conduct a full and independent review of all reports submitted by the federal monitor for bias. For years, these reports have repeatedly blamed uniformed staff for fostering a “culture of violence” while simultaneously identifying that a small group of detainees is responsible for most violent incidents.
This contradiction cannot be ignored. Ignoring this reality and implementing federal receivership without addressing these fundamental issues will only lead to further chaos — just under new leadership and at the taxpayers’ expense. Safer streets and safer jails must go hand in hand. Ignoring this reality means we are not serious about protecting anyone — inside or outside the jail system. Reform must be an all-inclusive fight. Until we equally consider all parts of the criminal justice system, we will keep repeating the same mistakes and hoping for different outcomes, which is insanity.
Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
The Rikers Island jail complex in May 2024.
Hundreds of FAA workers are fired
‘Public should be scared’
BY TARA COPP Associated Press
The Trump administration began firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, upending staff on a busy air travel weekend and just weeks after a January fatal midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Probationary workers were targeted in late-night emails last Friday notifying them they had been fired, David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement.
The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told The Associated Press. The air traffic controller was not authorized to talk to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a message posted to X late Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said fewer than 400 FAA employees were fired and “Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go.”
Hypocrisy
A Transportation Department official told the AP earlier Monday that the agency has “retained employees who perform critical safety functions.” In a follow-up query the agency said they would have to look into whether the radar, landing and navigational aid workers affected were considered to handle critical safety functions.
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,
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security,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “I don’t think they even knew what NDP does, they just thought, oh no big deal, he just works for the FAA.”
“This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death,” Spitzer-Stadtlander said. “And the American public should be scared too.”
was targeted for firing for his views on Tesla and X, formerly Twitter, not as part of a general probationary-level sweep. Both companies are owned by Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency is leading Trump’s effort to cut the federal government.
deduction. The taxpayer must maintain the records and receipts to substantiate the itemized deductions. All deductions are reported in the tax year in which the eligible expenses were paid.
You may benefit from itemizing your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A if you:
• Had large, uninsured medical and dental expenses. Payments for doctors and dentists, premiums for medical insurance, payments for prescription drugs and medical transportation are considered. For the 2024 tax year, you can deduct health costs on your tax return for yourself, your spouse and your dependents only when the expenses exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI). The types of medical expenses are constantly expanding as new tax and IRS court decisions are rendered. It may be wise to check for specifics with a tax professional.
terest can be deducted. Personal credit-card interest is not deductible.
• Made large contributions to qualified charities. Both cash and noncash (usually clothing) items are considered. If noncash items exceed $500, you must attach IRS Form 8283, Noncash Charitable Contributions. One can deduct charitable donations only if you itemize your tax return.
• Had large, uninsured casualty losses. For 2024 and beyond, only presidentially-declared Federal disaster losses will be allowed as a casualty deduction.
• Had gambling losses, but only to the extent of gambling winnings. For example, a person who wins $3,000 in certain gambling activities and loses $3,500 in other gambling activities can deduct only $3,000 of the losses against the $3,000 income, resulting in a break-even gambling activity. The remaining $500 excess loss is not deductible.
THE CHIEF-LEADER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a brief statement Monday it was “analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety, the national airspace system and our members.”
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.
Workers ‘fired without cause’
Other FAA employees who were fired were working on an urgent and classified early warning radar system the Air Force had announced in 2023 for Hawaii to detect incoming cruise missiles, through a program that was in part funded by the Defense Department. It’s one of several programs that the FAA’s National Airspace System Defense Program manages that involve radars providing longer-range detection around the country’s borders. Due to the nature of their work, staff in that office typically provide an extensive knowledge transfer before retiring to make sure no institutional knowledge is lost, said Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, one of the employees in that branch who was terminated.
The Hawaii radar and the FAA defense program office working on it are “about protecting national
Expect a Top Candidate 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.
Vincent Scala is a former Bronx Assistant District Attorney. He is currently a criminal-defense attorney in New York City and its suburbs.
Agency oversees food safety, medical devices
BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press
The Trump administration’s effort to slash the size of the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration this weekend, as recently hired employees who review the safety of food ingredients, medical devices and other products were fired.
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).
Probationary employees across the FDA received notices Saturday evening that their jobs were being eliminated, according to three FDA staffers who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Example 2
Letters to the Editor
Spitzer-Stadtlander is Jewish and was angered by Musk’s straightarm gesture at Trump’s inauguration. On his personal Facebook page he urged friends to get rid of their Teslas and X accounts in response.
Audacity to Criticize Molina
The employees were fired “without cause nor based on performance or conduct,” Spero said, and the emails were “from an ‘exec order’ Microsoft email address” — not a government email address. A copy of the termination email that was provided to the AP shows the sending address “ASK_AHR_EXEC_Orders@usfaa.mail.outlook.com.”
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 firings hit the FAA as it is facing a shortfall in controllers. Federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. Among the reasons they have cited for staffing shortages are uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirements.
Spitzer-Stadtlander said that post drew the attention of a Facebook account labeled “Department of Government Efficiency,” which reacted with a laughing emoji. Soon after, he saw the same account reacting to much older posts through his personal Facebook feed.
THE CHIEF-LEADER wel-
• Had state and local income taxes withheld from your wages or paid estimated state taxes. Real-estate taxes, personal property taxes and state and local sales taxes fall into this tax-deductible category. For 2024, the limit for this deduction is $10,000 for state and local taxes plus property taxes.
Itemized deductions allow taxpayers to reduce their taxable income and thereby pay less in taxes. If you incorrectly filed your return using the standard deduction and want to change to itemized deductions, you may do so within a three-year period allowed for amending your return.
Caution: If you are married and filing a married filing separate return if your spouse itemizes deductions, then you are also required to itemize on your tax return.
Whether it’s a newly 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.
In the Jan. 29 fatal crash between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines passenger jet, which is still under investigation, one controller was handling both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport.
Safety panel already fired
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.
Just days before the collision, President Donald Trump had already fired all the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a panel mandated by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. The committee is charged with examining safety issues at airlines and airports.
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.
Spitzer-Stadtlander suggested he
How is it that Schiraldi, a so-called juvenile-justice reformer and expert, failed so miserably in managing DOC?
There are at least a half-dozen Facebook accounts labeled “Department of Government Efficiency,” and it’s unclear who operates any of them. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote Monday on X, “DOGE doesn’t even have a Facebook page.”
comes 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.
• Paid mortgage interest on your principal and/or vacation home. For 2024, the maximum mortgage amount has been reduced to $750,000 to purchase a primary residence. Also, points paid on a new home and investment in-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Barry Lisak is an IRS enrolled agent specializing in personal and small business taxes for 30 years. Any questions can be directed to him at 516-829-7283, or mrbarrytax@aol.com.
Spitzer-Stadtlander said he was supposed to be exempted from the probationary firings because the FAA office he worked in focused on national security threats such as attacks on the national airspace by drones.
Continued from Page 4
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?
“Less than a week later, I was fired, despite my position allegedly being exempted due to national security,” Spitzer-Stadtlander wrote in a post over the weekend on LinkedIn.
He added, “When DOGE fired me, they turned off my computer and wiped all of my files without warning.” DOGE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The firings were first reported by CNN.
Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed from Washington.
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.
White House cuts reach FDA employees
says that Republicans who don’t want to lose their freedom had better get on the cases of their Congressional representatives. The latter seem to be willing to stay in office by any means, even if that means becoming figureheads under a Trump dictatorship.
But Democrats could come up with better and more electable candidates. But greedy, rich Democrats don’t want to pay higher taxes they can easily afford anymore than greedy, rich Republicans. That’s why we never got a President Bernie Sanders.
Richard Warren
obviously a pathetic and cowardly concession to President Donald Trump who attended the game. This reminds me of the accommodation to Adolf Hitler in the 1936 Olympics in Germany when they refused to let two Jewish track team members, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, compete because the participation of Jews would offend Hitler, who was already angered by the participation of the great track star, Jesse Owens, because he was a Black man. Hitler left the stadium during Owens’ victories, and snubbed Owens at the awards ceremony.
Encroachment
To The ediTor:
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.
ceived notices, according to three people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They said none of the CDC layoffs affected the young doctors and researchers who track diseases in what’s known as the Epidemic Intelligence Service.
Kennedy targets agency
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 ?
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.
GORMAN
MICHAEL J.
force skews toward older workers who have spent one or two decades at the agency, and the Government Accountability Office noted in 2022 that the FDA “has historically faced challenges in recruiting and retaining” staff due to better money in the private sector.
To the Editor:
What does it mean that the NFL removed the “End Racism” message behind the end zone for Super Bowl LIX, and substituted the embarrassing and meaningless message, “Choose Love?” Notwithstanding denials from the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, it is
So now the NFL seeks to avoid offending Donald Trump who has shown nothing but contempt for minorities, especially Blacks, and is attempting to eliminate all forms of affirmative action that are clearly meant to reduce the effects of America’s racist history. The NFL players, especially the stars, should have spoken out forcefully about this concession to a racist president.
professional staff has over 75 years combined experience in the evaluation, assessment and treatment of mental health problems for law enforcement officers and their families.
Michael J. Gorman
“You want to bring in new blood,” said Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner under President George W. Bush. “You want people with new ideas, greater enthusiasm and the latest thinking in terms of technology.”
The total number of positions eliminated was not clear Sunday, but the firings appeared to focus on employees in the agency’s centers for food, medical devices and tobacco products — which includes oversight of electronic cigarettes. It was not clear whether FDA employees who review drugs were exempted.
Last Friday, some officials expected the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fire 5,200 probationary employees across its agencies, according to an audio recording of a National Institutes of Health department meeting. HHS oversees NIH, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other things.
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. They’ll claim the standard deduction instead.
People who spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity said the number of probationary employees to be laid off at the CDC would total
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.
The FDA is headquartered in the Maryland suburbs outside Washington and employs nearly 20,000 people. It’s long been a target of newly sworn-in health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who last year accused the agency of waging a “war on public health” for not approving unproven treatments such as psychedelics, stem cells and chelation therapy. Kennedy also has called for eliminating thousands of chemicals and colorings from U.S. foods. But the cuts at FDA include staffers responsible for reviewing the safety of new food additives and ingredients, according to an FDA staffer familiar with the firings.
An HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday afternoon.
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 criticize Molina.
Nearly half of the FDA’s $6.9 billion budget comes from fees paid by companies the agency regulates, including drug and medical device makers, which allows the agency to hire extra scientists to swiftly review products. Eliminating those positions will not reduce government spending.
Mitch Zeller, former FDA director for tobacco, said the firings are a way to “demoralize and undermine the spirit of the federal workforce.”
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 combined effect of what they’re trying to do is going to destroy the ability to recruit and retain talent,” Zeller said.
The FDA’s inspection force has been particularly strained in recent years after a wave of departures during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of the agency’s current inspectors are recent hires. It was not immediately clear whether those employees were exempted.
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.”
FDA inspectors are responsible for overseeing thousands of food, drug, tobacco and medical device facilities worldwide, though the AP reported last year that the agency faced a backlog of roughly 2,000 uninspected drug facilities that hadn’t been visited since before the pandemic.
nearly 1,300. But as of early Sunday afternoon, about 700 people had re-
Barry Lisak is an IRS Enrolled Agent, meaning that he has passed special U.S. Treasury Department exams that qualify him to represent clients dealing with audits or tax-resolution cases. Any questions can be directed to him at (516) TAX-SAVE, or mrbarrytax@aol.com.
A former FDA official said cutting recent hires could backfire, eliminating staffers who tend to be younger and have more up-to-date technical skills. The FDA’s work-
I submit Schiraldi is envious of Molina’s working relationship with the unions and doesn’t want him to succeed. However, Molina must persevere and continue to “clean house” in DOC, as Schiraldi wallows in his failure and slowly fades away into obscurity.
MARC BULLARO
Retired Executive Board,
Under the New York Health Act, patients would not have to worry about fighting bills. They would not even have to worry if they were unemployed or in a job that did not provide health insurance.
The agency’s inspection force has also been criticized for not moving faster to catch recent problems involving infant formula, baby food and eyedrops.
AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe contributed to this report.
So what exactly are these great benefits that are provided by some union-negotiated plans that would not be provided by the New York Health Act?
transit
BARRY LISAK
VINCENT SCALA
Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo
Salvage crews recovered wreckage near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport earlier this month in Arlington, Va.
The USAID shutdown is upending livelihoods
Nonprofit workers, farmers and other Americans affected
BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press
There’s the executive in a U.S. supply-chain company whose voice breaks while facing the next round of calls telling employees they no longer have jobs.
And a farmer in Missouri who grew up knowing that a world with more hungry people is a world that’s more dangerous.
And a Maryland-based philanthropy, founded by Jews who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe, is shutting down much of its more than 120-year-old mission.
Beyond the impact of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, some 14,000 agency employees and foreign contractors as well as hundreds of thousands of people receiving aid abroad — many American businesses, farms and nonprofits— say the cutoff of U.S. money they are owed has left them struggling to pay workers and cover bills. Some face financial collapse.
U.S. organizations do billions of dollars of business with USAID and the State Department, which oversee more than $60 billion in foreign assistance. More than 80 percent of companies that have contracts with USAID are American, according to aid data company DevelopmentAid.
President Donald Trump stopped payment nearly overnight in a Jan. 20 executive order freezing foreign assistance. The Trump administration accused USAID’s programs of being wasteful and promoting a liberal agenda.
USAID Stop-Work, a group tracking the impact, says USAID contractors have reported that they laid off nearly 13,000 American workers. The group estimates that the actual total is more than four times that.
Here are stories of some Americans whose livelihoods have been upended:
Crop innovation work facing closures
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — a lab that works with processers, food manufacturers and seed and fertilizer companies to expand soybean usage in 31 countries — is set to close in April unless it gets a last-minute reprieve.
Peter Goldsmith, director and principal investigator at the Soybean Innovation Lab, said the group has helped open international markets to U.S. farmers and made the crop more prevalent in Africa.
For Goldsmith, that kind of steady partnership built on trade and U.S. foreign aid offers the best way to wield U.S. influence, he said. Goldsmith said innovation labs at other land grant universities also are closing. Without them,
Goldsmith worries about what will happen in the countries where they worked — what other actors may step in, or whether conflict will result.
“It’s a vacuum,” he said. “And what will fill that vacuum? It will be filled. There’s no doubt about it.”
A refugee mission is imperiled
For nonprofits working to stabilize populations and economies abroad, the United States was not only the biggest humanitarian donor but an inextricable part of the whole machinery of development and humanitarian work.
Among them, Hias, a Jewish group aiding refugees and potential refugees, is having to shut down “almost all” of its more than 120-yearold mission.
The Maryland-based philanthropy was founded by Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe. Its mission in recent decades has broadened to include keeping vulnerable people safe in their home country so they don’t have to flee, said Hias President Mark Hetfield.
Hetfield said the first Trump administration saw the wisdom of that effort. Hias experienced some of its biggest growth during Trump’s first term as a result.
But now, Trump’s shutdown of foreign assistance severed 60% of Hias’ funding, overnight. Hias started furloughs among its 2,000 direct employees, operating in 17 states and 20 countries.
The administration calls it a “suspension,” rather than a termination, Hetfield said. “But we have to stop paying our leases, stop paying our employees.”
“It’s not a suspension,” Hetfield
IRS laying off thousands of probationary workers
Just as tax season gets underway
BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press
The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and cuts could happen as soon as this week.
This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
It’s unclear how many IRS workers will be affected.
Previously, the administration announced a plan to offer buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce. The program deadline was Feb. 6, and administration officials said employees who accept will be able to stop working while still collecting a paycheck until Sept. 30.
However, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were told they will not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, according to a letter sent recently to IRS employees.
It is unclear how many workers will be impacted by the layoff an-
nouncement plan. Representatives from the U.S. Treasury and IRS did not respond to Associated Press requests for comment.
Jan. 27 was the official start date of the 2025 tax season, and the IRS expects more than 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline. The Biden administration invested heavily in the IRS through an $80 billion infusion of funds in Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, which included plans to hire tens of thousands of new employees to help with customer service and enforcement as well as new technology to update the tax collection agency.
Republicans have been successful at clawing back that money, and billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have called for the U.S. to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his plan to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.
Elected officials are trying to fight against DOGE plans. Attorneys general from 14 states challenged the authority to access sensitive government data and exercise “virtually unchecked power” in a lawsuit filed Feb. 13. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, says the actions taken by Musk at the helm of DOGE can only be taken by a nominated and Senate-confirmed official. It cites constitutional provisions that delineate the powers of Congress and the president.
said. “That’s a lie.”
Tracking USAID’s effectiveness may fall by the wayside
Keith Ives, a Marine veteran who fell in love with data, has a small Denver-area nonprofit that brought a numbers-crunching relentlessness to his USAID-funded mission of testing the effectiveness of the agency’s programs.
For Ives’ teams, that’s included weighing and measuring children in Ethiopia who are getting USAID support, testing whether they’re chunkier and taller than kids who aren’t. (On average they are.)
Last week, Ives was planning to tell half his full-time staff of 28 that they would be out of a job at the end of the month. Ives’ Causal Design nonprofit gets 70% of its work from USAID.
At first, “it was an obsession over how can I fix this,” said Ives, who described his anxiety in the first days of the cutoff as almost paralyzing. “There must be a magic formula. ... I’m just not thinking hard enough,
right?’’
Now, Ives goes through all-staff call after call, breaking bad news on the impact of USAID’s shutdown. Being transparent with them, it turned out, was the best he could do.
He looks at the U.S. breaking partnerships and contracts in what had been USAID’s six-decade aim of boosting national security by building alliances and crowding out adversaries.
For the U.S. now, “I think for years to come, when we try to flex, I think people are going to go, ‘Yeah, but like, remember 2025?’” Ives said. “’You could just be gone tomorrow.’”
A supplier faces ruin
It takes expertise, cash flow and hundreds of staff to get USAID-funded food and goods to remote and often ill-regulated places around the globe.
For U.S. companies doing that, the administration’s only follow-up to the stop-work orders it sent out after the money freeze have been
termination notices — telling them some contracts are not only paused, but ended.
Almost all of those companies have been kept silent publicly, for fear of drawing the wrath of the Trump administration or endangering any court challenges.
Speaking anonymously for those reasons, an executive of one supply-chain business that delivers everything from hulking equipment to food describes the financial ruin facing those companies.
While describing the next round of layoff calls to be made, the executive, who is letting hundreds of workers go in total, sobs.
Farmers may lose market share
Tom Waters, a seventh-generation farmer who grows corn, soybean and wheat near Orrick, Missouri, thinks about his grandfather when he reads about what is happening with USAID.
“I’ve heard him say a hundred times, ‘People get hungry, they’ll fight,’” Waters said.
Feeding people abroad is how the American farmer stabilizes things across the world, he says. “Because we’re helping them keep people’s bellies full.”
USAID-run food programs have been a dependable customer for U.S. farmers since the Kennedy administration. Legislation mandates U.S. shippers get a share of the business as well.
Even so, American farm sales for USAID humanitarian programs are a fraction of overall U.S. farm exports. And politically, U.S. farmers know that Trump has always taken care to buffer the impact when his tariffs or other moves threaten demand for U.S. farm goods.
U.S. commodity farmers generally sell their harvests to grain silos and co-ops, at a per bushel rate. While the impact on Waters’ farm is not yet clear, farmers worry any time something could hit demand and prices for their crops or give a foreign competitor an opening to snatch away a share of their market permanently.
Still, Waters doesn’t think the uncertainty is eroding support for Trump.
“I really think people, the Trump supporters are really going to have patience with him, and feel like this is what he’s got to do,” he said.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo
Priya Kathpal, right, and Taylor Williamson, left, who work for a company doing contract work for the United States Agency for International Development outside the USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10.
State correction officers in unsanctioned walkouts
Hochul will deploy National Guard if wildcat strikes don’t end
BY RICHARD KHAVKINE richardk@thechiefleader.com
Governor Kathy Hochul said she would deploy National Guard troops to restore and ensure order in at least two dozen state prisons where correction officers have been engaged in illegal work stoppages and walkouts since earlier this week.
“These disruptive and unsanctioned work stoppages are jeopardizing the safety of their colleagues, the prison population, and causing undue fear for the residents in the surrounding communities,” the governor said in a video message released Wednesday. “I will not allow this chaos to continue.”
Most state employees are prohibited by law to go on strike.
Hochul on Tuesday directed the commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Daniel Martuscello, and other state officials to meet with the
union representing the officers to end the work stoppages.
“I understand the incredibly difficult work our correction officers do under challenging circumstances. I have fought alongside their union to improve salaries, benefits, working conditions — indeed, a fair contract was negotiated and agreed to only last March. I’ve also passed new laws and implemented vital administrative changes to keep contraband out of facilities and protect our officers,” Hochul said.
She said that “legal action” had begun to ensure the officers return to work. “Do what’s right. Do your jobs,” she concluded.
But the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association has said its “members’ backs are against the wall.” They’re demanding higher pay, stricter security checks for prison visitors and a rollback on prison reforms, including those that limit solitary confinement.
It wasn’t clear how many COs were not showing up to work, but about 25 of the state’s 42 correctional facilities were being impacted, according to media reports. Some officers were picketing outside the
prisons.
“They know they can be fined and disciplined,” NYSCOPBA’s Kenny Gold told a local television station during a protest Monday outside the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County. Martuscello said he had met with the union’s board and NYSCOPBA’s
president, Chris Summers, on Tuesday to come up with a resolution to what he called an “illegal strike.”
“The safety and security of the staff and incarcerated population is paramount to me. I value the hard work and commitment of the men and women at DOCCS who have had to sacrifice time with their families
due to the current staffing shortage,” he said in a statement released by Hochul’s office. “However, this illegal job action involving NYSCOPBA members is causing irreparable harm to the operations of the department and jeopardizing the safety and security of their co-workers within these facilities.”
He said DOCCS would continue to come with solutions to curtail assaults on COs and to increase staffing. “There is always room for progress and for disagreements and we welcome continued dialogue with the union at the table. At this time, I am urging all those on strike to end this job action,” he said.
The union did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Hochul noted Tuesday that the union’s recent contract, ratified last April, increased salaries and starting pay $6,500 and also boosted location and hazardous-duty pay. The deal, retroactive to March 2023 and running through March 2026, won approval from 73 percent of union members who voted.
The Associated Press contributed.
CHIEF CLASSIFIED
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office (KCDA) is one of the largest prosecutors’ offices in the country and is committed to developing and implementing innovative prosecutorial strategies that will fulfill our vision of keeping Brooklyn safe while at the same time ensuring fairness and justice for all. KCDA has an exciting opportunity to work as a Supervisory Rackets Investigator to work in the Investigators Bureau. This position assists prosecuting attorneys with investigating cases involving burglaries, civil rights violations, crimes against children, cybercrime, domestic violence, financial crimes, fraud, homicides, major narcotics offenses, organized gang activities and traditional organized crime activity, robberies and sex crimes.
To Apply: Please submit your cover letter/resume electronically using one of the following methods:
CITY EMPLOYEES: Apply through Employee Self Service (ESS). www.nyc.gov/ess
ALL OTHER APPLICANTS: Go to www.nyc.gov/careers/search
Search for Job ID#: 697260 – Supervisory Rackets Investigator
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office (KCDA) is one of the largest prosecutors’ offices in the country and is committed to developing and implementing innovative prosecutorial strategies that will fulfill our vision of keeping Brooklyn safe while at the same time ensuring fairness and justice for all. KCDA has an exciting opportunity to work as a Chief Rackets Investigator to work in the Investigators Bureau. This position assists prosecuting attorneys with investigating cases involving burglaries, civil rights violations, crimes against children, cybercrime, domestic violence, financial crimes, fraud, homicides, major narcotics offenses, organized gang activities and traditional organized crime activity, robberies and sex crimes.
To Apply:
Please submit your cover letter/resume electronically using one of the following methods:
CITY EMPLOYEES: Apply through Employee Self Service (ESS). www.nyc.gov/ess
ALL OTHER APPLICANTS: Go to www.nyc.gov/careers/search
Search for Job ID#: 697783 – Chief Rackets Investigator
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
or otherwise in the estate of Sharon L. Edwards, Sharon Louise Edwards, a/k/a Sharon Edwards, deceased, who at the time of her death was a resident of 100 Bank Street, New York, New York 10014; A petition having been duly filed by the Public Administrator of the County of New York, who maintains an office at 31 Chambers Street, Room 311, New York, New York 10007. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the New York County Surrogate’s Court at 31 Chambers Street, New York, New York, on March 27th, 2025 at 9:30 A.M., in room 503, why the
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT
KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office (KCDA) is one of the largest prosecutors’ offices in the country and is committed to developing and implementing innovative prosecutorial strategies that will fulfill our vision of keeping Brooklyn safe while at the same time ensuring fairness and justice for all. KCDA has an exciting opportunity to work as a Supervisory Rackets Investigator (Managerial Assignment) to work in the Investigators Bureau. This position assists prosecuting attorneys with investigating cases involving burglaries, civil rights violations, crimes against children, cybercrime, domestic violence, financial crimes, fraud, homicides, major narcotics offenses, organized gang activities and traditional organized crime activity, robberies and sex crimes.
To Apply:
Please submit your cover letter/resume electronically using one of the following methods:
CITY EMPLOYEES: Apply through Employee Self Service (ESS). www.nyc.gov/ess
ALL OTHER APPLICANTS: Go to www.nyc.gov/careers/search
Search for Job ID#: 697483 – Supervisory Rackets Investigator (MANAGERIAL ASSIGNMENT)
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Levittown Pubic Schools is seeking bus drivers, bus attendants, and registered nurses. Please send resumes to HR@levittownschools.com.
Bus Driver Requirements: MUST HAVE: Class B License (or will train), P & S Endorsement, 19-A Qualified • No Cost Training (if needed), but must have permit prior • Signing Bonus of up to $2,500 after 1 full year of employment with agreement
• Reimbursement of commercial licensing fees Full Time and Part-Time Registered Nurse Requirements: MUST HAVE: A current Professional License and must be familiar with diabetic needs
• RNs with a BA Degree will be paid $2500 above their annual base salary
following relief stated in the account of proceedings, a copy of the summary statement thereof being attached hereto, of the Public Administrator of the County of New York as administrator of the goods, chattels and credits of said deceased, should not be granted: (i) that her account be judicially settled; (ii) that a hearing be held to determine the identity of the distributees at which time proof pursuant to SCPA § 2225 may be presented, or in the alternative, that the balance of the funds be deposited with the Commissioner of Finance of the City of New York for the benefit of the decedent’s unknown distributees; (iii) that the Surrogate approve the reasonable amount of compensation as reported in Schedules C and C-1 of the account of proceedings to the attorney for the petitioner for legal expenses rendered to the petitioner herein; (iv) that the claims of Cardmember Services Chase Acct ending #8114 in the amount of $537.78, ConEdison acct ending #0000-3 in the amount of $1,138.29, NSLIJ Medical PC-Provider: David Bernal Edgcomb MD in the amount of $112.48, and NYC Fire Department EMS acct ending #1010 in the amount of $86.35, be rejected for failure to file their claims in accordance with the provisions of SCPA 1803(1); (v) that the persons above mentioned and all necessary and proper persons be cited to show cause why such relief should not be granted; (vi) that an order be granted pursuant to SCPA §307 where required or directed; and (vii) for such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper. HON. RITA MELLA SURROGATE Dated, Attested and Sealed. February 07th, 2025 (Seal) Diana Sanabria Chief Clerk Schram Graber & Opell P.C. Counsel to the Public Administrator, New York County 11 Park Place, Suite 1008 New
Kevin Rivoli/The Citizen via AP
A corrections officer walks into Auburn Correctional Facility while several dozen coworkers strike across the street in Auburn, N.Y., Tuesday to protest unsafe working conditions.
DCAS HIRING LIST
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services established a 1,141-name list for Call Center Representative on November 13, 2024. The list is based on Exam 4024, which was recently held. Readers should note that eligible lists change over their four-year life as candidates are added, removed, reinstated, or rescored. The list shown below is accurate as of the date of establishment but list standings can change as a result of appeals.
Some scores are prefixed by the letters v, d, p, s and r. The letter “v” designates a credit given to an honorably discharged veteran who has served during time of war. The letter “d” designates a credit given to an honorably discharged veteran who was disabled in combat. The letter “p” designates a “legacy credit” for a candidate whose parent died while engaged in the discharge of duties as a NYC Police Officer or Firefighter. The letter “s” designates a “legacy credit” for being the sibling of a Police Officer or Firefighter who was killed in the World Trade Center attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Finally, the letter “r” designates a resident of New York City.
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.
JOB HIGHLIGHT
The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the New York City District Council of Carpenters will conduct a recruitment starting March 12 for 25 carpenter apprentices, the New York State Department of Labor announced.
REQUIREMENTS
The Committee requires that applicants be at least 17 years old at the time of application and that they have a high school diploma or
Carpenters Council conducting apprenticeship recruitment for 25 slots starting March 12
a high school equivalency diploma (such as TASC or GED). Proof will be required after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship. They must be physically able to perform the work of the trade without posing a direct threat to the safety of themselves or others. That work includes working on scaffolds and in confined spaces, under conditions of inclement weather, such as rain, snow, cold, hear and direct sunlight, performing constant repetitive motions, climbing and working from height, lifting items weighing a minimum of 50 pounds and standing and stooping for pro-
CITY CERTIFICATIONS
2 jobs in Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services. MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATOR–174 eligibles between Nos. 190 and 722 on List 8302 for any of 3 jobs in Police Department.
PROCUREMENT ANALYST–5 eligibles (Nos. 327.5, 360.5, 400, 403 and 415.5) on List 1194 for 2 jobs in HRA/DSS.
PROJECT MANAGER–143 eligibles between Nos. 1 and 142 on List 4076 for 2 jobs in DDC.
SENIOR STATIONARY ENGINEER–2 eligibles (Nos. 28 and 29) on List 2092 for 1 job in HRA/DSS.
WELDER–53 eligibles between Nos. 103 and 153 on List 2061 for 1 job in DOT.
PROMOTION
ASSOCIATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
SPECIALIST–67 eligibles between Nos. 1 and 73 on List 4570 for 10 jobs in Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
ASSOCIATE INSPECTOR (HIGHWAYS AND SEWERS)–7 eligibles between Nos. 1 and 12 on List 4512 for 3 jobs in DOT.
CAPTAIN (POLICE)–311 eligibles between Nos. 48 and 496.5 on List 2558 for 15 jobs in NYPD.
DEPUTY CHIEF (FIRE)–66 eligibles between Nos. 20 and 85 on List 3590 for any of 100 jobs in Fire Department.
MATE (FERRY)–45 eligibles between Nos. 1 and 48 on List 4538 for 2 jobs in DOT.
SUPERVISOR OF HOUSING CARETAK-
ERS–200 eligibles between Nos. 21 and 410 on List 2554 for 4 jobs at Housing Authority.
longed periods of time. Apprentice candidates must provide proof, in the form of detailed examples, of any trade-related experience, certification or education, after selection and prior to enrollment in the apprenticeship. Apprentices travel to off-site training and agree to be financially responsible for certain costs related to the training in the event that the apprentice cancels, fails to show up or does not successfully complete the program. They must have reliable means of transportation to and from various job sites and classes at the approved school.
Candidates must be U.S. citizens or have the legal right to work in the United States. Proof will be required after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship. They must be able to read, hear and understand verbal instructions and warnings in English. They must provide DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, if applicable, after selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship.
Successful candidates must pass a substance abuse screening, at the expense of the sponsor, within 48 hours of selection and prior to enrollment in apprenticeship, at a designated collection site designated by the JATC. They also must agree to and sign an apprentice drug testing policy, which provides for pre-enrollment testing, random testing,
for-cause testing and post-accident testing. They must sign an apprentice handbook, which is subject to change anytime.
INFORMATION SESSION
Applicants must attend an in-person information session at the New York City District Council of Carpenters Training Center (NYCDCC Training Center), 395 Hudson St. (Clarkson Street entrance), 2nd floor, in Manhattan. Information sessions will be held on the second Wednesdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for all trades during the recruitment period. There will be no admittance after 9 a.m. Off-site information sessions and virtual information sessions may be added if necessary. Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must sign in during the in-person information session. Failure to sign in will disqualify the individual from further consideration. At the conclusion of the information session, applicants will receive a passcode, which will allow them to access the application online. Applications will be available online during the recruitment period at www.nyccarpenterstrainingcenter.org Completed applications must be submitted and received through the website portal (www. nyccarpenterstrainingcenter.org)
within 60 days from the date of the information session. Failure to comply will disqualify the individual from further consideration. Applications that meet all requirements will be scheduled for an interview at a future date. Applicants will only be allowed one interview and those that do not arrive on time to their scheduled interview will be disqualified from further consideration. Applicants will be provided with an instruction sheet and a list of original documents that will be required if they are accepted into the program. For further information, applicants should contact New York City District Council of Carpenters at (212) 727-2224. Additional job search assistance can be obtained at your local New York State Department of Labor Career Center (see: https:// dol.ny.gov/career-centers). Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.
LABOR AROUND THE WORLD LABOR AROUND THE WORLD LABOR AROUND THE WORLD
Amazon workers in North Carolina vote against joining union
Most recent to vote against representation
BY HALELUYA HADERO and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina rejected a proposal to unionize, becoming the latest group of the company’s employees to side against union representation.
About three-quarters of employees at an Amazon fulfillment center in Garner, a town located near Raleigh, voted against joining a grassroots labor organization called Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment, the National Labor Relations Board announced.
The federal labor agency said 2,447 workers cast ballots against union representation while 829 voted in favor of joining the independent union, which is made up of former and current Amazon workers. The NLRB had said 4,300 Amazon workers were eligible to cast ballots in the election, which took place Monday through Saturday.
Rev. Ryan Brown, a former Amazon worker who co-founded the group, said Saturday, “We had already braced ourselves for a loss.”
“We knew that historically the tide was against us to have a win for several reasons,” Brown said. “One, we’re in the South. Two, the average worker that’s in North Carolina knows nothing about a union and the benefits of a union and what a union could do for them.”
The company has fended off unionization in Staten Island and Albany.
The outcome came just weeks after workers at a Whole Foods Market store in Pennsylvania voted to unionize, leading to the first successful entry of organized labor into the grocery chain, which Amazon owns. Following the union win, Whole Foods asked the NLRB to toss out the election results, arguing the voting process was tainted.
In 2022, workers at an Amazon warehouse in the New York City borough of Staten Island unionized with Amazon Labor Union, which joined forces with the Teamsters last year. However, Amazon has objected to the election result and refused to negotiate over a contract.
At the same time, the company has also been able to successfully fend off union victories at a second warehouse on Staten Island, as well as at facilities near Albany, New York, and in Bessemer, Alabama.
In November, an NLRB administrative law judge ordered a third union election for Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer after determining that the company committed six violations leading up to a rerun election in March 2022. That rerun was held after the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which is seeking to represent Amazon workers in Bessemer, filed objections to the first election, which resulted in a union loss.
Workers affiliated with Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment, or CAUSE, have been organizing at the North Carolina warehouse since January 2022. Co-founder Brown said in an interview last month he started organizing because he felt like Amazon was not providing workers adequate protections against COVID-19.
The company said Saturday that Amazon already offers what many unions are requesting, such as safe and inclusive workplaces and competitive pay.
“We’re glad that our team in Garner was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep a direct relationship with Amazon,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said in a written statement.
Red states embrace Trump’s crackdown on remote government work
BY KEVIN HARDY Stateline
A yearslong conflict over whether Nebraska’s governor can unilaterally force state workers back to the office will ultimately be sorted out by the state’s highest court.
The Nebraska Association of Public Employees, which represents more than 8,000 state employees, challenged Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s November 2023 order requiring workers in offices full time. The group argues that Pillen cannot do so without labor contract negotiations.
Justin Hubly, executive director of the union, said most of Nebraska’s state employees would continue working from physical offices, as they did before the pandemic. But he said many state jobs could be performed remotely.
“Who cares where our IT application developers are working, what time of the day they’re working, as long as their assignments are done in a timely matter?” he said.
Hubly said the issue has become needlessly politicized in Nebraska and across the country. In recent weeks, Republicans in states nationwide have echoed President Donald Trump’s skepticism that government work can be effectively done remotely.
“It seems that everything in America today has to become a political issue and then immediately has to be chosen to be a conservative red-state issue or a liberal bluestate issue,” Hubly said.
Last week in the Oval Office, Trump repeated his rationale for requiring federal workers to be in the office, part of his push to shrink the workforce. He claimed without evidence that many of them are balancing two jobs and only devoting 10 percent to 20 percent of their government time to working.
“Nobody’s going to work from home, they’re going to be going out, they’re gonna play tennis, they’re gonna play golf,” Trump told reporters.
Experts say the president’s push has turned the work-from-home debate into a partisan fight.
“I would analogize it to many states launching their own DOGE commissions, to sort of signal affinity with what’s happening in Washington,” said Peter Morrissey, senior director of talent and strategy at the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit that works to support public sector workers.
Earlier this month, Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine ordered state employees back to their offices
starting March 17. Similarly, Oklahoma GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an order in December that requires employees to work full time from offices as of this month. And Republicans who control Wisconsin’s legislature are pushing legislation and pressuring the state’s Democratic governor over the issue.
In Nebraska, a labor court last July ruled against the public employees union, though the union has appealed the decision to the Nebraska Supreme Court. The July decision came down on a Thursday, and Pillen said he expected state workers to be back in offices the next Monday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is long over, and it is likewise long overdue that our full workforce is physically back,” he said at the time.
Before Pillen’s executive order, 2,250 employees in Nebraska’s 25 largest agencies were working remote or hybrid, said Pillen spokesperson Laura Strimple. She said 1,100 — or 8 percent of those agencies’ workers — are now working remotely or hybrid and that the state is “still evaluating available space in the future to return even more public servants.”
Like private employers, states have been grappling with the complications of remote work since the
pandemic. But nearly five years lat-
er, the issue is as political as ever.
Trump is requiring a return to office in part to have federal employees quit as his administration seeks to shrink the government workforce, according to a November Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Department of Government Efficiency task force head Elon Musk and his then-DOGE partner, Vivek Ramaswamy.
The politicization of remote work Morrissey noted that state, local and federal governments compete with the private sector for workers. And with less competitive pay in many government roles, a lack of flexible work arrangements could prove a competitive disadvantage — particularly for some of the most specialized workers.
He added that legitimate debate over worker productivity and taxpayer savings related to remote work should not be an excuse to use “the public workforce as a culture war item or a punching bag.”
Morrissey expects state political leaders will leave flexibility for agency directors and department management to craft hybrid or remote work arrangements.
Even the White House’s order al-
lowed agency leaders to “make exemptions they deem necessary.”
Research has found slight productivity dips from remote work, though it can help with employee recruitment and retention, said Nicholas Bloom, an economics professor at Stanford University who researches remote work.
Fully remote workers also can deliver employers significant cost savings through reduced office expenses and less employee turnover. But evaluating the performance of remote employees is tricky, particularly so in government work.
“This is why 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies have managers and professionals on a hybrid schedule,” he said.
But Bloom views the Republican return-to-office trend in government as a way to reduce staffing.
Employees often prefer to work remotely and view hybrid schedules as providing the equivalent benefit of an 8 percent pay increase.
“This is clearly all about reducing headcount,” Bloom said. “By making work more unpleasant, the hope is employees quit.”
Stateline, founded in 1998, provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy. https://stateline.org/
Unions back Trump’s Labor Dep’t pick but advocates wonder about her clout
BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press
Union leaders have described President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Labor as a friend of organized labor. But as her confirmation hearing were set to begin Wednesday, advocates for workers’ rights questioned whether Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be able to uphold that reputation in an administration that has fired thousands of federal employees.
Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican member of Congress from Oregon and former mayor of a small city on the edge of liberal-leaning Portland, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the first stop in her confirmation process.
During her one term as a congresswoman, Chavez-DeRemer’s voting record earned her strong union support. Some political observers surmised that Trump picked her as his labor secretary as a way to appeal to voters who are members of or affiliated with labor organizations. She is the daughter of a Teamster member.
Before she lost her House reelection bid in November, ChavezDeRemer backed the PRO Act, legislation that would allow more workers to conduct union organizing campaigns and penalize companies that violate workers’ rights.
The bill, one of former President Joe Biden’s priorities, passed the House in 2021 but didn’t gain traction in the Senate.
If confirmed as secretary, ChavezDeRemer would be in charge of the Department of Labor’s nearly 16,000 full-time employees and a proposed budget of $13.9 billion in fiscal year
2025. She would set priorities that impact workers’ wages, ability to unionize, and health and safety, as well as employers’ rights to fire employees.
But it’s unclear how much power Chavez-DeRemer will be able to wield as Trump’s Cabinet moves to slash U.S. government spending and the size of the federal workforce. During his first month in office, the president froze trillions of dollars in federal funding and offered buyouts to most federal workers.
His administration last week started laying off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, has called for getting rid of entire agencies.
“The Department of Labor is the agency where people in building are supposed to wake up every day
thinking about how they can improve the lives of working people,” said Adam Shah, director of national policy at Jobs with Justice, a nonprofit organization that promotes workers’ rights. “It’s quite possible that no matter what the secretary of labor stands for, the billionaire embedded in the Trump administration, who is so keen on destroying the institutions, will be interested in gutting the Department of Labor.”
GOP’s inroads
In January, Trump fired two of three Democratic commissioners serving on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that enforces civil rights in the workplace. He also fired the acting chair of the National Labor Relations Board, Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve as an NLRB member, as well as General
Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. Wilcox sued the Trump administration, arguing that federal law protects her from being arbitrarily dismissed. Republicans have made inroads with working-class voters. Despite decades of labor unions siding with Democrats, and Trump’s apparent support for firing striking workers, his populist appeal gained him votes from rank-and-file union members.
Many major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the presidential race. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declined to endorse a candidate, and Teamsters leader Sean O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention. The Teamsters have endorsed Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination. Some observers expect ChavezDeRemer to receive more votes from Senate Democrats than some of Trump’s other Cabinet selections did. But the same positions that won her support from unions may make her a harder sell with business groups; the American Trucking Associations and the International Franchise Association said they hoped she would disavow her past support for the Pro Act by working to get it overturned.
Emily Twarog, an associate professor in the school of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois, said a question mark hangs over the labor secretary-designate even if she gets the Senate committee’s approval.
With the ongoing efforts by the current administration to limit or eliminate certain government functions, “how much will she actually be able to do to help workers in the Department of Labor if there’s limited funding and restrictions put on the work that can be done?” Twarog said.
Former U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer
Former U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer met with directors at The Canby Center nonprofit in Canby, Oregon, in September 2023. The Oregon Republican’s confirmation hearings as President Trump’s pick to head the Department of Labor began Wednesday.
Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner
Justin Hubly, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, leads a noon-hour news conference Dec. 7, 2023, in Lincoln regarding Gov. Jim Pillen’s executive order mandating state employees return to in-person offices by Jan. 2.