Governor Hochul Directs New York State Landmarks To Be Illuminated Red, White, and Blue in Honor of Labor Day

 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that landmarks across New York State will be illuminated red, white, and blue tonight, September 4, in honor of Labor Day.

"This Labor Day, I encourage every New Yorker to join us in honoring the tremendous gains of the organized labor movement and the workers who power our economy," Governor Hochul said. "My administration remains committed to making New York the most pro-worker state in the nation by supporting union labor and ensuring our workers have the benefits they so rightly deserve."

The landmarks to be lit in recognition of Labor Day include:

• One World Trade Center
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

Governor Hochul has worked diligently to enact a nation-leading worker agenda, including: historic plans to increase New York’s minimum wage and index it to inflation, offering 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave to more than 150,000 state employees, and other initiatives to increase wages and benefits, expand prevailing wage, connect job seekers to employment opportunities, and help ensure retirement security for private sector workers. The Governor has also continued an aggressive crackdown on wage theft and advanced new initiatives to protect workers from discrimination, harassment, abuse, and the dangers of COVID-19 in the workplace; secure major labor benefits on transformative New York projects; and distribute grants through the new Office of Strategic Workforce Development to create training opportunities for all New Yorkers.

MAYOR ADAMS, OLR COMMISSIONER CAMPION ANNOUNCE CONTRACT TO ENSURE FAIR WAGES, MORE FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING FOR STATEN ISLAND FERRY WORKERS

 Contract Is Union’s First with the City in More Than a Decade 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion today announced that the City of New York has reached an agreement with the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), the union representing Staten Island Ferry licensed officers. The contract — reached through mediation and ratified by MEBA membership on Friday with 94 percent support — is the first one the city has reached with the union since 2010. With this contract, the city has now settled all represented groups for the 2010-2017 round of bargaining, and 81.3 percent of all represented groups for the current round of bargaining.

The contract is retroactive, beginning on November 7, 2010, and expires on January 4, 2027. It provides pattern-conforming wage increases to captains, assistant captains, and mates consistent with the 2010-2017, 2017-2021, and 2021-2026 civilian union patterns. Further, marine engineers and chief marine engineers will receive retroactive wage increases consistent with the prevailing wage determination issued by the New York City comptroller earlier this year. The contract also establishes new salary rates and a 40-hour workweek effective October 1, 2023 — an increase from the current 32-hour work week — as well as a five-step salary schedule for all MEBA employees hired or promoted after October 1, 2023. The parties have also agreed that all MEBA-represented employees will be allowed to take vacation in one-week blocks instead of two-week blocks, providing greater flexibility for these workers.

 

“Today, we thank our tireless ferry workers, not just with words — but with a contract that delivers the fair wages and benefits they deserve,” said Mayor Adams. “Our nation has been suffering from a shortage of marine workers. We know that to attract and retain a talented workforce we must offer competitive wages and benefits that everyone can agree on. Thanks to this agreement, both our ferry workers and the working people of Staten Island can continue to ride forward without worry or interruptions. I want to thank our mediator, Al Viani, and our indefatigable Office of Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion for their efforts in reaching this historic moment.”

 

“The Adams administration continues to put working people first, and this contract with MEBA — the first in more than a decade — underscores our critical partnership with labor,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg. “This contract is fair to the people who run the Staten Island ferry system day in and day out, and will also ensure reliable service for the commuters who depend on it. This contract would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our Office of Labor Relations Commissioner Renee Campion and the mediator, Al Viani.”

 

“Thank you to MEBA Secretary-Treasurer Roland Rexha and mediator Al Viani for working tirelessly with us to reach this agreement,” said OLR Commissioner Campion. “We are extremely pleased we were able to settle this contract and finally get these employees raises going back more than 10 years, which will also help us better recruit and retain these valuable workers and ensure our Staten Island ferry system continues to be a vital part of our public transportation system.”

 

“Today, the Adams administration brings closure to an over a decade-long labor negotiation, during which the men and women who are responsible for the safe passage of thousands of daily Staten Island Ferry passengers continued to steer the ship,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “This represents another important milestone in this administration’s unprecedented labor negotiation accomplishments, which cumulatively are bringing certainty, better wages, and better working conditions to tens of thousands of committed public servants, whose daily work is at the core of what makes New York City the best in the world.” 

 

“Each year, the Staten Island Ferry transports over 12 million passengers between Staten Island and Manhattan. Completing these trips safely and on time requires a skilled and dedicated team, including the members of the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “That is why it is important that the members of MEBA have a fair contract. I want to thank Mayor Adams, OLR Commissioner Renee Campion, MEBA Secretary-Treasurer Roland Rexha, and my colleagues across city government who helped us secure a new contract that respects workers and will help provide passengers with the high level of service they deserve.”

 

“Throughout two previous administrations, it often felt like City Hall and the MEBA were sailing on separate courses. However, today, we proudly announce that we have finally brought this contract to dock,” said MEBA Secretary-Treasurer Roland Rexha. “This achievement is due in part to having a mayor who truly values the hard work of our members and comprehends the challenges our mariners face day in and day out. Mayor Adams, a blue-collar mayor who gets things done, has been instrumental in making this contract a reality. On this Labor Day in 2023, we have achieved a remarkable feat — transforming the lowest paid ferry jobs in the nation into the highest paid. This accomplishment was made possible by our members transitioning to a 40-hour work week, providing immediate relief, and resolving staffing shortages. Now, New York City can offer the reliable service that Staten Islanders truly deserve. As the arteries and veins that keep this city's blood flowing, whether through rail, bus, or ferry, we recognize that New York City is the greatest city in the world. It was built upon the foundation of its exceptional public transportation system, which serves millions daily.” 

 

“This agreement has been one of the most complex and difficult that I have ever had to deal with in my fifty-plus years of labor relations experience,” said mediator Al Viani. “I commend the city’s representative, Renee Campion, and her staff and the union’s representative, Roland Rexha, and his staff for making the necessary compromises to reach a successful conclusion. This agreement is in the best interests of the city and the Staten Island ferryboat workers. It will ensure safe, reliable, and stable ferryboat service for years to come.” 

 

The total cost of the agreement through Fiscal Year 2027 will be $103 million, for an additional cost of $53 million. This additional funding will be reflected in future financial plans.

The contract includes:

• Changes in Scheduling Policies: Effective October 1, 2023, all MEBA-represented titles will work a 40-hour workweek in four 10-hour shifts, an increase over the previous 32-hour workweeks to provide greater productivity to the city. In addition, employees will have the option of taking vacation in one-week blocks, instead of two-week blocks under the previous contract.
• Five-Step Salary Schedule for All Employees: Effective October 1, 2023, every MEBA-represented employee hired or promoted after that date will have a five-step salary schedule.

 Captains, assistant captains, and mates will receive the following compounded and retroactive wage increases:

• May 7, 2012 – 1.00%
• November 7, 2012 – 2.00%
• May 7, 2013 – 1.00%
• May 7, 2014 – 1.00%
• May 7, 2015 – 1.50%
• May 7, 2016 – 2.50%
• May 7, 2017 – 3.056%
• November 7, 2017 – 2.00%
• November 7, 2018 – 2.25%
• December 7, 2019 – 3.25%
• July 5, 2021 – 3.00%
• July 5, 2022 – 3.00%
• July 5, 2023 – 3.00%

 

Team AOC - Hot Labor Summer

 

This Labor Day, we wanted to call out some wins for the labor movement in 2023:

• According to a 2023 survey, 71% of Americans approve of labor unions — the most since 1965.¹ A record-high 61% also say unions help rather than hurt the U.S. economy.

• More than 200 strikes have occurred across the U.S. so far in 2023, involving more than 320,000 workers, as compared to 116 strikes and just 27,000 workers in 2021.²

• New York State Nurses Association members won a 19.1 percent wage increase and the creation of more than 170 new nursing positions after a 3-day strike at Montefiore Medical Center in Alexandria’s district.

• The National Labor Relations Board saw 2,510 union representation petitions filed in fiscal year 2022 — a 53% increase over the previous year.³ The NLRB also ruled to make union-busting a lot harder: if bosses commit unfair labor practices in the run-up to a union election, the NLRB will order the employer to immediately recognize and bargain with the union.

• 86% of Teamsters voted in favor of a UPS ratification contract — the highest vote for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS — and drivers will now earn an average of $170K/yr in pay and benefits by the end of 2028.

• 97% of the United Auto Workers voted to authorize a strike as their contract is renegotiated — meaning nearly all of the 150,000 workers at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis will strike if a fair deal cannot be reached.⁴

It’s been a big year for the labor movement. We have momentum to grow and strengthen unions like no time in recent history. Team AOC is happy to stand with workers fighting for better protections in the workplace.

Yours in service,

Team AOC

BROTHERS CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING OFF-DUTY OFFICER AND ATTEMPTING TO WREST FIREARM FROM HIM

 

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shawn Rivera and Edwin Rivera were arraigned on charges of first-degree assault and strangulation in an attack on an off-duty police officer after a traffic dispute near Queens Boulevard and 70th Street in Elmhurst.

District Attorney Katz said: “We will not allow our streets to devolve into the Wild West. The rule of law and the officers who enforce it must be respected. After clearly identifying himself as a police officer, this off-duty cop was attacked while trying to make an arrest and the charges reflect the seriousness of the assault against him.”

Shawn Rivera, 27, and Edwin Rivera, 32, both of 70th Street in Woodside, were charged with assault in the first degree, assault on a peace or police officer, two counts of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, three counts of assault in the second degree and strangulation in the second degree. Shawn Rivera was additionally charged with criminal mischief in the third degree. Judge Anthony Battisti ordered them to return to court September 5. If convicted, they each face up to 25 years in prison.

According to the charges:

• On August 30, at approximately 12:50 p.m., off-duty NYPD Officer Christopher Campos drove his car on 70th Street towards Queens Boulevard around a white Chrysler Pacifica that was partially parked on the sidewalk and partially blocking the street. As he drove by, the Pacifica accelerated toward his car, nearly hitting it.
• Campos continued driving along 70th Street, into the intersection with Queens Blvd., when he heard what sounded like something hit the rear of his car. Campos stopped and reversed his car in the intersection, in the direction of the Chrysler Pacifica to see what had happened.
• He then saw Shawn Rivera run toward his car. Shawn Rivera then punched the back window of the car, shattering the glass.
• Campos got out of his car and identified himself as a police officer while drawing his firearm. He gave multiple commands to Shawn Rivera to get on the ground so he could arrest him.
• While Campos was attempting to place Shawn Rivera under arrest, Edwin Rivera intervened and the brothers pushed the officer to the ground to prevent him from making the arrest. Edwin Rivera then put his arms around Campos’ neck and squeezed, causing the officer to fall to the ground.
• As Campos tried to stand up, the brothers grabbed him and pushed him, preventing him from getting up. Edwin Rivera tried to take Campos’ gun while Shawn Rivera put his arm around the officer’s neck and squeezed, causing Campos to see black and white, have trouble breathing and begin to lose consciousness.
• During the struggle, and while Edwin Rivera tried to take his gun, Campos fired one round, striking himself in the leg and also hitting Edwin Rivera’s hand.
• Campos was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he underwent surgery to his knee.

Assistant District Attorney Eric Weinstein, of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Michael Whitney, Bureau Chief, and Roni C. Piplani, Deputy Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Major Crimes Shawn Clark.

Kansas Owner of Construction Firms Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Scheme

 

 Defendant Failed to Pay Over $2.2 Million

A Kansas woman pleaded guilty to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Sheryl Clanton of Bucyrus, Kansas, owned and operated McCorkendale Construction Inc., a business specializing in the construction and maintenance of underground infrastructure. Clanton was President of McCorkendale from 2006 through 2011 and was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying federal income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employees’ wages to the IRS. For the first quarter of 2010 through the last quarter of 2011, however, Clanton did not pay approximately $980,536 in employment taxes owed to the IRS.

In 2011, Clanton abandoned McCorkendale due to its outstanding tax obligations and a bank mortgage foreclosure, and started McClan Construction LLC. From the second quarter of 2012 through the fourth quarter of 2017, Clanton did not pay approximately $1.1 million in employment taxes or file quarterly payroll tax returns as required by law.

Clanton also operated a third underground construction business, NJ Trenching LLC, organized in late 2011. Between 2012 and 2015, Clanton did not report or pay nearly $100,000 of employment taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of NJ Trenching.

In total, Clanton caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $2.2 million.

Clanton is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Governor Hochul Announces New Measures to Mitigate Bridge Strikes in Upstate New York

 

Road Safety Enhancements Being Deployed Along Onondaga Lake Parkway in Onondaga County and Glenridge Road in Schenectady County

 Governor Kathy Hochul announced that new measures are being implemented this week in the Capital Region and Central New York intended to reduce collisions with low-clearance railroad bridges. These new safety enhancements, put in place by New York State Department of Transportation, are being employed along the Onondaga Lake Parkway in the Village of Liverpool and the Town of Salina, Onondaga County, and along Glenridge Road in the Town of Glenville, Schenectady County. Both roads travel under railroad bridges with posted clearances of 10 feet 9 inches and 10 feet 11 inches, respectively.

“The measures being put in place this week will help calm traffic and provide clear warnings to truck drivers in danger of striking low-clearance overpasses in Upstate New York,” Governor Hochul said. “Bridge strikes create hazardous situations for drivers and first responders and cause unnecessary inconveniences for local communities. These new systems will build on the numerous steps already taken to prevent these needless bridge strikes.”

Glenridge Road Rail Bridge

In Glenville, a multi-pronged effort is being put in place by NYSDOT to reduce instances of trucks and other vehicles striking the Canadian Pacific Railway-owned bridge that carries the rail line over Glenridge Road. A state-of-the-art vehicle detection system, which uses infrared sensors, flashing beacons, floodlights, and cameras, was fully operational by Thursday, August 31.

The Department of Transportation installed two sets of infrared detectors along with two electronic message boards and two new flashing beacons for vehicles heading westbound, which is the direction of travel in which the majority of bridge strikes have occurred. There is one set of detectors and message boards for vehicles heading eastbound. Additionally, six new permanent cameras will work in conjunction with the over-height detection system.

When an over-height vehicle disrupts the continuity of the newly installed infrared beams, the system will trigger nearby beacons to flash floodlights to shine on the bridge, and electronic message boards will post a warning to the operator that their vehicle is too tall to fit underneath the bridge.

The mobilization of this active warning system is the latest step in immediate and long-term plans announced in November 2021 by the Department of Transportation to reduce the number of bridge strikes at the Glenridge Road overpass. Last summer, the Department completed the construction of a vehicle turnaround area approximately 500 feet ahead of the railroad overpass for westbound vehicles.

In January 2022, the Department activated flashing beacons above and below low-clearance warning signs in advance of the bridge in both directions. Additionally, 14 signs have long been in place in both directions over a 0.9-mile stretch of Glenridge Road warning truckers of the low clearance bridge just east of Hetcheltown Road. This includes nine advance signs in the westbound direction over approximately three-quarters of a mile. Pavement markings displaying similar warnings ahead of the bridge are consistently refreshed.

Onondaga Lake Parkway

Also known as State Route 370, Onondaga Lake Parkway is located within Onondaga Lake Park and runs along the northern shore of Onondaga Lake, parallel to Old Liverpool Road, between the Interstate 81 interchange and the Village of Liverpool. The CSX-owned railroad bridge near the midpoint of the parkway has been subject to frequent collisions with over-height vehicles.

This week, as part of a series of safety enhancements announced in June 2023, the parkway is being reduced to one lane in each direction, for a distance of 1200 feet on each side of the railroad bridge, which is intended to calm traffic and give over-height vehicles additional time to heed the warning signs and avoid the bridge. The lane restrictions will remain in place as NYSDOT assess their effectiveness and their impact on traffic conditions.

The new enhancements being added augment the nearly 50 countermeasures currently in place along both sides of the bridge, which include signs, flashing beacons, pavement markings, variable message signs, and an electronic over-height vehicle detection system.

New, ground-mounted and overhead signs with graphical “No Trucks” messaging are making it easier for drivers with limited English proficiency to understand. Additionally, plans are in place for an upgrade of the existing over-height detection system with additional sensors to improve accuracy, incorporation of LED blank out signs with a graphical “No Trucks” message that will activate when an over-height vehicle is detected, and the installation of a traditional, three-phase traffic signal near the bridge that would turn red when an over-height vehicle is detected.

In addition, the entrance ramp to the parkway from Interstate 81 northbound, which is currently closed, will remain closed as NYSDOT assesses the impact and effectiveness of the lane reduction on the parkway.

NYSDOT continues to alert drivers of over-height vehicles that consumer GPS and cell phone mapping systems do not include warnings for bridge heights, which puts them at risk of collisions. Commercial-grade GPS systems, on the other hand, account for and include height, weight, and other road restrictions.

The Department continues to partner and meet with local and state elected officials and the Trucking Association of New York to ensure that truckers use proper routes.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Onondaga Lake Parkway and Glenridge Road have seen far too many bridge strikes involving trucks and other over-height vehicles in recent years, which can cause unnecessary hazards to local motorists and first responders. Bridge strikes are 100 percent preventable, and operators of over-height vehicles need to drive safely, pay attention to the new and existing warnings in place, and use commercial-grade GPS navigation systems. I thank Governor Hochul for her support and commitment to the safety of all those who drive in New York.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

How about the Henry Hudson Parkway overpasses in the Bronx where trucks are hitting the West 239th and West 246th overpasses on a regular basis Governor Hochul?

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association September 12, 2023 Meeting

The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association is back with their monthly community event on TUESDAY Sept 12,2023 starting at 7:00 pm at our location 2134 Barnes Avenue corner of Barnes and Lydig Avenue Bx, NY 10462. Scheduled to appear from the NYPD are Captain Ashraf from Transit District 12 and Deputy Inspector Kentish and Commanding Officer  from the 49th Pct in the Bronx.

Please join us for this very important and informative session.

We look forward to seeing you! 

LA JARA WAY in Westchester Square

There was a sea of blue at the corner of East Tremont Avenue and St. Raymonds Avenue in Westchester Square, as the corner was to be co-named for the Latin New York City Police band La Jara. La Jara is a band made up of NYPD officers who come from various Latin American countries. 

Captain Alexander Cedillo formed the band in 2013, and when he is not busy at work in the 63rd Precinct he is thinking of music. He said the band which is ten years old has members from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico. La Jara plays Salsa and Merengue, are all volunteers who play as a community service, and do not charge any fee for their performances.  

On hand for the street co-naming were NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Tania I. Kinsella, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, 45th Precinct Commanding officer Captain Johnny A. Orellana, Members of LA JARA and other police officers, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez, Westchester BID Executive Director Jasmin Cruz who was the emcee of the event, and others.

Jasmin Cruz the Executive Director of the Westchester BID was the emcee of the street co-naming. 

NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Tania I. Kinsella speaks about the LA JARA band and what it means to the NYPD.

NYPD Chief of the Department Jeffrey Maddrey says a few words of congratulations to the band.

Captain Cedillo of LA JARA holds a Certificate of Merit from Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

Captain Cedillo and Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez hold a second street sign La Jara Band Way that was given to the band. 

After the speeches it was time to uncover the new street sign La Jara Way.

It's official, the corner of East Tremont Avenue and St. Raymonds Avenue is La Jara Way.