The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association is back with their monthly community meeting on Tuesday April 1th,2023 starting at 7:00pm at our location 2134 Barnes Avenue on the corner of Barnes and Lydig Avenue Bx, NY 10462. Scheduled to appear are Inspectors from The United States Postal Inspection Service, Bronx District. Please join us for this very important and informative session. We look forward to seeing you.
The Attorneys General of California, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina joined a civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State of New York, and the District of Columbia to block JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines. The Antitrust Division and the state Attorneys General filed an amended complaint in the District of Massachusetts.
“We look forward to litigating this important case alongside our state law enforcement partners to stop JetBlue from eliminating its rival, Spirit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki. “We welcome the States of California, Maryland, New Jersey, and North Carolina, who join the complaint to protect the benefits of competition in the airline industry on behalf of their residents.”
Call for Submissions: 2023 Art Competition Now Open!
For questions about entries and this year's competition for New York's 13th congressional district, please contact Laurie Tobias-Cohen at Laurie.Tobias-Cohen@mail.
Visit online for a full list of the 2023 Rules and Regulations.
New Interagency Collaboration Advances Governor Hochul’s Commitment to Protecting the Youth Workforce Across New York State
The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) today announced that the new Child Labor Task Force held its inaugural meeting on March 28th, the first benchmark in New York State’s aggressive crackdown on child labor violations and the protection of young members of our workforce. The Child Labor Task Force will work with schools, businesses, and the public to ensure children, parents, and employers are educated on the rights of young New Yorkers in the workplace. Members discussed current procedures, campaigns, outreach, and other efforts related to underage employment and enforcement. Governor Hochul announced the formation of this task force as part of a renewed effort by New York State to combat a recent uptick in child labor violations.
“Governor Hochul continues to position New York State as a national leader in the fight against child labor violations,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “I look forward to working with my partners in government to find new ways to protect the youngest members of our workforce and to ensure that businesses are obeying the law.”
The new task force is a collaborative effort led by NYSDOL, in partnership with the New York State Police, New York State Education Department, New York Department of State’s Office for New Americans, New York State Division of Human Rights, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Workers Compensation Board, and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
The task force is part of a multi-pronged approach by the Hochul Administration to combat child labor violations. Other measures include the launch of a new employer pledge, an extensive public education campaign, the establishment of a new Labor Trafficking Response Unit, and a Child Labor online hub. The multi-agency group will take a data-first approach by using trends in child labor complaints to direct education efforts and potentially proactive enforcement of certain laws.
NYSDOL offers online guidance, broken down by ages 14-17 and 18-24,to help young New Yorkers understand what they need before applying for jobs. Topics include working papers, proper identification, resume preparation, and more. Some important tips to remember for young workers and hiring businesses are:
.png?width=1120&upscale=true&name=BCDI%20logo%20X%20(1).png)
Join us in-person on Wednesday, April 5th 2023 (6pm) at YMCA La Central (434 Westchester Avenue) to reignite the powerful work that our people and coalition began in 2019.
We are continuing to build a collective, community-powered vision for development that leads the Bronx on a different path from what we have seen elsewhere across our city!
Register/RSVP for the physical gathering by SIGNING UP HERE.
Our vision is for development grounded in economic democracy: shared ownership and collective decision-making over the assets and resources in our Bronx.
Thousands of Bronx community members have already shared their insight and knowledge to help form the analysis of our borough. |
 |
Newcomers are highly encouraged and very welcomed. |
 |
Join us in continuing this critical and collaborative work. |
 |
Visit www.bronxwideplan.nyc to learn even more! BCDI, 2431 Morris Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468, 917.943.6225. |
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion today hailed District Council (DC) 37 for voting to ratify its contract with the city last night — passing with 97 percent of all members voting in favor. The five-plus year contract is the first reached under the Adams administration and will cover roughly one-quarter of the city’s total unionized workforce, providing annual raises of 3 percent in the first four years and 3.25 percent in the fifth year, as well as a one-time bonus of $3,000 immediately to eligible members.
“This agreement will put thousands of dollars into the pockets of the men and women of DC 37, who work tirelessly each and every day to keep our city running. And it is a victory for people like my late mother, Dorothy Adams, herself a former member of this union, who raised six children on her own thanks to the good pay and decent benefits she got from DC 37,” said Mayor Adams. “I am a blue-collar mayor who will always stand with the working people of this city — fighting for fairer wages, better benefits, and a better quality of life — and this contract not only provides our blue-collar workers a great deal, but it is also fair to our city’s taxpayers. It would not have been possible without the dogged efforts of OLR Commissioner Renee Campion, the steadfast partnership of Henry Garrido, and the dedication of the great members of DC 37.”
“Congratulations to DC 37 on the ratification of this contract, which will provide good raises, a ratification bonus, and other important benefits that will address the most pressing needs members are facing,” said OLR Commissioner Campion. “The overwhelming vote in favor is a testament to this administration’s strong partnership with our labor unions and a reminder that our city is stronger when labor and management work together to uplift our city and its employees.”
DC 37 members will receive the following compounded and retroactive wage increases, representing a 16.21-percent increase across the life of the contract:
The contract ratified last night also includes:
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the filing of a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of various World War I-era documents, letters, and photographs relating to Russian military personnel, including the diary of a Russian general, for the purpose of returning the antiquities to the American university from which they were stolen.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Antiquities allow us to see and study pieces of history from, in this case, more than one hundred years ago. The University’s important historical research was undercut by the alleged theft and illegal smuggling of these antiquities abroad. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, these records have been recovered and will be returned to their rightful owner.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:[1]
The United States seeks the forfeiture of documentary materials, relating primarily to the 1917 Russian Revolution and World War I Russian military personnel, that were stolen from a university located in New York, New York (the “University”). The stolen materials included the 1919 diary of General Nikolai Iudenitch, a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I, along with other documents, correspondence, and photographs that had been sent to an auction house located in Paris, France, (the “Auction House”) for inclusion in an April 2018 auction of Russian documents and books. The Auction House was not provided with any certificate of authenticity or proof as to the provenance of the materials. After a curator employed by the University recognized the items in a catalog published by the Auction House, the stolen materials were seized by law enforcement.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation/New York City Police Department Joint Major Theft Task Force/Art Crime Team. In addition, Mr. Williams thanked authorities in France for their assistance.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Long-Awaited Transition to NYRx Provides Eight Million Members Expanded Access to Prescription Medications at More Than 5,000 Pharmacies Statewide
Change Invests $705 Million in Medicaid Funding Directly to 340b providers, including Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Hospitals
Governor Kathy Hochul today launched NYRx, the state's new pharmacy benefit program, which will improve prescription drug access and coverage for the eight million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid statewide. The long-awaited transition will enable Medicaid recipients to access more prescription medications with fewer restrictions, reduce confusion over the brand-name and generic drugs covered by the program, and create the largest pharmacy network in New York State.
"The transition to NYRx today is in the best interest of those New Yorkers relying on Medicaid for affordable prescription medication," Governor Hochul said. "In addition to expanding coverage and access through this program, we are also committing hundreds of millions of additional Medicaid dollars to reinvest in critical providers, including Ryan White programs and Federally Qualified Health Centers, to ensure this change is seamless and has positive impacts across our state."
Under the NYRx model, New York State's Medicaid program will pay pharmacy costs directly, eliminating the need for managed care organizations to administer this benefit through pharmacy benefit managers. The new process creates transparency in reimbursements to pharmacies, leverages the state's purchasing power to negotiate with drug manufacturers, and streamlines administration for practitioners.
NYRx also improves coverage for Medicaid recipients by opening access to a statewide network of more than 5,000 pharmacies. In addition, the change establishes one comprehensive list of the brand-name and generic medications covered under the program, including all FDA-approved medications, which will broaden prescription drugs coverage for Medicaid recipients.
Additionally, NYRx will streamline the process for practitioners. Instead of working through varying rules and limitations for coverage under managed care organizations, pharmacists and physicians will be able to prescribe medication based on a uniform list that is less restrictive and governed by an independent public board of experts.
In anticipation of NYRx being implemented, Governor Hochul committed $705 million in Medicaid dollars in her FY 2024 budget to ensure 340b health care providers that received critical funding through their pharmacy programs aren't negatively impacted by the transition. Of the $705 million, the budget reinvests $30 million in state Medicaid funding to Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, $250 million in state and federal Medicaid funding into Federally Qualified Health Centers, and $425 million in state and federal Medicaid funding into hospitals.
Initially adopted in 2020 in the FY 2021 Budget, the transition will also help address New York State's rapid growth in Medicaid pharmacy costs, which has been driven primarily by pharmacy benefit managers and other intermediaries in the prescription medication supply chain. The transition was delayed by the FY 2022 Budget, which pushed implementation until today, April 1, 2023.
Medicaid recipients or others with questions or in need of assistance with NYRx may visit the program's website, email NYRx@health.ny.gov or contact the Medicaid Helpline at 1-855-648-1909 or TTY 1-800-662-1220. The Helpline is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The state Department of Health also prepared a fact sheet available in multiple languages for consumers answering basic questions about the transition. Additional information is available at the on the eMedNY website.
