Monday, September 6, 2021
Happy Labor Day to all!
For those of us of Caribbean descent, Labor Day weekend plays an integral role in our experience as residents of Brooklyn. It serves as a reminder of our heritage, culture, and pride as Caribbean people. This weekend reminds us that summer is coming to a close it also usually ushers in a weekend of festivities highlighting and celebrating Caribbean culture in New York. The pinnacle of which is the West Indian American Day Carnival Association's Labor Day Parade.
Each year people from all over the world flood onto Eastern Parkway to celebrate Labor Day and our culture and pride as Caribbean people. Regrettably, this year, the community could not observe like it traditionally would because of our need to be responsible and safe amid this public health crisis. It is in that vein that I encourage you to be safe this Labor Day.
Labor Day has always been a day that not only brought us the latest soca, reggae, and dance hall tunes from our home countries, but each year it has been a day that has brought us closer together as a community. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an immense toll on many of our families. It has also shown us how resilient we are and why we must continue to stand together. Let's make today a celebration of that resilience and ensure we have fun while keeping each other safe.
Always remember that in unity, there is strength.
Warm regards,
Hon. Diana C. Richardson
Member of the NYS Assembly
43rd District, Kings County
OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS' STATEMENT IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY
"Today we recognize and celebrate laborers, working people, and the movements driven by working people throughout our history, whether in centuries past or in recent years. From the 40 hour work week, to minimum wages, to paid sick leave, progress has been driven and demanded by working people organizing together, unionizing, to build power. We celebrate victories won, values championed, and work well done.
"Ordinarily in New York City, we would also be celebrating the West Indian Day Parade out on the Parkway, honoring Caribbean heritage in the largest annual gathering our city sees. Of course this year, that celebration has been altered in size, scope, and execution as we continue to do all that we can keep each other safe as the Delta variant circulates. As someone who has proudly taken to the Parkway for decades, I understand both the desire to celebrate and the imperative to do so safely. I urge New Yorkers to to bring the spirit of the parade, if not the sights and sounds, to their own smaller celebrations.
"This Labor Day, I'm thinking about the essential workers who have put themselves at risk over the last year and a half to keep us safe and combat this pandemic. We owe it to them, to each other, to honor that work and sacrifice by getting vaccinated, adhering to CDC guidelines, and staying safe in celebration today."
Governor Kathy Hochul Announces Designation of COVID-19 as an Airborne Infectious Disease Under New York State's HERO Act
Designation by State Department of Health Requires All Employers to Implement Workplace Safety Plans to Help Protect Workers from COVID-19
Law Protects Employees from Retaliation for Making a Complaint About Employer's Failure to Comply with the Law or the Adopted Plan
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the commissioner of health has designated COVID-19 a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under New York State's HERO Act, which requires all employers to implement workplace safety plans in the event of an airborne infectious disease, helping to prevent workplace infections. The NY HERO Act mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the law, all employers are required to adopt a workplace safety plan, and implement it for all airborne infectious diseases designated by the New York State Department of Health. Employers can adopt a model safety plan as crafted by the New York State Department of Labor, or develop their own safety plan in compliance with HERO Act standards.
"While we continue to increase our vaccination numbers, the fight against the Delta variant is not over, and we have to do everything we can to protect our workers," Governor Hochul said. "This designation will ensure protections are in place to keep our workers safe and support our efforts to combat the virus and promote health and safety."
The HERO Act's purpose is to ensure that businesses are prepared with protocols and resources to protect their employees and the public from the spread of airborne infectious diseases, like COVID's Delta variant.
Under the HERO Act, the DOL in consultation with the DOH has developed a new Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Standard, a Model Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan, and various industry-specific model plans for the prevention of airborne infectious disease. Additional information and industry-specific templates for employers are available on the DOL's website.
The plans adopted by employers must address a number of safety measures, including but not limited to: employee health screenings, masking and social distancing requirements, workplace hygiene stations, workplace cleaning protocol, quarantine protocol, and building airflow technology.
Employers are required to distribute their work safety plan to all employees and post it in a visible and prominent location within each worksite.
Additionally, the HERO Act includes anti-retaliation protections for employees which prohibit discrimination or adverse actions taken against an employee for following the requirements of these plans, reporting concerns on the implementation of a plan, or refusing to work.
THENEWBXCC - Bronx Business News You Can Use
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