Workers World Today - Issue 1

April 5-19, 2019

INSIDE

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Citizenship Drive Every Saturday - pg.10

Estate and Pre-Planning Guide

Sanitation Workers Treated Like Trash

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ouctar Diallo came to the United States looking for a better life. At 19, he got a job working for Sanitation Salvage in the Bronx. But instead of that better life he dreamed of, the company treated him like the trash he picked up every night.

Diallo was forced to work off the books, for less than $80 a night. And then in 2017, he was run over and killed by the truck he was working on. When police arrived on the scene, they were told he was a homeless person, unknown to the company, who jumped in front of the truck.

We are fighting to transform the private carting industry so no worker is ever again treated like Mouctar Diallo was treated.

For the past five years, the Teamsters and our allies have called for the City to create an exclusive waste zone system to

protect workers and the environment. New research from the Department of Sanitation shows that our plan would reduce the long routes that private sanitation workers have to drive every shift, while saving money and pollution too.

Workers in this industry often work over 14 hours a night, six days a week. It is the fifth most deadly job in the country, but many private carters force workers to drive poorly maintained trucks and do not provide safety equipment or training.

We want the city to reform this industry with an exclusive waste zone system, where one private carter would be assigned to each section of the city, through a competitive bidding process. The City would select carters for each zone based on their commitment to fair prices for small businesses,

What to Do If You Are Injured at Work

Mouctae Diallo strong protections and wages for workers, and environmental standards.

The Department of Sanitation’s study found that our plan would cut truck traffic by 60%, while reducing costs by 4%.

Those savings can go to higher wages and safer trucks for workers.

Teamsters Local 813 represents workers in this industry, but low-road companies are constantly undercutting responsible union carters. Please help these Teamsters members by voicing your support for exclusive waste zones. p In solidarity, George Miranda President, Teamsters Joint Council 16

The Employee Rights Act Is Back! ... see page 9 The Race for District 45...17

Home Buying and Real Estate Guide

Music Activism... 6 Fighting Fair... 20

BY JANET HOWARD

I

f you have been injured at work, there is a good chance that you are entitled to compensation. However, in order to ensure that your claim runs smoothly, you will need to adhere to the following advice:

Report It Immediately If you're injured at work, report the incident right away. Most states require you to inform your boss immediately - either on the same day or within a short period of time - and many mandate that you submit the details in writing.

So to be safe, get the time, place, and particulars to continued on page 9

Running for elections?

Interested in being endorsed?

Send us an email: info@workersworldtoday.com

Worker to Business Owner... 12

Help Save the Post Office!

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or the first time in history, the White House wants to privatize the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). A

corporate post office would be bad for all of us—and it would be devastating for women and people of color. Spread the word and tell your member of Congress to keep the USPS public.

Thirty-nine percent postal workers are people of color, and 40% are women. Those workers earn fair wages, pensions, health care, paid leave, a career path and protections from harassment and unfair treatment. These continued on page 4

Congress Probes AT&T's Broken Promises on Jobs

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hen the Republican corporate tax cut bill was being debated, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was happy to make big promises to the American people that if it passed, AT&T would create thousands of new jobs. But it turns out those promises were a scam – just like the corporate tax cut bill itself, a massive giveaway to corporations paid for by working

Photo:shutterstock

continued from page 3

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April 5-19, 2019

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” — Steve Jobs

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Contents The Good Shop Steward Fighting Wage Theft..............................................................4 We Are the Leadership: Nielsen Report Reveals Black Consumers “Move” Markets....................................5

Organizing a Union: WFM Workers Need Unionization Now More Than Ever................ 14 Politics: Catalina Cruz Proves the Worth of Dreamers.... 16

Civil Rights Music: The Frontier for Activism.......................................6 Workers’ Rights Insurance for Blue and White Collar Workers: ............8 Workers’Matters Ending Birthright Citizenship Could Put All Americans’ Nationality In Jeopardy.................................12

108th Commemoration of the Triangle Factory Fire

Tax Matters Are Uber Drivers Indpendent Contractors or Employees?..............................................13 Workers’ Safety Shop Stewards and Workplace Accidents.........7

O

n Monday, March 25, 2019, hundreds joined Workers United/SEIU (ILGWU) for the commemoration of the 108th anniversary of the 1911 Triangle Factory Fire, a pivotal event in US history and a turning point in labor’s struggle to achieve fair wages, dignity at work and safe working conditions. Outrage at the deaths of 146 mostly young, female immigrants inspired the union movement and helped to institute worker protections and fire safety laws. Rep. Jerry Nadler, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan BP Gale Brewer, NYS Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, NYC CLC, Uniformed Firefighters Association, United Federation of Teachers, Rural and Migrant Ministry, Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, Workmen’s Circle, the FDNY, clergy, and family members of

victims read the names of workers who perished during the blaze and laid flowers at the site of the fire while a bell tolled. In a solemn moment, FDNY Ladder #20 was raised to the 6th floor of the building, the highest point it could reach in 1911, although the fire engulfed the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors.

In January, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to approve a memorial dedicated to the victims of the fire. Reframing the Sky, designed by architects Uri Wegman and Richard Joon Yoo, will debut next year if supporters can raise $850,000 to cover long-term maintenance costs.

Visit www.rememberthetrianglefire.org to learn how you can help build the memorial. p

Immigration 101 How to Hire International Employees Using An H1-B Visa................................................................15

COLUMNS

Love, Health & Travel 5 Top Reasons to Become a Travel Agent and Destination Specialist.... 20

Source: NYC CLC

“Some things should never be forgotten because things that are forgotten have a way of coming back...”

Books & Conversation Mega-churches: Are They More Interested in Your Financial Health or Your Spiritual Health? .................. 22

Family: The True Modern Relationship Making Family Time a Priority, No Phones!...11

April 5-19, 2019

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About Us

A Publication For All Workers: Blue-collar and White-collar

T Supports Workers’ World Today

R

ecently, I was in Albany fighting and seeking support of A1261/S1947, legislation that will create a clear definition of public work and level the playing field for New York’s contractors.

District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades Union (DC9), the union for painters, prides itself on being a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety. We are excited about this new publication, Workers’ World Today, which covers the issues of relevance and concern for all workers.

We are encouraged that all workers: blue and white collar will have a voice and platform.

Congratulations on your inaugural issue. We wish much success to the leaders and team of Workers’ World Today and pledge our support.p Davon Lomax Political Director, DC9

he Workers’ World Today is a free publication that aims to empower all workers, regardless of their social or political affiliations. Our paper covers local, national and international issues affecting all workers, both in print and digital.

Distributed throughout New York City, this community paper has a mission to educate New York workers how to organize a union, transition to business owner, or provide them with relevant information pertinent to the workforce such as workers’ compensation, discrimination on the job, workers’ rights, and many more.

Our partners include the Hispanic American International Chamber of Commerce (HAICC), the African American International Chamber of Commerce (AAICC), and the New Broken Promises continued from page 1 families.

CWA President Chris Shelton recently testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee at a hearing examining how the promises Republican leaders and corporations made on job creation and raising wages have not been fulfilled after the passage of the tax bill.

"One need look no further than our experience at AT&T for a prime example of how those promises have not become reality," Shelton told Congress. "AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was one of the most visible and aggressive supporters of

TEAM Publisher Workers’ World Today, Inc Editor-In-Chief Pearl Phillip Online Editor Elias Gebrehiwot Contributing Writers Marilyn Silverman Howie Hawkins Charles Tabasso Victoria Falk Dana Mathura Erin Telesford Tatyana Bellamy-Walker Winston Wei Janet Howard

American Chamber of Commerce (NACC). Through these partnerships, we aspire to inform all workers and empower them.

We believe that: The best leader is the hardest worker. Whether it’s business, politics, or unions, we can identify our leaders by their

the corporate tax cuts. In his public statements in the media and to employees, he promised that AT&T would create at least 7,000 new jobs if the tax cuts were to become law. Instead, since December of 2017 when the tax law was passed

work ethic. Not all workers get the rewards they have earned or the recognition they deserve. Our publication features news, views and interviews empowering all workers with the recognition they deserve and rewards earned.p

by Congress and signed by the President, AT&T has eliminated 12,321 union jobs."

In advance of the hearing, CWA released a new analysis suggesting that after refunds, AT&T paid no cash income taxes in 2018 and slashed capital investments by $1.4 billion.

Shelton brought with him hundreds of hand-written letters that CWA members who work at AT&T had written to members of the Committee and read from some of them at the hearing. Representative Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) noted that he had met with CWA members in Flint, Mich., and received thousands of letters. "Unless the focus is on how we strengthen the American worker, and not how we re-

Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Tel 1-866-435-3286 Email info@workersworldtoday.com Visit us at www.workersworldtoday.com

ward those people at the top who are already doing quite well, we are going to see more [layoffs]. This Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a jobs cut and tax act." Kildee said.

Shelton pointed out that AT&T is not the only employer that has not shared the benefits of its tax windfall with its employees, citing General Motors, American Airlines, and Wells Fargo as other corporations benefiting from tax cuts while under-investing in employees and cutting jobs. He urged Congress to call for AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and other corporate executives to testify and explain exactly what they did with their tax windfall and what is really behind the job cuts. p

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April 5-19, 2019

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The Good Shop Steward

Fighting Wage Theft

BY HOWIE HAWKINS

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ational studies have shown that one-third of low-wage workers experience wage theft every week. Two-thirds have had wages stolen at some point in their work lives.

Employers use a variety of means to avoid paying wages their workers have earned: working them off the clock, failing to pay overtime, failing to pay the minimum wage, and simply disappearing without paying, an occurrence that is too often experienced by workers who are hired by contractors for temporary laboring jobs in construction, demolition, landscaping, truck loading, hauling, and unloading.

But it is not just low-wage workers in small businesses who face wage theft. A study based on a compilation of court cases by Good Jobs First and Jobs with Justice found that wage theft is built into the business model of some of America’s biggest corporations. Walmart, with $1.4 billion in total wage theft settlements and fines, is the worst offender, followed by FedEx with $502 million. Retailing is the industry with the highest aggregate penalties ($2.7 billion), followed by financial services ($1.4 billion), freight and logistics ($828 mil-

lion), business services ($611 million), and insurance ($557 million). Among top offenders are household names like Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and State Farm Insurance.

Wage theft can even happen to unionized workers, as I found out working at UPS. Several years ago, after I was paid an hour less than I worked and paid for straight time instead of the overtime rate I was owed for working on a Sunday, my request to management to get it corrected was unsuccessful. Fortunately, we have a grievance procedure in our Teamsters Union contract with UPS. I filed a grievance and also told the other workers unloading trucks with me, to start writing down the times they punched in and out. Sure enough, a number of the younger workers were being cheated 5 to 10 minutes a shift by supervisors who were changing their times in order to improve the numbers they reported to managers higher up the food chain.

So we filed another grievance.

In this case, the higher management did their own investigation and ended up firing the supervisors who were stealing time from us. The day we got our double back pay checks, the penalty provided for in the contract, was the day that the two supervisors were perp-

walked out of our UPS hub by sheriff’s deputies. It was my best day ever working at UPS. Having a union willing to back up grievances filed for wage theft is probably the best way for workers to defend themselves from thieving employers. But anti-wage theft laws can and should help.

An estimated $1 billion in wages is stolen from workers in New York State each year, but they have only recovered about $22 million a year since 2011.

Wage theft was an issue we raised during the 2010 gubernatorial election campaign. We wanted to beef up enforcement resources in the Department of Labor to deal with the 2-year backlog of wage theft cases. We also pushed for passage of the Wage Theft Prevention Act, which provided for stiffer penalties for wage theft and for retaliating against workers who filed complaints about wage theft. The bill was enacted in April 2011. But the provision that required employers to notify workers in writing each year of their wage rates, overtime rates, regular paydays, and names and addresses of employers, was rescinded in December 2014, after the next gubernatorial election.

The anti-wage theft agenda we pushed in 2014, is the same one we are pushing for. We

Photo credit: Marie Kanger Born / Shutterstock.com Striking workers and supporters from the Walmart distribution center rally for better wages and working conditions.

continue to call for hiring more Labor Department investigators to deal with the backlog of wage theft cases. The Cuomo administration succeeded in reducing the backlog artificially in 2015, by reducing from 6 years to 3 years the amount of time the Labor Department will look back to investigate wage theft cases.

The central focus of the antiwage theft campaign that is still on the agenda is the passage of the SWEAT (Securing Wages Earned Against Theft) Act. Too often workers never get paid back wages even when they win their cases in court. The SWEAT Act will give workers a tool to pry back their wages from wage-stealing employers, which will be the right of workers owed wages to file a lien against the assets of their employer.

Save Postal Workers continued from page 1 competitive contracts also hold private delivery companies accountable.

But under a corporate postal service, many jobs would be converted to low-paying “gig” contracts, closing a path out of poverty for hundreds of thousands of workers. The money these jobs bring to local communities will instead be funneled to Wall Street investors and corporate bottom lines.

For all of us, it would mean limited service like fewer delivery days and higher prices.

Corporations could label urban routes “undesirable” and raise rates or end services. It would also hit rural communities with post office closures. Home delivery could end altogether.

Our brothers and sisters and the American Postal Workers Union and National Association of Letter Carriers pro-

We are also demanding that Governor Cuomo immediately rescind his Department of Labor’s regulation that permits – in defiance of three state court rulings – employers to work home attendants in 24hour shifts for 13 hours pay.

Not paying those workers for 11 hours on a 24-hour shift is a form of wage theft that has been legalized by the Department of Labor regulation. A lawsuit filed by workers to get this regulation repealed is now being litigated. p

Howie Hawkins, a recently retired Teamster in Syracuse, wass the 2018 Green Party candidate for Governor of New York. Read more of his articles at www.workersworldtoday.com

duced a new video to spread the word about the consequences of a postal corporate takeover—will you watch the video and share it with your friends? (Go to www.workersworldtoday.com to see and share the video) We need to collectively tell the White House that the U.S. mail is not for sale!

The fair wages and benefits of our USPS brothers and sisters are at stake. All of us, especially those of us who live in rural areas or areas designated as “undesirable,” risk losing affordable and accessible mail service. p

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO was founded in 1992 as the first and only national organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) union members to advance worker, immigrant and civil rights. Learn more at www.apalanet.org.

April 5-19, 2019

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We Are the Leadership

Nielsen Report Reveals Black Consumers “Move” Markets

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frican-Americans are leading U.S. markets with more than $ 1.1 trillion in consumer buying power, reveals a 2018 Nielsen Insight report.

Black consumers are mobilizing their brands and influencing markets through social media, experts say.

“Black consumers have brokered a seat at the table and are demanding that brands and marketers speak to them in ways that resonate culturally and experientially—if these brands want their business,” according to the report.

DOVE sparked outrage and even a boycott from black consumers after the brand sold a cream for “Normal to Dark Skin.” The popular soap and beauty brand implied that white skin is “normal.” Communities of color not only took to Twitter to expose the marketing team’s racist “summer glow cream” they stopped buying Dove. The social media

storm eventually led to a dip in Dove’s public image.

Using social media as a tool to boost brand power is also helping to grow black businesses.

For example, Urban One Inc, known as one of the most popular and influential AfricanAmerican brands in the country, has more than 50,000 followers on Twitter and half a million likes on its Facebook page.

Urban One Inc, is a radio, TV and internet conglomerate listed in the top 10 for largest black-owned businesses on Black Enterprise’s magazine Be 100s List. Formerly known as Radio One, Urban One Inc. is the producer of TV One, a network representing black culture, politics and entertainment. Some of their more popular series include their news program, News One and Justice by Any Means, featuring Malik Yoba (He played the husband of pop icon Janet

Jackson in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?).

The report also shows that communities of color represent more than 50 percent of the overall spending in key product categories.

“Half of the total spent ($941 million) on dry grains and vegetables in the U.S. in 2017 came from consumers of color,” the report notes. “And Black consumers represented $147 million of the total spend in this category, which has recently made advances in product creation to meet the demands of their diverse buyers.”

In the insight report, Cheryl Grace, Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engage-

ment at Nielsen, said black consumers have a ‘cool factor’ that has “created a halo effect, influencing not just consumers of color, but the mainstream as well.”

African-American consumers have pushed for more culturally competent branding and services – propelling brands to serve the community. Ultimately, Black consumers are one of the most powerful leaders in market stability. Busi-

nesses across the country should put in the effort to grow and maintain a relationship.

“More importantly, the data suggests that Black consumer spending already significantly affects the bottom line in many categories and industries,” the report adds. “Brands can't afford to lose favor or traction with this segment without [a] potential negative impact.” p

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April 5-19, 2019

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Civil Rights

Music: The Frontier for Activism

BY DANA MATHURA

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usic is the last thing you want to view as political—especially when you are getting a sizable dose of politics spewed at you left and right each day. In fact, music might be your single escape from politics.

But music has long been a source of political motifs.

Everything from national anthems displaying patriotism to tracks expressing anti-war sentiments, are rooted in politics.

The tune, “We Shall Overcome,” popularly sung by Joan Baez, is widely believed to be based on the hymn written circa 1900, by Charles Albert Tindley. This song represented social struggle and became the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

Other artists, such as Billie Holiday and the late Aretha Franklin, used their platform to bring much needed awareness to injustices against people of color in the United States. In Holiday’s rendition

Jeffries Photo credit: jeffries.house.gov

of “Strange Fruit,” the songstress tackled issues of racism and lynchings in the American South.

Franklin grew up and rose to fame during the height of the Civil Rights Movement where she belted out track after track with human rights undertones. Franklin herself came from an activist background—her father was a friend of Martin Luther King Jr. Skip to our modern era and

Meeks Photo credit: shutterstock

you will find that rapper Meek Mill just earned himself another title—this time of an activist. Mill finds himself in an exponentially growing group, along with fellow artists doubling as activists like Common and Mos Def. This past September, Mill joined with New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries and CNN political commentator Van Jones for the “Artists, Activism and the Criminal Justice System” panel.

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The panel was a part of the Congressional Black Caucus’ 48th Annual Legislative Agenda. Those on the panel ranged from music industry members to professors wellversed in the areas of black struggle.

The aim of the conference was to further reform in several areas, like the criminal justice and education system.

Sometimes, it is not enough to hear it from news personnel.

Rappers like Mill provide a familiar face to the youth and other fans that see their idol pushing for change. In an effort to reciprocate, Mill’s audience has a more likely chance of following suit in this progressive agenda he is backing.

In an interview with Ebony magazine Rep. Jeffries stated “The mass incarceration epidemic that inflicts America is deeply ingrained. One of the reasons it’s important to have artists like Meek Mill involved in the effort to secure criminal justice reform is because we’re fighting against an entrenched

system.”

People of color, but especially young men of color, are going to need to see less of their friends in jail and more in public office to foster growth in their communities.

It is ultimately about representation. Citizens are going to need this to increase voter turnout. More faces of color recruiting the active participation of young voters and voters of color, are going to provide minorities seats in government. This proves to be of importance because we want those who know the day in and day out toil for social equality, to understand us when we look to them for help.

The endeavors of those musical champions who paved the way for just rights to be created across the board, are now having their labor overturned.

Efforts like these and the fabrication of this conference are needed more than ever in the state of political unrest we live in. p

April 5-19, 2019

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Workers’ Safety

Shop Steward and Workplace Accidents It is the job of the shop steward to notify workers of changes to collective bargaining agreements and introduce employees to any new or updated union policies.

BY TATANA BELLAMY-WALKER

K

eeping a pack safe in the workplace first starts with the shop steward – a construction site’s go-to person for job protection.

Often referred to as a company’s first line of defense, a shop steward helps those who are injured on the job receive medical care and compensation. During the first few minutes of an injury it is important to secure medical care, then a timeline of the events and to complete a claim for worker’s compensation.

In addition, shop stewards are the point person for dealings with upper management.

Experts say it is important to keep a level head while organizing against these disputes.

This will help the client retain their legal rights and give them the greatest number of options for the future.

Experts advise injured workers to avoid making oral statements, instead, they should offer general answers. For example, “I fell from the scaffold” is a simple statement. If the employer wants more detail, the worker should say that he is still in shock and pain and

needs a few days before he talks in greater detail. Next, the worker should immediately consult a lawyer.

Attorneys also advise using written statements to confirm the events of an injury. For example, these written statements may be used by insurance companies to evaluate who is at fault. In addition, these statements are the groundwork for building a case against the employer. The

statements should include an in-depth analysis of the causes of the accident. For example, this might include a primary cause such as a wet floor that caused a slip or secondary causes, such as an employee not wearing safety gear.

Lastly, a written statement can also include recommendations for corrective action. For example, preventative maintenance such as protecting, updating equipment as well as

conducting a job hazard analysis can help lower the threats of an accident.

As a shop steward, it is also important to interview witnesses before bosses have a chance to intimidate or bribe the workers. The employers often try and deny that an accident happened by building up an army of witnesses who can falsify the claim. Written statements from witnesses help to corroborate the circum-

stances of an incident.

But outside of handling workplace accidents, the shop steward plays a role in providing information to union leadership, organizing meetings and welcoming new employees. For example, a shop steward will organize work actions, petitions and demonstrations.

Also, it is the job of the shop steward to notify workers of changes to collective bargaining agreements and introduce employees to any new or updated union policies.

Ultimately, if you’re interested in becoming a shop steward, experts advise clients to become familiar with all the employees on the site and understand their positions. In addition, if you’d like to get ahead, it helps to be persistent as well as a warrior for workplace equality.p

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April 5-19, 2019

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Workers’ Rights

Insurance for Blue & White Collar Workers

BY WINSTON WEI

T

he terms “blue collar” and “white collar” are occupational classifications that distinguish workers who perform manual labor from workers who perform professional jobs.

A blue-collar worker performs labor jobs and typically works with their hands, the skills necessary for blue-collar work vary by occupation.

Some blue-collar occupations require highly skilled personnel who are formally trained and certified; these workers include aircraft mechanics, plumbers, electricians and structural workers. Many bluecollar employers hire unskilled and low-skilled workers to perform simple tasks such as cleaning, maintenance and assembly line work.

A white-collar worker usually performs job duties in an office setting. They are highly skilled and formally trained professionals. Many white-collar workers such as accountants, bankers, attorneys and real estate agents, provide pro-

fessional services to clients.

Other white-collar workers, such as engineers and architects, provide services to business, corporations and government agencies.

In terms of insurance needs for both Blue-collar workers and White-collar workers, we will only focus on two areas of insurance, life insurance and disability income insurance.

Blue-collar worker: How much life insurance should they have?

Here are the various considerations that will assist in determining the appropriate amount of life insurance needs: a.Current income b.Lifestyle c.Marital status d.Spouse’s well-being e.Number of dependent children f.Unexpected situations such as medical needs, maintenance/household needs, funeral costs g.Current savings and investments h.Current health status could determine the cost of insurance

Generally, life insurance coverage should equal 5 to 7 times the worker’s current income. For example, if a construction worker’s annual income is $55,000, he or she should have between $275,000 to $550,000 of life insurance. If a janitor worker’s annual income is $32,000, he or she should consider between $160,000 to $320,000 worth of insurance coverage.

The blue-collar worker should consider his or her financial situation or debts when determining how much life insurance is needed. At a minimum, if a blue-collar worker answers the questions ‘how much my family need for immediate expenses after my death will and “how much my family will need long-term”, then the amount of life insurance can be determined.

Types of Life Insurance: (blue-collar and white-collar): Regardless if an individual is a blue-collar or white-collar, the professional who you will be seeking advice or quotes needs to explain the various types of life insurance, and based on the explanation and your needs and budget, the professional should recommend a policy or plan that is suitable to you or your family or business.

Term Life: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30-year level term, once the term period is expiring, the cost becomes very expensive to renew or the policy will terminate. Initially it is a low-cost protection for short term, long term, if becomes quite expensive to maintain.

Whole Life-Fixed premium: based on your age, and your health status. There are two types of Whole Life companies, a Mutual company and a Stock company. The Mutual company Whole Life, the policy holders own the policy and will receive dividends. With the Stock company, Whole Life, the shareholders own the company, the dividends received are typically lower than a Mutual company Whole Life.

Whole Life builds cash value and dividends (dividends are not guaranteed by the company) Cash value grows tax deferred.

Blue-collar worker for Disability Insurance: Disability insurance is based on occupational risk as well as your personal health risks and lifestyle choice, like smoking and not smoking. If a bluecollar is in a high-risk job, like a lumberjack, it may be very difficult to obtain disability insurance.

Disability insurance provides replacement of loss of earned income from work; a worker can be disabled from a sickness claim or an accident claim. The waiting period (elimination period) is when the monthly income benefit will start making payments. The waiting period can be 30 days, sixty days, 90 days or 180 days. The shorter the waiting period, the more the premium will cost.

Typically, the coverage is 60%-70% of your gross earned income up to a maximum monthly amount. The benefit period will vary from 2 years, 5 years or to age 65 depending on the blue-collar occupation class.

Blue-collar disability typically have a guaranteed renewable policy not a non-cancellable policy.

A blue-collar definition of disability, basically, he or she is total disabled because of an injury or sickness, you are unable to perform the substantial and material duties of your regular occupation, and you are not engaged in any other gainful occupation, and you are under the regular care of a physician appropriate for your injury or sickness.

The Disability Income protection is paid in monthly installments not lump sum payment.

These funds can be used to cover bills such as mortgage payments, rent payment, credit card payments, daily living expenses, children education fees and medical and health expenses.

White-collar worker for Disability Insurance White collar workers are typically not exposed to the same level of risk in the workplace as other industries in the Bluecollar workers.

Disability insurance is to provide replacement of loss of earned income from work, a worker can be disabled from a sickness claim or an accident claim. The waiting period is the same as a Blue-collar worker, the benefit period in a White-Collar worker can be longer than age 65, some can go to age 67 or age 70.

White-collar disability also have Non-cancellable and continued on page 18

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April 5-19, 2019

9

Workers’ Compensation

The Employee Rights Act Is Back!

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ecently, Representative Phil Roe, M.D. (RTenn.) reintroduced the Employee Rights Act (ERA).

The bill, which garnered over 180 co-sponsors in the last Congress, would bring our current labor law into the 21st century by providing protections for the 7.6 million private-sector union members in the U.S. Right now, about 40 percent of union certifications bypass the secret ballot election. This means union leaders can hold public votes, relying on coercion and intimidation to maintain the status quo. To combat these scare tactics, the ERA would ensure secret ballot elections—a method over 80 percent of union households support. It would also guarantee periodic recertification votes to make sure current union members actually get the chance to vote for their representation.

The ERA would bring muchneeded reform to the process by which unions can deduct members’ dues from their paychecks and use them to support political causes. Right now, dues are automatically withheld from workers’ paychecks. While employees can request a refund, the method for doing so is often vague and arduous. The ERA would put

an end to this out-dated process by instead requiring workers to opt in to making dues payments that go to support their union’s political agenda.

This is good news for the 40 percent of union households who vote Republican in any given election, even though unions have given over $1.3 billion dollars—or 99 percent of their total political spending—to liberal groups and causes.

As Rep. Roe put it, “The ERA will restore workers’ faith in unions because it is neither pro- nor anti-union. It will simply make unions more accountable to the workers they serve.”

It’s time for Congress to get on board with the over 70 percent of Americans who support the ERA’s provisions.p

What to Do If You Are Injured at Work/continued from page 1 your supervisor as quickly as you can.

Follow Your Doctor's Advice Should you need more than basic first aid, your next step is to see a physician. Make sure your doctor records your description of the incident, and upon release, follow his or her instructions carefully.

File a Workers' Comp Claim Workers' compensation laws are written by the states and therefore vary across the country. But most have the following in common: ●You have a right to file a claim. ●You have a right to see a doctor. ●If your doctor clears you to return to work, you have the right to do so. ●If you're unable to return,

you have the right to disability compensation.

If you disagree with any decision made by management, their insurance company or the worker's compensation court, you can usually appeal it.

Understand Your Right to Refuse You also have the right to say no to any offers or requests. For example, if management suggests you use your own health insurance or offers an incentive to refrain from filing your workers' compensation claim, you have the absolute right to decline.

In Closing The aftermath of a workplace injury can be confusing and sometimes frustrating. If you are not happy with your compensation, have questions about the process, or just require guidance along the way, it is best to contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. They will be able to help you navigate the legal maze that you currently find yourself in.p

NY WORKERS’ COMPENSATION Are you working? Have you been injured on the job?

Was it a serious injury as defined under NY Workers’ Compensation Law? If yes, then call Figeroux & Associates for a FREE Consultation at 718-222-3155.

Why Should I Hire A Lawyer?

In addition to being eligible for workers' compensation, you may also have a claim against a party other than your employer. That is why it is so important to seek assistance from our experienced team.

Workers who know their rights and speak to a lawyer put themselves in a better position to obtain a recovery.

Find Out What Our Firm Can Do For You The Law Firm of Figeroux & Associates. Call us at 718-222-3155.

www.workersworldtoday.com

April 5-19, 2019

10

Workers’ Matters

Ending Birthright Citizenship Could Put All Americans’ Nationality in Jeopardy

BY AARON REICHLIN-MELNICK

R

ecently, President Trump told reporters that he intended to end birthright citizenship and claimed that he could do so with an executive order.

Birthright citizenship comes from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states that “Any person born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, is a citizen of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” Although the president falsely claimed that no other country provides birthright citizenship, it is the law in over 30 countries, including Mexico and Canada.

The unexpected announcement sparked fears for many in the immigrant community, including U.S. citizens whose parents are undocumented. It met swift condemnation from all sides of the aisle, with Republicans and Democrats alike questioning the legality. Legal

scholars agreed that the plan is unconstitutional; a president cannot amend the Constitution through executive action.

In 1898, in United States v.

Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship. Wong, born in San Francisco, had been prevented from re-entering the United States by immigration agents who argued that he was not a citizen because his parents were Chinese. The Supreme Court ruled in his favor, declaring that “citizenship by birth is established by the mere fact of

birth under the circumstances defined in the Constitution.” In other words, as long as you are born in the United States, you are a citizen.

Despite this 100-year-old ruling, some continue to argue that the constitutionality of birthright citizenship is not settled. In a tweet, President Trump endorsed a fringe legal theory that the children of undocumented immigrants are not citizens because their parents were not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, as required by the Fourteenth Amendment.

However, “[t]o be ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the U.S. is simply to be subject to the authority of the U.S. government … [and to be] required to obey U.S. laws,” according to James C. Ho, a judge nominated to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

by President Trump and confirmed in January.

The Supreme Court has largely agreed, suggesting in the 1982 case Plyer v. Doe that there is “no plausible” interpretation of the phrase that excludes undocumented immigrants.

The only people not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are diplomats and ambassadors, who are entitled to diplomatic immunity and are not required to follow most American laws.

The only way for the president to end birthright citizenship would be to amend the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority vote of the House and the Senate, and then for three-fourths states to ap-

prove the Amendment.

Eliminating birthright citizenship would create a new permanent underclass in the United States and could even leave some children stateless.

It would also impose hardship on all Americans, who could no longer point to a birth certificate as proof of citizenship. If place of birth no longer guaranteed citizenship, then all Americans—not just those whose parents were undocumented— would be forced to prove their parents’ nationality to the government in order to be recognized as a U.S. citizen. Many Americans would likely be denied citizenship based on government mistakes.

Although President Trump cannot change the Constitution with an executive order, his threat to eliminate birthright citizenship at a highly political moment is not only divisive but fundamentally out of line with America ideals.p

April 5-19, 2019

www.workersworldtoday.com

11

Family: The True Modern Relationship

Making Family Time a Priority, No Phones!

BY TATYANA BELLAMY-WALKER

W

hen carving out family-time becomes a battle over little ones thumbing away to Angry Birds or the fantasy survival game, Fortnite, experts say it might be time to disconnect. Many in Generation Z, who were born in the mid1990s to early 2000s, often struggle to unplug from digital devices. There are several ways, however, to enjoy family time without technology. The staff at Workers World Today has curated a list of games and activities to help your family cure tech-addicted relatives with some real-life fun.

Culture Trivia Blast The family-friendly game Black Card Revoked allows players to celebrate American black popular culture through a series of questions in film, television, music and life. The game is a great way to inspire debates and healthy competition among relatives. Also, siblings

Healthy families keep a good balance between “too much” and “not enough” time together. They spend enough time to satisfy all family members.

can always catch up or practice responses to the nostalgiafilled party game since the show now airs on BET on Thursdays at 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Host a Family Movie Night Get the popcorn and refreshments ready for a family movie night with the popular African-American thrille, Get Out. The Jordan Peele production starring Daniel Kaluuya details how his white girlfriend’s family (The Armitage’s) lobotomizes black people so that they can take over their bodies. If the kids aren’t into horror movies — get cultured through the 1994 Spike Lee movie Crooklyn, showcasing the life lessons and tribulations of a family in BedStuy, Brooklyn.

Teach Kids Urban Agriculture The East New York Farmers’ Market is a tool helping communities develop sustainable and healthy gardens. A family

outing to one of these urban farms is a great way for children to learn about agriculture and science. In addition, the community garden offers access to affordable fruits and vegetables. Also, East New York Farmers’ Market offers free cooking demonstrations, farm tours and gardening workshops.

Day Out at the Museum If you’re in the New York City area visit the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center’s exhibit on Black Power in

Harlem. The exhibit reveals an inside look at organizations like the Black Panther Party and the Black Arts Movement.

Recently, the New York Public Library announced that card holders will now have free admission to museums like the Brooklyn Historical Society, Intrepid, Sea, Air and Space Museum, and Society of Illustrators, as well as Brooklyn’s Botanic Garden. Visit Culture Pass to reserve a free ticket to one of these New York museums.

Take a Trip to an NYC Adventure Park There are many amusement parks to enjoy in New York City. In Brooklyn, families can get a head start on a weekend of family fun at Adventurers Amusement Park, which is an ideal choice for younger children. Some of the main attractions include Bumper Cars, the Cyclone Racer and the Fun Slide. In Manhattan, there is Victoria Gardens, a carnivalstyle attraction including a family swing and rainbow wheel. For older children and young adults alike, Luna Park at Coney Island has the iconic Cyclone and the Thunderbolt, which has an intense 90-degree vertical drop. Admission to Luna Park is free, but there is a price to pay per ride. p

www.workersworldtoday.com

April 5-19, 2019

12

From Worker to Business Owner

Awardees Offer Advice to Aspiring Business Owners

T

he Chamber Coalition (NACC, AAICC and HAICC) in partnership with Workers’ World Today, awarded seven business owners at the International and Multicultural Business Expo to commemorate their achievements in community entrepreneurship.

In an interview with Workers’ World Today, some of the awardees highlighted their experiences as well as offered advice to future small business owners.

Dr. Dennie Beach, CEO & President, Go Africa Network Inc., a non-profit helping the global trade of goods and services from Africa to markets across the world, said the award is reassurance that he is providing a profitable service to the community.

“It validates our conviction of being self-sufficient business owners,” Beach said. “As a business owner it's very challenging and fulfilling and you have to make hard decisions. Beach advises aspiring business owners

be a worker. I learned my trade to the best of my abilities." He advised budding entrepreneurs to "Put your all in it and you will get results. You can end up owning a business no matter what profession you are in."

to "Just start. Do something. Get going" Dr. Eugene D. Stanislaus, CEO Brooklyn Heights Dental and one of the few dentists in New York City who specialize in Periolase, a laser gum surgery, says the award reveals the power of small business owners.

“The award reflected all small businesses in Brooklyn. Without the support of the Chamber I wouldn't be able to receive the recognition,” Stanislaus said. If you want to own a business, he advises to, “Stay persistent. It’s really the key.” He added, “Try to utilize the resources that you have to propel you forward.

Focus on your dream.”

Astor Hosang, CEO of Professional Home Services, a familyowned home health care service, says the recognition is a testament to his work ethic.

“I did not stay in my comfort zone while being a worker,” Hosang said. “Instead, I overcame the fear and the discomfort of losing a weekly paycheck and ventured into the world of

owning my own business where I am able to write my own paycheck.”

He advises aspiring business owners to “Explore the other side where you are the boss.

Sure, it will be an uncomfortable transition. Follow your dreams and don't give up; you will not fail. You only fail when you give up.”

Israel Beckles, CEO and President, Millennium Tank Maintenance, which specializes in tank and boiler cleanings, says the award inspires him to empower others through business.

“The award meant a lot to me because it clarifies [that} anyone can achieve any goal that is set,” Beckles said. “I didn't settle to

George Crooks, founder, and CEO, Jammins Events, an arts and cultural promotions event management company, says a path toward entrepreneurship helped him give back to his community.

"I'm very proud to be recognized as a business owner that does good work,” Crooks said.

“I like to be able to provide opportunities to people in the community because it's important to provide jobs to people who need it." Crooks advises workers to "Execute and plan whatever you do.”

Joe Smith, CEO and founder, Struggcon Inc., a nonprofit committed to reclaiming lives and rebuilding communities, says the award shines a light on work that would otherwise be left in the dark.

“It demonstrates that others

are aware of my accomplishments in industry,” Smith said.

“An award of this nature grounds me by letting me know that those ideas conceived in my mind, birthed and nurtured by my passion for the work, are real and observable to the external world.”

Smith says to segue from worker to business owner there is a formula: Passion; and the ability to define success.

“You must have a passion for your field or industry! The passion test is: this is what I do well; I love doing it, and I would do it even without compensation,” Smith said.

“Equally important is your ability to define success, the earlier the better. For example, to some people, success may mean owning or running a conglomerate or "big box" store, while to others it may manifest as a "mom & pop" shop or a home-based business.”

While the definition of achievement is subjective, according to Smith – success is passion.

“There is no right or wrong answer,” he said. “Your passion, coupled with an understanding of what success looks like for you, ensures that you will have fun doing what you love and in essence, you become your only real competition.”p

April 5-19,

www.workersworldtoday.com

13

Tax Matters

Are Uber Drivers Independent Contractors or Employees?

BY CHARLES TABASSO

N

ew York City traffic

has changed very little since the invention of the stoplight. Traffic continues to jam, jaywalking remains a pedestrian rite of passage, and horse-drawn carriages still make their rounds through Central Park. But change is as inevitable as a long-awaited green light. And when it comes to what New Yorkers consider public transportation by conventional means, all have been left in Uber’s dust.

Uber, which describes itself as a “peer-to-peer ridesharing, taxi cab, transportation network-company,” has crushed the yellow cab and MTA’s monopoly on even the most hallowed of transfers with just an app; this and a pool of untapped potential, in the form of, quite literally, anyone with a car and a penchant for “hustling.”

It’s easy to see why driving for Uber might seem so liberating—drivers choose their hours, who they pick up and where; they’re allowed to work for competing peer-topeer companies like Lyft or Gett, and they aren’t paid by Uber, but by the customers themselves—the bottom line is, you’re not really working for Uber but for yourself. Or are you?

According to Uber’s website, over 16,000 employees work for the company; but the number of drivers is almost 200 times that. Across 65 different countries, over 3 million drivers are making an average of 15 million trips every day.

That seems to make things official: Uber drivers aren’t employees, they’re independent contractors. It certainly looks so on paper. There are no wages or overtime pay. Just ride after ride and a draining gas meter. Drivers don’t have taxes taken out of their paychecks; they only kick up a quarter of each fare to Uber.

They’re expected to maintain their vehicles on their dime and time—no employee benefits or chance of promotion— not unless you can afford the mortgage on that new Escalade or limousine yourself.

But conflicting court rulings in San Francisco, Uber’s hometown, New York and Florida,

have called the Uber driver’s occupation into question. Are they independent contractors, or have they been misclassified?

The Silicone Valley giant considers itself a technology company—not a transportation enterprise—and its legal language defines an Uber driver as “a partner,” not as an employee.

They’re provided with “business opportunities” rather than a livelihood. And that’s the truth: according to Bloomberg News, Uber drivers are earning pay that puts them just above the poverty line. It’s described as a “commitment to a bad business decision,” and the math explains why. Uber reports that its drivers gross an average of $20 an hour—but that’s before the 25% commission they charge for using the app-based platform for its “business opportunities.” With the fees out of the picture, the hourly rate drops down to $15.

Then come the logistics that Uber drivers have to cover themselves: gas, car washes, repairs, insurance, etc., knocking the average earnings per hour down to nearly half the original amount: $10 an hour. And that’s if you don’t stop hustling.

Despite Uber’s advertising campaign pushing for this image of a casual side-gig, most drivers hold no other jobs. Competition is fierce within and without this booming “gig economy” that Uber has tapped. But this is due to the generally unchecked number of Uber drivers.

Drivers who are already dependent on their cars to hash out a living, are shackled to a lifeline that’s put them in debt and sucks the top dollar out of their hourly pay. For one Uber driver in Miami, it proved too much to bear.

Darren McGillis borrowed $30,000 in 2015 to purchase an Outlander SUV before he started driving for Uber. That same year, an altercation with a passenger led to Uber deactivating his driver account and freezing his assets. Crushed by the down payments on the SUV, with no unemployment benefits to speak of from either Florida or Uber, McGillis sued them both. He argued that he was an employee after all, but the contract he’d signed said otherwise. In a 14page decision that largely backed the gig economy business model, Miami’s Third District Court of Appeals decided that, misclassified or not, McGillis had accepted Uber’s terms and conditions—which included being identified as a contract worker—so he could not be an employee. It was the verdict Uber had expected, but the case is far from closed. States such as California and New York are taking a much more hardline stance against the practice of such peer-to-peer companies.

Recent rulings in both states have put pressure on companies like Uber or Lyft to stop classifying their drivers as independent contractors and opt for employee status instead.

But doing so might come at a cost for Uber drivers. There’s a good chance Uber would have to drastically increase their cut of a driver’s pay to cover the mandated benefits for all its employees. And that can be a deal breaker for drivers just trying to cash in on the perks without the commitment.

Despite the semantics of these litigations, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the company remains on course for its IPO in 2019. Val-

ued at over $70 billion, Uber is the most highly valued startup worldwide; rising over $10 billion in capital since it was founded in San Francisco back in 2009. According to the CEO, this jump was long overdue. "We have all of the disadvantages of being a public company, as far as the spotlight on us, without any of the advantages of being a public company," Khosrowshahi said at the New York Times DealBook Conference early in 2017. It’s unclear how an IPO will affect the horde of Uber driv-

ers.

But one thing is plain to see, that as things are now, Uber drivers are independent contractors—they just happen to be treated as employees and, in a few select states, classified as such, making this a question best solved, not on a case-bycase basis, but by state lines. p

www.workersworldtoday.com

April 5-19, 2019

14

Organizing a Union

Whole Foods Workers Need Unionization Now More Than Ever

The Labor Movement from Industrial Revolution to Now

BY DANA MATHURA

R

ecently, employees at Whole Foods Market made an effort to unionize. The announcement came on September 6 as workers of the company started a mass email thread they sent to nearly all store-level employees in each of the 490 stores owned and operated by the supermarket chain.

The email attempts to get workers of the company to push for unionization together. Whole Foods—which was bought by Amazon in June 2017 for $13.7 billion— has never needed to unionize because according to them, they treat workers fairly.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, is well-known for keeping employee unions out of his company, citing this very reason.

The email stated that Amazon-owned Whole Foods should provide better benefits in the form of a more livable minimum wage, decreased health insurance costs, paid maternity leave and wellrounded retirement benefits.

Employees of the Whole Foods brand were steady to make the decision seeing as recent job cuts, and fewer stock options were becoming a new reality. As a part of the previous Whole Foods benefits package, store-level employees were allowed to

Union

T partake in profit-sharing through stocks.

Many of the marketing staff for the grocery chain were laid off this past year. Those laid off from the in-store marketing staff had the duties of organizing local events and creating signs that displayed store sales on items. Regional marketing staff was also laid off in an attempt for Whole Foods to centralize their marketing.

According to Supermarket News, the jobs most at risk of further layoffs are those of supervisors, store scanners, customer service personnel, and department order writers.

Many believe moves like these are changing the original culture that represented

what Whole Foods initially represented. Under the Whole Foods owned and operated by Chief Executive John Mackey, he claimed employee morale was at its highest—reiterating the same sentiment of Bezos.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) is assisting the organizers of the email in their endeavors to unionize. The union president, Stuart Appelbaum, said "The RWDSU stands with workers in precarious positions no matter what—Amazon and Whole Foods workers are no different," as stated in the Wall Street Journal.

Appelbaum continues to solidify his stance for Whole Foods workers unionization

by stating, “We will not back down until Amazon workers are treated with dignity and respect.”

Amazon just recently became a $1 trillion company.

The issue here is that the parent company of Whole Foods Market keeps on expanding but unfortunately for the employees, they are experiencing minimal advantage from this growth. Workers complain that they are living paycheck to paycheck and this is simply not enough.

New Food Economy, which is a nonprofit news outlet, conducted a survey that shockingly found that in Arizona, one in three Amazon employees are dependent on the government food program, SNAP, to feed their families.

Amazon responds to this statistic stating that these are employees who only work part-time.

Information like this is what prompted U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to fashion the appropriately named, Stop BEZOS Act. The bill’s full nomenclature is Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act, and it aims to impose penalties on businesses of considerable size who have their employees receiving aid from government programs. p Scan this code to schedule a FREE Initial Consultation Ask the lawyer on Facebook

he origin of labor unions dates back to the eighteenth century and the Industrial Revolution in Europe. During this time there was a huge surge of new workers into the workplace that needed representation.

In the United States history of unions, early workers and trade unions played an important part in the role for independence. Although their physical efforts for the cause of independence were ineffective, the ideas they introduced, such as protection for workers, became part of our American culture.

The Most Famous Labor Union in History In the history of America's trade and labor unions, the most famous union remains the American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded in 1886, by Samuel Gompers. At its pinnacle, the AFL had approximately 1.4 million members. The AFL is credited with successfully negotiating wage increases for its members and enhancing workplace safety for all workers.

The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) under John L. Lewis and the larger AFL Federation, underwent a huge expansion during World War II. The AFL-CIO merger occurred in 1955.

Union membership and power peaked around 1970.

At that time, private sector union membership began a steady decline that continues today. However, membership in public sector unions continues to grow consistently.

According to the Department of Labor, the 2015 union membership rate was 11.1% and the number of workers belonging to unions was 14.8 million. p

Figeroux & Associates Source: www.unionplus.org

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April 5-19, 2019

15

Immigration 101

How to Hire International Employees Using an H-1B Visa

BY JANET HOWARD

T

he H-1B program allows US companies located in the United States to bring in international employees for up to three years (extendable to six years) to work in “specialty” positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. The process is rather complex and requires about six months to complete.

Furthermore, the H-1B is usually subject to an annual cap of around 65,000 visas, which may be met early in the year.

This following is the process for obtaining the H-1B visa for prospective employees located overseas, from an employer’s point of view.

The first step is to locate international employees. This can be accomplished using one of the many international employment agencies available through the Internet. Once you have selected the employees you wish to hire, you will need to extend written employment offers to them outlining the

basic terms of your relationship including the nature and duties of the position, the term of the employment, and the salary and benefits offered. Keep in mind that US authorities will require you to offer salary and benefits at least equal to that of similarly-situated US workers in your industry, in order to prevent unfair competition against US workers. Determining the appropriate minimum salary may require a bit of research. You should also remember that the H-1B visa is only offered for “specialty” positions. Although there is no

certain definition of exactly what constitutes a specialty position, it must be a position that genuinely requires a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent to perform (you cannot hire a college graduate as a street sweeper, for example, simply by maintaining that your company is in need of educated street sweepers).

Once you have located employees, you will need to file a Labor Condition Application with the US Department of Labor (the application can be downloaded from their website). This application requires

you to attest under penalty of perjury, that both the remuneration and working conditions offered to your international employees will be similar to that of equivalent US employees. Once your Labor Condition Application is approved, you will be required to post certain information about your company on the Internet and at the job site where your employees will work.

The next step will be to file Form I-129. In order to complete this form, you will need certain personal information about your prospective employees. You should submit this form to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) together with the approval notice for the Labor Condition Application, your written employment offers, and copies of your employees’ bachelor’s degree diplomas or documents establishing equivalent qualifications (see 311.immigration.com for how to proceed if your employees do not have bachelor’s degrees). If

your petition is approved, the USCIS will issue the Approval Notice (Form I-797). You should send your employees the originals and keep copies for yourself, although the USCIS may send originals to both you and your prospective employees.

The remainder of the H-1B visa process must be completed by your prospective employees. Each employee must appear at the US embassy or consulate listed on Form I-129 together with any accompanying family members, the USCIS Approval Notice, and passports for everyone. It is best to contact the embassy or consulate in advance, because some of them will require additional documentation. Each employee will receive an H-1B visa stamped onto her passport, and accompanying family members will receive H-4 visas.

At this point the process will be complete except for actual entry to the US. p

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April 5-19, 2019

16

Politics

Catalina Cruz Proves the Worth of Dreamers

BY DANA MATHURA

F

or what seems like an eternity, or more realistically the span of our lives, the main bearers of political office have fit one mold.

Within the last year, more and more candidates stemming from all minority groups have joined the race for office in hopes of changing the defective system they see in place.

One of those candidates is Colombian native Catalina Cruz, the latest incumbent to both run and win a position in office. On September 13, the immensely diverse communities of the 39th District covering Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights in Queens voted in favor of Ms. Cruz for their Assemblywoman. More than half of the residents living in the district are immigrants.

Cruz came out the victor with 53.4 percent of the votes, compared to another Democrat and her opponent, Ari Espinal.

Citing the violence and political unrest inherit to her home country, Colombia, Cruz ex-

presses that her mother wanted a better life for them both. Cruz recalls seeing people getting killed in front of her home and not being able to look to the police because of their own “lawlessness”.

Fleeing from that dangerous situation was a no-brainer and the United States was her destination for freedom—the way it is for so many others. From the age of nine to nineteen, Cruz went undocumented in this country for thirteen years until she gained some sort of recognition under the DREAM Act. Her mother, originally a nurse in Colombia, had to take on several low-paying jobs and activities that spanned from selling empanadas to handing out flyers on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and even collecting cans to make ends meet in order to provide her daughter with the ability to become an educated individual in this country.

After her time at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY School of Law, Cruz held multiple positions, even

Cruz

having the chance to write legislation. As a lawyer, which she became around 2009, she recounts her fight for housing rights but specifically for the immigrants who often live in public housing and are threatened by their landlords.

If Cruz had the chance to speak with the current President on issues concerning DREAMers, she would tell him, “We did not make the choice to come to this country.

We were brought as children, because our parents were fleeing political, financial and war situations that were created years ago, often by the United

States.”

Speaking from her own experiences, Cruz says that once immigrants have reached the United States they are doing their part to contribute to the economy and above all, they work very hard to earn that chance.

Holding several causes near to her heart, Cruz aims to address them in her time as an Assemblywoman.

Cruz aims to end major capital improvements, which tend to pass unnecessary and expensive costs to low-income residents who simply cannot afford it.

Access to representation is her main motif because as a lawyer and someone who has been encompassed by immigrants for a great deal of her life, she knows the plights they go through each and every day. Equipping immigrants with free access to lawyers who are willing to put in the pro bono time can really become the difference in whether or not they succeed in winning their case.

Seeing the chaos that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stirred up in her very own Queens county, as well as the rest of the country, Cruz wants to prevent the agency from entering sensitive areas like schools, courthouses, hospitals and even playgrounds.

Currently, there is a policy that prohibits ICE from entering these type of locations; however, Cruz states, “Policy can change at any moment.

Law, once it’s on the books, it’s on the books unless it’s deemed unconstitutional or you pass a different piece of legislation that trumps that one.”

She mentions an organization which manages to provide legal services to assist immigrants regardless of their status but she would like to take it a few steps further by implementing a statewide immigrant defense system that guarantees due process.

She also aims to tackle the MTA in a big way, knowing all too well that the residents in her district use it as their main mode of transportation. Her current proposal is one of logic: if the MTA is in debt, and it is, then restructure that existing debt plaguing the company to finally allow the MTA to function the way its riders would like it to.

Her plans do not quit just there, though. Cruz has put thought into our voting system and views voting on a Tuesday as a roadblock to workingclass people who cannot take time off of work for fear they might lose out on some wages or worse, their entire jobs. Her solution is to move voting to a Sunday or convert it to a paid day off.

Perhaps it is a harsh past or a work ethic like Cruz’s that propels those immigrants like her toward success. In which case, it is best to never generalize all immigrants as nonessential to our country when we have clear-cut examples of the results being made on their behalf. p

April 5-19, 2019

www.workersworldtoday.com

17

Politics

The Race Has Started for District 45

BY CHARLES TABASSO

T

he recent special election was a seminal moment for Brooklyn City Councilmember Jumaane Williams.

Previously elected District 45’s representative three times in a row, Williams will now assume the role of Public Advocate, which is the secondhighest ranking elected office in the city.

Williams had run against 16 other candidates and won with a breakaway 33.2 percent of the vote, over roughly 110,000 votes in total, according to the Associated Press.

The Public Advocate serves as the people’s watchdog over city agencies, ensuring that all New Yorkers have a platform to speak and where their their complaints against the municipal government are heard. Although a largely symbolic role, Williams promised in his victory speech that he would continue his fight against the “housing and homelessness crisis,” as well as the “system of injustice that criminalizes brown and black communities.”

Williams was a prominent Councilmember, renowned for his progressive stances and history on the frontlines of protests, but his consequent accession to Public Advocate has left an empty seat in the Council, and candidates are already coming forward with plans to run—even before Mayor Bill de Blasio had announced a date for the next special election.

Soon, residents of District 45, which includes Flatbush, Midwood and Canarsie, will be called upon to elect Williams’ successor as their representative. Among those running are Williams’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Farah Louis and

Williams

Monique Waterman, founder of East Flatbush Village, to name just a few.

Louis’ proximity to Williams and history as a communications representative for Mayor de Blasio has helped set her apart from the rest of the candidates. Considering Williams’ status and the ensuing press coverage after his victory, his deputy would certainly have a leg up over the opposition. But Louis is also the only candidate who has been endorsed by a member of the Assembly; Flatbush Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte has publicly given Louis her support, a move that has helped legitimize her candidature and cement the public’s favor.

But while Louis has promised to continue her Councilmember’s legacy, she has her own plans for the future of District 45.

Addressing the affordable housing crisis, fostering small businesses and the overall quality of life in her community to realize their full potential, Louis says she’s here for the uphill battle no matter what.

“I am for the people at the end of the day,” she told reporters during a recent interview. “Whatever the people in my district need, ‘Farah is there to provide it.’ I’ve always

been that way. I’ve been that way for five and a half years and I will always be that way,” Getting into the other candidates there is also runner-up Monique Waterman. She is a strong advocate for equal education, which is at the forefront of her platform. Waterman is the founder of the social nonprofit, East Flatbush, Inc., which “provides programs for youth and resources to families including mental health tools,” according to her website.

Other candidates include Xamayla Rose, Anthony Beckford and Louis Cespedes; Cespedes has a history of running against Williams and Bichotte.

Rose is a campaign consultant who launched the youth nonprofit, the Christopher Rose Community Empowerment Campaign, in honor of her late brother, Christopher Rose, whose life was taken by gang violence in 2005. While she does not have a formal campaign platform yet, several sources have confirmed her intention of running in the upcoming special election. Her past work aligns with many of the same stances shared by the other candidates; she does, however, appear to have a stronger focus on youth services.

Beckford is a Marine Corps

The special election for the 45th Council District is set for May 14.

The winner will serve until the end of this year.

However, there is a primary for the seat on June 25 and a general election in November. The winner of those races will serve starting Jan.1, 2020 and serve out the remainder of Williams’ term. veteran, community activist and the son of Jamaican immigrants. He has worked in the past with Williams and other elected officials with regards to gun violence, mental health issues, housing, and public safety; all of which are part of his campaign platform. Beckford helped deliver justice to the three black women viciously beaten with broomsticks in an East Flatbush nail salon. He is also the leader of Brooklyn’s Copwatch Patrol Unit, a grassroots police accountability group that monitors police relations within communities and during protests.

Finally, there is Cespedes, who previously ran as representative for City Council against none other than Williams himself. While he only received 10% of the votes, according to ballotpedia, that has not stopped him from throwing his hat into the ring once more in a bid for Williams’ soon-to-be-vacant seat.

Cespedes is an architect and urban planer with a Bachelor

in Architecture from Pratt University. It is more than an accolade to Cespedes; he believes his knowledge and expertise in city planning is what sets him apart from the other candidates. “Everyone who is running has acknowledged the housing crisis in our community but no one else has any experience producing results,” he explained during an interview with Workers’ World Today, coincidentally taking a brief pause from his day job in the construction industry to do so.

He promises to take addressing the housing crisis of the district’s “wish list,” and to create real change for the community.

At least five of the candidates are registered with the state Board of Elections at this time.

District 45 occupies one of 51 City Council seats; it is also currently one of the only districts with declared candidates.

The next primary election will be held three years from now in 2021.

This puts Williams’ seat in a very special situation. Candidates will have to run twice this year, once on May 14, as the Mayor has recently announced, and again sometime in November, in a special election to retain their seat in the Council.

The first special election will concern the end of Williams’ term, as he assumes Letitia James’ Public Advocacy role.

The second election near the end of 2019, will determine who will remain District 45’s representative for the remaining time until the next primary.

According to the Board of Elections the estimated costs of running the February 26 special election was in the range of $15 to $22 million. p

www.workersworldtoday.com

April 5-19, 2019

18

Education

Educational Equity and Excellence Defined

Insurance continued from page 8

W

hen states are in control of educational equity, officials argue that the drive for excellence is “reversed.”

In an interview with the Urban League’s From the Movement podcast, the organization’s Senior Vice President for Education, Youth Development, and Health, Dr. Hal Smith, said communities of color are lacking a “net positive” in resources from statecontrolled education. Dr. Hal states that in 2015, the Obama administration passed The Every Student Succeeds Act to bring equity into disadvantaged communities.

“It is the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. That was an act that was brought about to bring new focus at the federal level to public education,” said Smith. “The Depart-

ment of Education was needed and we needed a federal oversight of civil rights in education.”

While education is largely a local concern, there is a role for federal accountability, Smith says.

“The No Child Left Behind bill while heavy on punish-

ment, didn’t really speak to investment in the ways that people thought it should,” Smith said. According to Smith, The Every Student Succeeds Act replaced No Child Left Behind. “There was a lot of conversation about taking this moment to really drive innovation and reform in a fundamentally different way.”

According to Smith, educational equity offers a holistic view to community resources.

“When we think of educational equity we think of all the things that young people, children and families need to have an excellent education,” Smith said. “The highest achievement levels possible and the fullest set of opportunities possible. Most of the conversations about equity is focused on outcomes...for the National Urban League we are talking about all the things that are necessary in order for a young person to become fully educated.”

Smith says, educational equity should discuss standards not only graduation rates and test scores.

“How are you investing to make sure that young people have a full set of opportunities and in fact schools and teachers have a full set of resources that they can apply for educational equity and excellence?” Smith asked. “Violence is a young person getting 12 years of school, but six years of education. That’s inequity and that is what we’re seeing in under resourced schools.”

Over the last 30 years, education experts say there is a pattern of “disinvestment,” where schools lack equity for students.

“The circumstances that they face outside of school make it difficult for them to function in schools,” Smith said. “In other positions I’ve had, we’ve spent a lot of time speaking with young people who are homeless or in unbelievable levels of poverty.”

He added, “They talked about the difficulties of Fridays because they might face a weekend where they might not be fed.”

Smith says, the achievement gap is an “insufficient analysis” and not the “end all be all” for education.

“What young people do outside of classrooms prepares them to be successful,” Smith said.

“What do we want young people to do at the end of their education. That’s our focus. It shouldn’t be some artificial measure.”p “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

- Nelson Mandela

guaranteed renewable policy, and depends on your occupation, it may offer Your Own Occupation Definition as a rider, which basically means, if the individual was is disabled, for example, an Heart Surgeon, if he or she is total disabled as a Heart Surgeon, but he or she still total disabled but can no longer do heart surgery, but is able to be a medical professor at NYU Medical University, the insurance can continue to pay that monthly benefit till either age 65 or longer, based on his election of benefit period.

The white-collar has the same needs for a Disability Income policy, it is to provide a replacement of earned income from his or her occupation for expenses such as everyday living cost, mortgage, rent payments, children education fees, etc.

In summary, whether an individual is a blue-collar worker or a White-collar worker, it is extremely important that they have a consultation with a professional financial services individual or firm that provides objectivity in their discovery of information, provide a wide range of insurance companies that offers strong benefit and feature and cost-efficient plans to both White or Blue-collar workers.

They need to be able explain all the different types of life insurance, ability to customize to your short and long term needs and have a strong understanding of their financial budgets and their health status.p

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April 5-19, 2019

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19

Love, Health & Travel

Communication Advice: How to Practice Fighting Fair in Your Marriage

BY JEN ZAJAC, IMF

T

here are some couples who fight explosively and often, and others who seem to rarely get into a heated argument. Perhaps you can recall separate relationships you have been in where each has had a different “fight dynamic”. Regardless of how you define what a fight is, we all at some point encounter conflict, or disagreements, in our relationships. If our emotional needs aren’t attended to, even the small things that get dismissed or “swept under the rug” can develop into larger issues later down the line.

Merely avoiding a fight does not resolve conflict.

As strange as it sounds, fighting (or conflict) can be part of a healthy relationship if both partners adhere to some “Fighting Fair” rules.

Don’t dismiss the parts you have done or said to trigger your partner: An argument is hardly ever one-sided; both sides contribute. We can all have different perspectives on the same situation. Dismissive comments such as “You took that the wrong way”, “you’re just being sensitive”, or “that’s not how I remember it”, etc. will just get you further down the wrong path. Stating “I understand that this upset you” will help you both come to mutual understanding.

Connect through touch: This doesn’t mean sexy time; if your partner (or you) is upset or highly accelerated, an embrace or understanding touch can help send the message that you are there for them and listening- and can also be physi-

cally calming. Make-up sex doesn’t really make-up for anything (sorry to break the bad news), and sex will always be better later when you are both in a good place with each other emotionally.

No “Buts” about it: You’ve probably heard this one before- a “but” completely erases everything said before the “but”. It also signifies to your partner that you aren’t fully listening and understanding, but dismissing their feelings and becoming defensive. It’s amazing how differently something comes across if “but” statements are reframed to more vulnerable, instead of defensive, language.

Try to remain calm: Yelling or raising your voice will probably accelerate things further. If your partner begins yelling, responding calmly will help regulate them automatically. If you start the yelling, they will probably respond in like, and it will push them into defensive mode. You can’t be vulnerable and understanding when volume becomes hostile.

Express how you feel, not how you think your partner feels: You already heard me make some statements about being vulnerable. A key point in vulnerability (which leads to understanding and compassion from the other side) is being careful to state how you feel instead of blaming your partner. A statement regarding your own feelings such as, “I feel unappreciated and I worry I can’t do enough to keep you happy”, is very different than stating “You are so ungrateful”.

way too. Communication is a two way process; allow them a turn to speak and share. Don’t just be silent when they speaking, but use touch and validating language to show you care what they are saying and that it has an impact on you.

Don’t bring in other issues: This would be hard to do if you are aware of the other rules, but it’s important so it deserves to be restated. Saying, “yeah, but, that one time you did something similar” is not only diverting from the topic, but it’s also dismissing, using ‘but’, blaming, and probably breaking other rules as well. If you are more focused on the core issue, the faster you can come to an understanding.

Be sensitive to ‘soft spots’: Throwing a ‘blow below the belt’ is using harsh or blaming language especially where it doesn’t belong, such as throwing in a comment for the spite of it. This is where we usually are hurt, so we throw in something to hurt our partner as well. If you attack your partner, you have just added to the conflict.

Don’t generalize: Using “always” or “never” is much too broad and can easily lead to defensiveness. Being specific is much more helpful in sharing how you feel about something.

Stating “It hurts me when we don’t greet each other when I get home”, is more construc-

No accusations/degrading language: Not only is this blaming, it’s disrespectful to your partner. Hurtful language is a dangerous misstep.

Do not use force: Physical force is obviously never acceptable, but verbal force can make your partner feel cornered and play defense. If they aren’t ready to discuss something, respect them. Reassure them that you are open and ready to discuss when they feel comfortable.

Don’t pull the ‘divorce’ or ‘break-up’ card: Making threatening remarks about ending your relationship will either make your partner feel less safe sharing anything with you, or cause that ugly defensive side to show up again.

Discussing your long-term compatibility is a very different discussion than ‘up-ing the ante’.

Listen: If you think it’s important that you are heard, your partner likely feels the same

Don’t expect to solve everything in one day: If some of these points sound repetitive or similar, it’s because they are.

Fighting usually occurs in cycles, and these really aren’t each separate points, but a pattern that you probably see repeating itself. It takes time to change a negative cycle of fighting, and the more ground rules you can adhere to, the easier the rest will come.

If you are having trouble identifying where the negativity in your disagreements comes into play, or if you experience the same fight repeatedly, meeting with a Marriage and Family Therapist can help you sort out what the fights are really about and help guide you back on the right track.p

Jen has over 1,800 hours of experience counseling couples, individuals, pre-teens, teens, and their families.She is a Marriage and Family Therapist Intern IMF#73826 working under direct supervision of Jennine Estes MFT#47653.

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tive and has more emotional vulnerability than “you never acknowledge me”.

Validate your partner: You don’t necessary need to agree with your partner’s point to validate them. Just because you don’t feel a particular way about something, your partner has a different background and experience in the matter than you do. Acknowledge how they feel, and don’t write it off. They feel that way for a reason.

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Schedule your appointment today.

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20

Love, Health & Travel

Top 5 Reasons to Become a Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist Now why they should book travel with you.

BY VICTORIA FALK

A

s we move into the busiest travel season of the year, it is the perfect time to become a Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist. Many people think that summer vacation generates the most travel requests each year. However, it is the holiday season, beginning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and ending a few days after New Year’s that gets most people traveling. According to the American Automobile Association, over 100 million people are expected to travel this holiday season.

1.You don’t have to beg or convince anyone to travel.

When you are considering ways to earn extra income, you also want to consider whether or not what you want to do is in demand. Travel is definitely in demand. People are already traveling. It’s just a matter of marketing yourself well so they know that you exist and

2.You get to have fun while earning extra income. Certified Travel Agents and Destination Specialists get offers for free and discount travel from major travel suppliers. There are numerous travel perks and benefits that allow you to enjoy a fun lifestyle while pursuing your career. Some of the perks are for the agent alone.

However, there are perks and benefits you can also share with family members and friends.

3.Things you were going to do anyway, now become incredible tax advantages. That new cell phone, new laptop, new tablet become business equipment for your new online travel business. So, save those receipts and get a tax preparer who understands home-based businesses, so you can reap the benefits of the tax breaks afforded to people starting a new travel business.

4. The internet changed the work of a Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist. Gone are the days when you have to sit in an office, waiting for customers to come in, to become a Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist. You’re able to have an online business, promote travel on social media, and build a profitable business without leaving home. Many people maintain full-time jobs and enjoy earning extra income on the side with travel.

However, the earning potential with travel is great and you can also choose to make a career out of travel. The choice is yours.

5. It’s time to stop saying that you “do travel” and legitimize your work. Some people say they “do travel,” and what they mean is that they’re the person in their particular social/family group who looks up trips and collects the money when they decide to travel.

The tourism boards, travel

suppliers, vendors, and yes – people looking to book travel – take you much more seriously when you’ve taken the time to perfect your craft and become a Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist. Some travel suppliers will not even entertain having a conversation with you if you are not a Certified Travel Agent or Destination Specialist. Would you want to give the hard-earned money that you’ve been saving for months for that great vacation to someone who tells you

they “do travel,” or to someone who’s certified to book various types of travel and specializes in the particular destination to which you plan to travel?

Go to www.nacc.nyc/travelagent and register today for the next Certified Travel Agent and Destination Specialist Course.

Timing is perfect for this.p

Victoria Falk is the award-winning CEO of Passionate Travel, Inc.

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For dates and registration, please visit: www.nacc.nyc/travelagent Call 718-722-9217 for assistance.

Cost: $250.00 (Chamber members) $350.00 (non-members) Fee includes Travel Agent training and your own online travel business and Individual Chamber Membership. Certificates will be given out to those who successfully complete the program. We recommend you registering for our Side Hustle Boot Camp.

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April 5-19, 2019

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21

Love, Health & Travel

Vaping – More Dangerous Than Once Thought – Is An Epidemic Among Teens

BY MARC H. MORIAL

A

decade after the introduction of vaping – the inhalation of nicotine vapor rather than smoke produced by a cigarette – a growing body of evidence shows the practice is far more dangerous than assumed, and is a major gateway for teens to become addicted to nicotine.

The U.S. Surgeon General calls vaping among teens an epidemic. A recent study suggested that teens who vape are more likely to smoke cigarettes, and more likely to start smoking at a younger age.

Furthermore, the new generation of devices are capable of delivering higher doses of nicotine, leading to greater incidence of addiction as well as nicotine toxicity and psychiatric symptoms among teenagers that haven’t been observed in adult smokers.

"We let this Frankenstein loose without knowing what was

going to happen," Dr. Sharon Levy, director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Boston Children's Hospital, ominously observed in a report by CNN. Research has also shown another possible danger in vaping among African Americans.

Black smokers were more likely than whites to turn to vaping as a means of quitting smoking, but former smokers who began using e-cigarettes were more than 16 times as likely to resume tobacco smoking.

Monica Webb Hooper and Stephanie K. Kolar, who studied racial differences in e-cigarette use, concluded: “If e-cigarette use truly lowers the chances of cessation, this could have a negative impact on the health of African American/Black smokers and widen disparities in quitting.”

For these reasons, we were glad to see recent efforts at the

"We must take aggressive steps to protect our children from these highly potent products that risk exposing a new generation of young people to nicotine. The bad news is that e-cigarette use has become an epidemic among our nation’s young people. However, the good news is that we know what works to effectively protect our kids from all forms of tobacco product use, including e-cigarettes. We must now apply these strategies to e-cigarettes, including USB flash drive shaped products such as JUUL. To achieve success, we must work together, aligning and coordinating efforts across both old and new partners at the national, state, and local levels. Everyone can play an important role in protecting our nation’s young people from the risks of e-cigarettes." – U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams

state and federal level to curb the use of e-cigarettes and battle nicotine addiction. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it will limit sales of many flavored e-cigarettes to bricks-and-mortar outlets that require proof of age for purchase or do not admit people under 19. Stricter verification will be required for online sales And the agency held a hearing last month to consider

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the potential role of drug therapies in helping teens quit ecigarettes.

Meanwhile, on the state level, legislators in Maine are considering a bill that would ban the use of e-cigarettes or vaping on school grounds. In Florida, a House committee has just approved a measure that would ban electronic smoking devices in workplaces.

As the Surgeon General noted in his advisory: parents, teachers, health professionals,

elected officials and community leaders must work together to address the vaping epidemic. Talk to the young people in your life about the risks of vaping. Support community efforts to restrict the use of e-cigarettes, and tell your representatives to enact tough laws aimed at restricting access to nicotine. p Marc H. Morial is the CEO of the National Urban League.

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April 5-19, 2019

22

Book Review & Conversations Mega-churches: Are They More Interested In Your Financial Health or Your Spiritual Health?

Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism. How the Erasure of History Affects a Society

“Some things should never be forgotten because things that are forgotten have a way of coming back...”

BY MARILYN SILVERMAN

O

nce upon a time across the American landscape, Sunday mornings would be the designated day of the week when families would put on their Sunday best and together go to their neighborhood church. The priest would personally greet each member of his small congregation. Today, in the year 2019, the same parishioners are witnessing a dramatic metamorphosis within the perimeters of that same church.

In his book, It's Not for Sale, Karl A. Grosvenor provides us with an insightful commentary on the monetary focus of today' mega-churches and tel-

evangelists, which have often promoted tithing and donations rather than concentrating on the spiritual needs of the people.

Mr. Grosvenor worked for a number of years at a New York bank after receiving a school of banking certificate from the American Institute of Banking. He is an authorized preacher and collaborated with the church president to write a play for the church's zone meetings.

He opens his book with a biblical quote, "Buy the truth, and sell it not.”

(Proverbs 23:23) p

To read the full book review, visit www.workersworldtoday.com.

BY ERIN TELESFORD

T

he shocking documentary, Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism, investigates the shocking exploitation of Darwinism as a means of justifying racism. The growth of scientific and evolutionary discovery in the 1850s, led to the belief that a specific group of Africans was the so-called “missing link” between apes and humans. Due to the racist connections between the body shape of African Pygmies, a group of tribal ethnicities who tend to have short stature, scientists formed theories proposing anthropological typologies that support the idea that people of color represent racial inferiority while white people are the superior race.

This award-winning documentary is written and directed by John G. West, a Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington, who also serves as Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs at its Center for Science and Culture. Included in this documentary is Pulitzer Prizewinning writer Pamela Newkirk, Catholic University of America philosopher Jay Richards, Nigerian scholar Olufemi Oluniyi, and California State University historian Richard Weikart; who explains that, “eugenicists believe people of non-white races are a drag on the human race…”

These eugenicists justified their propositions for racial discrimination and racial extermination in the name of Darwinian evolution.

“Some things should never be forgotten because things that are forgotten have a way of coming back,” West expresses in his documentary which provides information relating to the, mostly hidden and locked away, history of the imported indigenous peoples from around the world that were put on public display. The American Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo hope to keep this history private and forgotten, just as the scientific community wishes to keep eugenics, and the now debunked theories that arose from it, away from common knowledge.

This has proved to be a terrible mistake on the part of these officials as West explains the return of public belief in eugenics as a justification for racism in the form of white terrorism and hate groups like the alt-right organization.

“One reason we should remember the sins of the past is to help us avoid making the same mistakes again.”

This documentary is “A racially charged story that will mesmerize you...,” according to the Oregon Documentary Film Festival. It holds awards for Best Editing by the Oregon Documentary Film Festival, Best In Show by the Cinema WorldFest Awards in Toronto, Award of Excellence by the Impact Docs Awards, and Award of Excellence by the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards.p

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April 5-19, 2019

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23

Money Mondays!

Get Your on

Business Boot Camp

According to Entrepreneur.com, Whether you need a little extra cash to make rent or you simply want to explore your passions outside of work and get paid for it, a side hustle can be a lucrative way to bring in more income —without waiting for your boss to hand out a raise. The side hustle economy is booming. In fact, according to a study from BankRate, nearly 37 percent of Americans have a side job, and they’re making an average of more than $8,000 every single year.

Learn how to turn your passion into profit and make money in your spare time!

Ready to be a Side Hustler?

Join us for an orientation on Thursday, May 2 at 6pm Location: 26 Court Street, Suite 701 Downtown Brooklyn

For registration and program details, visit: www.nacc.nyc/sidehustle

Boot Camp Starts

Mondays, May 6‑June 10, 2019 from 6pm to 8pm

FREE radio interview for all Side Hustlers

Open to Chamber Members only.

Register at www.nacc.nyc/sidehustle Questions: 718‑722‑9217

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April 5-19, 2019

24