The Local: Oct. 17, 2024 news roundup
Welcome back to The Local, a publication of NYC-DSA Labor Working Group reporting every two weeks. As always, send any tips, corrections, and other feedback to thenyclocal@substack.com. In this issue, graduate student workers at the Icahn School of Medicine join the UAW, the sheriffs union alleges that the recent wave of weed shop busts are coming at the expense of other duties like serving domestic violence stay-away orders, and the docks reopen as the ILA and the port operators call a temporary truce.
Also, two exciting upcoming labor events on NYC-DSA’s calendar: first, delegates from around the city get together this Saturday, Oct. 19, for our biannual convention (stream the live broadcast here!); second, NYC-DSA presents a screening of the new documentary Union (about the historic organizing drive at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island) at the IFC Center on Thursday, Oct. 24, featuring a Q&A with ALU president Connor Spence and Congressman Jamaal Bowman.
Photo credit: Alexandra Chan
Organizing
Drivers and warehouse employees at Sharps Compliance voted 16-0 to join the Consolidated Commercial Workers of America, Local 528.
Graduate student workers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai vote 218-24 to form the Sinai Student Workers (UAW).
Workers at Start Small, Think Big, Inc. vote 5-0 to form the Start Small Collective Bargaining Unit, Local 3202 (unclear if there is any affiliation with a larger union).
Workers at Starbucks’ 2 Broadway location and 195 Broadway location in Manhattan vote 9-5 and 15-1 respectively to join Starbucks Workers United.
Another Starbucks location in Brooklyn is organizing with Starbucks Workers United.
Two units of building service workers at Safety Facility Services in the Bronx are organizing with 32BJ, as is a unit of building service workers at the Sahara Operatives Corp.
Receiving clerks, custodians, and housekeepers at Weill Cornell Medicine are organizing with the Transport Workers Union.
Workers at A&E Television Networks are organizing with the Writers Guild of America East.
Bargaining & Action
9/30: Hundreds of city retirees rally in front of City Hall as the issue of Medicare privatization goes to yet another court hearing. [The Chief Leader]
10/1: American Postal Workers United held a national day of action to promote vote by mail and better service.
10/03: 99% of The New Yorker Union with NewsGuild NY voted unanimously to authorize a strike.
10/03: After shutting down all ports from Maine to Texas, the International Longshoremen’s Association agrees to accept 61.5% in raises over six years while postponing their strike until January 15, 2025. Key issues such as automation remain for bargaining. [CNBC]
10/09: Montefiore physicians with CIR/SEIU rallied at Moses Hospital Campus in the Bronx.
10/09: NYT Guild Tech with NewsGuild NY marched on the bosses.
10/10: The Financial Times US Guild ratified their first contract.
10/14: Amazon Labor Union with Teamsters at JFK8 in Staten Island rallied to demand Amazon start bargaining.
10/16: Amazon Teamsters at DBK4 warehouse in Maspeth rallied for recognition.
10/16: Teachers and staff of Brooklyn Friends School with UAW 2110 rallied for a fair contract after nine months of bargaining.
10:16: The New Yorker Union with NewsGuild NY reaches a tentative agreement.
10/21: Starbucks Workers United calls for a week of action to protest skeleton crews at stores, calling for allies to host RedForBread actions.
Photo credit: Alexandra Chan
Albany
The state Department of Public Services, which monitors New York’s utility companies, faces a staffing shortage as budgets stay flat while workloads increase. [New York Focus]
City Hall
Deputies in the Sheriff’s office alleged that Anthony Miranda, the office’s head, is prioritizing weed busts over performing domestic violence orders of protection. What these deputies alleged, as reported by Gothamist, echoes concerns by Ingrid Simonovic, the leader of the New York City Deputy Sheriff’s Association. The union earlier this year called for Miranda to step down due to alleged mistreatment of workers and violating the union contract. Appointed by Eric Adams, Miranda is currently being looked into by the Department of Investigation for improper seizures of weed and cash from these illicit businesses. [Gothamist]
Teamster Locals 804 and 808 endorsed Jessica Ramos, a Queens state senator and its labor chair, for mayor.
The Safe Hotels Act, which would require that hotels in the city be licensed and that hotels directly hire (instead of outsource) core staff such as front desk and housekeeping, goes to a hearing at the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection.
City Council passes another bill that would make it easier for labor unions to file objections to bids submitted by contractors with bad labor practices.
Miscellaneous
Partnership for New York City, the influential non-profit representing the interest of NYC’s largest business, put out research saying that office occupancy is close to 75% of pre-pandemic levels and that much of the paranoia over the return of workers to the office is back of many company CEOs, who once fretted so dearly about it. [The New York Times]
A recent report by Tom DiNapoli, the state Comptroller, shows that finance jobs in the city (198,500) are at their highest since 2000, even if wages have slipped a bit from their pandemic high. [The City]
Perhaps related, the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs released a report that showed while high-end earners saw an 18% rise in salary from 2019 to 2023, lower-end earners only saw a 6% rise. [The City]
Documented NY profiled The Drivers’ Cooperative, which got started in 2020 with a pitch of offering $30/hr to drivers and being a more ethical alternative to Lyft and Uber. The reporting revealed issues with alleged late payments to drivers, mass staff exists, financial mismanagement, and persistent issues around democracy and transparency. [Documented NY]
The NLRB announces that new organizing continues to climb, as petitions to form new unions have doubled since 2021; petitions have increased 27% this year compared to last.
As federal stimulus money dries up, a new report finds that childcare providers in New York are being forced to both shed workers and raise tuition. [New York Focus]
Job Listings
Department of Citywide Administrative Services - Senior Analyst (Salary: $81,638 – $97,000)
The NewsGuild of New York - Local Representative (Salary: $93,000 - $106,000)
UFCW Local 2013 - Union Representative (Salary: Not Posted)
A complete list of local union jobs can be found at unionjobs.com, alongside here is the complete list of New York City’s civil service exams. Additionally if you’re interested in taking a job in a strategic industry and want to be connected through the Labor Working Group, check out this form here.