Senate Co-President Dean Skelos is dragging his heels on raising the minimum wage.  Workers, organizers & advocates will leaflet outside the Crain’s Business Breakfast Forum on Central Park South February 6.  Who supports raising the wage?  80% of New Yorkers, 70% of Republicans, Governor Cuomo, Speaker Silver, Senate Co-President Klein, hundreds of New York businesses, over 33,000 New Yorkers, and the Economist, Bloomberg News and Crain’s NY Business itself. 

Join us Wednesday morning to tell Skelos it’s time to raise the wage and index it to inflation, so New York can make real progress towards economic fairness and a strong economy for all.

Crain’s Min Wage Editorial and Flyer 

Read more: http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/blogs/insider/2013/02/minimum-wage-protest-planned-for-skleinos-forum/#more-2858

Rally and interfaith service calling for increase in minimum wage – Albany NY

Tuesday, Jan. 29 2013 at 11 a.m.

WHERE: March from Westminster Presbyterian Church to the Capitol—11 a.m.
Rally and Interfaith Service at Million Dollar Staircase—12 p.m.
Deliver Petition Signatures to New York State Senate—12:45 p.m.

WHO: Raise the Minimum Wage Coalition

Michael Mulgrew, President, United Federation of Teachers
Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
Rev. Que English, New York City Clergy Roundtable
Rev. Michael Ellick, Occupy Faith
Bishop Orlando Findlayter, Churches United to Save and Heal
Myrna Capaldi, Worker Justice Center of New York

WHY: At $7.25 per hour, New York’s minimum wage remains decades out of date. With growing numbers of New Yorkers relying on low-wage jobs to survive, too many do not earn enough to afford basic expenses. Governor Cuomo has proposed raising New York’s minimum wage to $8.75 per hour. New Yorkers from across the state will call on Albany lawmakers to do everything in their power raise the minimum wage to at least $8.75 per hour, with indexing to allow for annual adjustments that keep pace with the rising cost of living.

Press Rep. Pete King for a fair deal on the “fiscal cliff,” including an end to the Bush tax cuts for the rich to fund recovery and reconstruction for Long Island and New York.

Take the LIRR to Rep. King’s office in Massapequa Park for a Noon rally with tax-fairness Christmas carols, lumps of coal, snacks & treats and an honest call for fairness on the fiscal cliff.

Call on Senators Schumer & Gillibrand to reject House Majority proposals for cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, stand up for tax fairness, and focus on recovery and rebuilding New York City and Long Island after Superstorm Sandy.

We’ll be joined by allies from labor, community, student & faith groups, including MoveOn.org — and by the “Patriotic Millionaires” who support fair-share tax hikes on wealthy taxpayers like them.

Sign up here!
http://www.moveon.org/event/events/event.html?event_id=136150&id=-9106427-qF=Ck4x

Fast Food Workers Join with Thousands from Retail, Car Washes, and Airports to Demand Good Jobs, Higher Wages and a Fair Deal on the “Fiscal Cliff” – On heels of fast food strike, low-wage workers and activists unite to take campaign for economic fairness to New York City’s commercial districts during holiday shopping season.

WHAT: Press conference, march, rally and protest actions at low-wage employer
locations and Penn Station

WHO: Workers from fast food restaurants, airport contractors, carwashes, supermarkets and other sectors; New York Communities for Change; Make the Road NY; La Fuente; NYC Central Labor Council; Strong Economy for All Coalition; 32BJ SEIU; UnitedNY; RWDSU; progressive activists including MoveOn.org

WHEN: Thursday, December 6 at 5 PM

WHERE: 42nd Street and 7th Ave., NYC

Since the financial crisis, low-wage work has accounted for all net new jobs in New York City and New York State. While the corporations that employ these workers have recovered from downturn and are now earning massive profits, they continue to pay their workers low wages without benefits, often exploiting their workers through wage theft and workplace abuses.

Workers have begun to fight back, with fast food workers being the latest to join airport, car wash and supermarket workers in organizing for better pay and respect on the job within New York City. Workers and their allies realize that in order to get the economy working again, the focus must be on putting money into the pockets of hard-working men and women in our city through fair wages and the creation of good jobs, funded in part by a fair deal on the “fiscal cliff.”

As working families struggle to survive, some members of Congress have prioritized cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and are threatening to take the country over the fiscal cliff to keep the wealthiest 2% of Americans from paying their fair share. Labor, community, student, faith and progress groups are united to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, protect the safety net and invest in jobs and broader prosperity.

We want a clear statement from U.S. Representative Michael Grimm: Will you stand up for regular New Yorkers who need help? Or do you stand with the millionaires and billionaires?

Labor! * Community! * Students! * Faith! * Patriotic Millionaires! Join us!  Saturday December 1 at 11:30 AM for a PEOPLE’S YACHT TRIP ON THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY

End the Bush Tax Cuts for the Rich To Fund Recovery and Reconstruction for Staten Island and NYC

11:30AM * STATEN ISLAND FERRY MANHATTAN TERMINAL * 4 South St New York, NY 10004-1940

12:45PM * STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH HALL * 10 Richmond Terrace SI, NY 10301

INFO: Olivia Leirer 646-479-3426 oleirer@nycommunities.org

FACEBOOK: bit.ly/peoplesyacht

We’ve got five weeks to get Congress to put regular people first for a change. Join us Tuesday for a telephone teach-in about the fiscal cliff, the statewide campaign to end the Bush tax cuts for the top 2%, and how you can get involved!

Two options:

11:00 am – Tuesday, November 27th – Click here to RSVP: http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/MZRQTMIOIES0X1W

7:00 pm – Tuesday, November 27th – Click here to RSVP: http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/ZB6Y489VSC3ILS

This year’s election was about demanding fairness and accountability from government.  We won’t sit still while Wall Street and the super-rich rig the system.

What happens next will test the power of our progressive movement. We won the election.

Now we’ll be fighting to:

* End the Bush Tax Cuts for the top 2% (stopping an average $130,000 tax cut for millionaires)

* Protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from any cuts

* Create good-paying jobs to help rebuild our economy

For the next five weeks, we’ll need you to make phone calls to Congress, join us at events and rallies, write to your local newspapers and post to Facebook and Twitter.

It’s all hands on deck — for the next five weeks — to make sure we win the most important budget fight in decades.

After years of right-wing members of congress holding the interests of working families hostage, we now have the upper hand.

It’s up to us.

Please join us on Tuesday at either 11:00 am or 7:00 pm to get involved.

Press conference with Congressman Paul Tonko and a diverse array of community, labor and faith leaders calling on their federal officials to demand a fair deal that protects Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and ensures the wealthiest pay their fair share.

We’re postponing our forum previously scheduled for Tuesday night to allow Westchester residents to recover from Hurricane Sandy — stay tuned for more details.

We’re working with the WPCLB, Westchester for Change, unions & community groups on rescheduling, and we’ll let you know what’s up as quick as we can — meanwhile, be careful, be safe, and take care of each other.

*******

New York is mired in unemployment, and we’re actually creating ONLY low-wage jobs. We’re on the wrong path.

Too many politicians have been steering us in the wrong direction: New York is now #1 in the nation for income inequality.

It’s time for a roadmap that takes us away from austerity towards prosperity and a stronger economy that works for all of us.

• FAIR TAXES & FAIR BUDGETS
• BETTER WAGES & MORE JOBS
• INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION
• PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE & MEDICAID
• CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF ELECTIONS

Map the route. Talk to the candidates who want a turn at the steering wheel – and work to make this year’s election a real turning point for economic fairness.

Ethical Culture Society
7 Saxon Wood Road, White Plains, NY 10605

Contacts:

Jennifer Puja, Labor Council Director 914-328-7988
Florence McCue, WPCLB Secretary/Treasurer 914-715-6174
Susan Van Dolsen Westchester For Change 914-525-8886
Maria Kercado 1199SEIU 347-245-9688

Driving instruction for Ethical Culture Society of Westchester:

7 Saxon Wood Road
White Plains, New York 10605
(914) 948-1120

From the I – 95 (New England Thruway) to Exit 18B (Mamaroneck Ave west/White Plains:

Continue on Mamaroneck Ave for 8 lights. After Saxon Wood Pool

** Make first left onto Saxon Wood Road (Meadow Veterinary Hospital) make an immediate left to Ethical Culture Society of Westchester.

From the West:

Take 287 East to Exit 9 (Hutchinson Parkway) take Hutch south to exit 23N (Mamaroneck Ave north) bear right onto Mamaroneck Ave. go 1 light follow from ** above

From New York City:

Take Henry Hudson to Saw Mill to Cross County to Hutchinson Parkway to 23N (Mamaroneck Ave north) bear right onto Mamaroneck Ave. go 1 light follow from ** above

By Train:

Take the New Haven Line of Metro-North to Mamaroneck. There are generally taxis greeting trains as they arrive; if not there is a taxi company’s office across Halstead Avenue from the entrance to the east / north bound (towards Stamford) platform.

Join us in Corning for pizza, politics, and a talk about jobs, wages, income inequality & economic fairness.

New York is mired in unemployment, and we’re actually creating ONLY low-wage jobs. We’re on the wrong path.

Too many politicians have been steering us in the wrong direction: New York is now #1 in the nation for income inequality.

It’s time for a roadmap that takes us away from austerity towards prosperity and a stronger economy that works for all of us.

• FAIR TAXES & FAIR BUDGETS
• BETTER WAGES & MORE JOBS
• INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION
• PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE & MEDICAID
• CORPORATE MONEY OUT OF ELECTIONS

Map the route. Talk to the candidates who want a turn at the steering wheel – and work to make this year’s election a real turning point for economic fairness.