Monday, February 10, 2025
MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERVISORS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND DAY CARE COUNCIL OF NEW YORK TO DELIVER RAISES FOR CHILD CARE ADMINISTRATORS
Adams Administration Facilitated Conversations That Helped Two Parties Come to Agreement, Cumulative Pay Increases, Bonuses, Additional Salary for Extended Day and Extended Year Programs
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion, Council of Schools Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) President Henry Rubio, and Day Care Council of New York (DCCNY) Executive Director Tara N. Gardner today announced a tentative new contract for administrators at early childhood education centers, extending the collective bargaining agreement that expired on September 30, 2020. The tentative new contract provides workers with a cumulative raise of over 33.62 percent for the entirety of the contract, retroactive to October 2020, and ending March 2028.
The tentative agreement negotiated between DCCNY and CSA — which covers 150 directors and assistant directors at publicly-funded child care centers and family child care programs throughout New York City — provides wage increases, a ratification bonus, annual retention bonuses, and additional salary for those supervising extended day and year programs, along with substantial increased contributions to the union welfare fund.
“Our administration is committed to expanding access to early childhood education with over 150,000 children enrolled across our system, and this means making sure that our child care providers are well paid and work with dignity,” said Mayor Adams. “I am thrilled CSA and DCCNY have reached an agreement that will deliver well earned-raises and establish bonuses for our hard-working early childhood directors and assistant directors. With this agreement, we are helping put more money back into the pockets of working-class New Yorkers, investing in our child care centers, and helping achieve our vision of making New York City the best place to raise a family.”
“I am proud to have assisted the parties in coming to this important agreement,” said OLR Commissioner Campion. “I would like to thank CSA President Henry Rubio and DCCNY Executive Director Tara Gardner for working together to reach this settlement that is fair to these vital workers.”
“High-quality, early childhood education depends on the expertise and dedication of skilled center directors and administrators,” said DCCNY Executive Director Gardner. “We are proud to have worked with the city and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators to reach this milestone agreement that brings directors and administrators closer to pay parity with their public-school counterparts and includes long-overdue salary increases, retention, and ratification bonuses, and other critical investments in this workforce. We are grateful to CSA, the New York City Office of Labor Relations, the Office of Management and Budget, New York City Public Schools, the City Council, and our advocacy partners for their dedication to securing better compensation for community-based early childhood education center leaders.”
“Our early childhood directors and assistant directors provide essential leadership for our youngest learners, laying a foundation for lifelong growth, success, and reinvestment in our great city,” said CSA President Rubio. “We are proud to have delivered a contract that honors their incredible contributions to our public school system, and we thank the Day Care Council of New York for their ongoing collaboration. We greatly appreciate the mayor’s recognition and critical investment in equity for our city’s workforce. We thank him for his commitment to educational leaders who deserve to be on a pathway toward parity. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the DCCNY and the city to build on this progress.”
The tentative agreement is subject to union ratification.
The tentative agreement comes on the heels of the Adams administration's work with the New York City Council to strengthen early childhood education across the five boroughs and address longstanding systemic issues, while boosting enrollment. Under the leadership of Mayor Adams, early childhood enrollment is at the highest level ever in the five boroughs, with over 150,000 children enrolled in New York City's early childhood system.
The Adams administration’s efforts to assist DCCNY and CSA in reaching this agreement builds on the administration’s success in reaching agreements to provide fair wage increases for city employees. In the last two years, Mayor Adams has successfully negotiated contracts with unions representing over 98 percent of the city's workforce. These agreements with District Council 37, the Communications Workers of America Local 1180, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, the Uniformed Sanitation Workers' Union Local 831, the United Federation of Teachers, the Police Benevolent Association, the Uniformed Officers Coalition, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, Teamsters Local 237, the United Probation Officers’ Association, and dozens of other unions have all included wage increases, including retroactive wage increases for employees that had not received a raise in years. Additionally, many of these contracts included dedicated funding to address retention and recruitment challenges and other important benefits.
The New Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Find Your Perfect Business Match at The Bronx Chamber's Heart of Networking!
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ARE YOU READY TO SPARK MEANINGFUL BUSINESS CONNECTIONS?
Join us this Thursday for our Heart of Networking event, the ultimate opportunity to build authentic connections that can fuel your business.
Find Your Business Match! Think speed dating—but for business! Connect with the perfect contacts to help you grow.
Fun, engaging networking activities designed to get conversations flowing
A dynamic crowd of entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders ready to connect!
| Register today |
For any questions, please contact Chanel Perez at events@bronxchamber.org
Don’t miss a heartbeat—your perfect business match could be waiting!
News, updates and more from NYC Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr.
WEEK IN REVIEW
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WALKTHROUGH OF PERMANENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDING COMING TO THE BRONX
Preview of the under-construction building on Elton Avenue featuring 128 units of PERMANENT, 100% affordable housing with a set-aside for NYC’s Veterans!Having served our country honorably, it is incumbent upon us to take care of our veterans and ensure they are never in fear of finding an affordable place to live
This is what the redevelopment of The Bronx is all about!
3-K & PRE-K APPLICATION DEADLINE
PARENTS: Have you submitted your 3-K or Pre-Applications for the 2025-2026 school year yet?
REMINDER: ALL applications are due by FEBRUARY 28, 2025, and can be submitted in three ways:
Online at MySchools.nyc (http://myschools.nyc/)
Visiting a Family Welcome Center
Calling 718-935-2009 For help with the admissions process?
Visit: nyc.gov/3k (http://nyc.gov/3k)
and nyc.gov/pk (http://nyc.gov/ pk)
UPCOMING EVENTS
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LL97 DISCUSSION
Are you ready to navigate Local Law 97 (LL97) requirements? Join us on February 18 for an informative session hosted by NYC Accelerator.
Discover how LL97 impacts your building and learn about resources to support compliance, including financing and incentives.
When: Tuesday, February 18 | 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Webinar Don’t miss the chance to connect with experts from NYC Accelerator, Con Edison, and NYSERDA.
Register now to secure your spot! https://us06web.zoom.us/
Visit our District Office at:
1070 Southern Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10459
(718) 402-6130
salamanca@council.nyc.gov
Housing Lottery Launches for 86 and 88 Marble Hill Avenue in Marble Hill, Manhattan
The affordable housing lottery has launched for 86 and 88 Marble Hill Avenue, a pair of four-story residential buildings in Marble Hill, Manhattan. Designed by CB Engineering PC and developed by SAL Development Corp., the structures yield 16 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are six units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $111,532 to $181,740.
Residences come with stainless steel kitchen appliances, intercoms, heating and cooling smart controls, and private balconies for select units. Amenities include an outdoor terrace. Tenants are responsible for electricity including stove, heat, and hot water.
At 130 percent of the AMI, there are six one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $3,253 for incomes ranging from $111,532 to $181,740.
86 and 88 Marble Hill Avenue in Marble Hill, Manhattan via NYC Housing Connect
Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 28, 2025.
STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENIFER RAJKUMAR UNVEILS GAME-CHANGING “EMPIRE STATE OF MIND ACT” TO TACKLE THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
COMPREHENSIVE 20-PAGE BILL REVOLUTIONIZES MENTAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, DELIVERING UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO TREATMENT, SCREENINGS, DIVERSION PROGRAMS, AND MORE TO GET EVERYONE OFF THE STREETS AND INTO TREATMENT
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar announced her comprehensive plan to end New York's mental health crisis with the introduction of her 20-page bill A2719, the “Empire State of Mind Act.” This historic legislation promises to revolutionize the way mental health care is delivered, fundamentally reshaping the public health, criminal justice, correctional, and shelter systems to ensure that every New Yorker in need receives the support they deserve.
The most transformative mental health bill in over sixty years, the Empire State of Mind Act is more than a bill: it is a statement that New York has a moral and ethical obligation to provide accessibility and care. Rajkumar’s bill guarantees that wrap-around community mental health treatment is not just a privilege for the few but a right for all New Yorkers grappling with serious mental illness (SMI). The bill’s ambitious agenda includes the creation of EmPath centers in every county in the state as a voluntary, holistic alternative to crisis care, the establishment of a right to community mental healthcare, and a regulation holding providers accountable to ensure people with SMI (especially those that are involuntarily committed) have guaranteed access and engagement with community-based, psychosocial supports.
Untreated SMI has reached crisis levels in New York City, where approximately one in ten residents experiences serious psychological distress, yet only half receive necessary treatment. An estimated 2,000 housing insecure people and SMI cycle through hospitals, the streets, and the criminal justice system. While people with SMI are much more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators, a small number without treatment have committed high profile assaults and homicides. Many of these individuals have known histories of hospital admissions and arrests, yet they are released without the follow-up care they desperately need.
In crafting this vital legislation, Assemblywoman Rajkumar engaged directly with frontline workers and individuals with lived experience, ensuring that their voices shaped the bill's provisions. While conversations in Albany have centered on expanding involuntary admissions, the Assemblywoman consistently heard from the homeless and those suffering from SMI about their overwhelming desire to obtain help—only to be met with denials, bureaucratic hurdles, and daunting waitlists. They described Byzantine application processes with absurd requirements like a birth certificate or correspondence by mail before they could get any treatment.
Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s Empire State of Mind Act asserts the right to comprehensive, person-centered mental healthcare for all individuals with SMI. Its laser-focused strategy addresses the critical points of interaction with government systems—hospitalization, incarceration, arrest, and shelter admission—all junctures that open the door to intervention and care. Despite their need for long-term, comprehensive care, New Yorkers living with SMI are frequently released without the support they require.
Under this transformative act, individuals in a mental health crisis who are admitted to emergency rooms cannot be inappropriately discharged or denied ongoing treatment. They will be entitled to continued inpatient care, and upon discharge, a wrap-around outpatient treatment plan will be provided. Providers and facilities are held accountable to ensure people living with SMI are reintegrated back into the community with an arsenal of supports (such as clubhouses, meaningful employment, housing, other psychosocial services). Each person admitted will be entitled to a patient advocate - peers with lived experience - to coordinate all care, and a legal procedure to challenge a hospital's decision to discharge them prematurely.
To support those entangled in the criminal justice system, the Empire State of Mind Act mandates mental health screenings for all individuals entering correctional facilities, directing those with SMI toward the treatment they urgently need. The bill expands mental health courts across every county, ensuring that individuals with SMI are directed to care rather than incarceration.
Likewise, the Empire State of Mind Act requires mental health screenings and treatment referrals and follow-through for everyone entering homeless shelters. It aims to create a safer environment by transitioning the mental health shelter system to single units and phasing out congregate shelters, which often leave residents feeling unsafe and drive them back to the streets and subways.
Assemblywoman Rajkumar said, “The mental health crisis is affecting us all, and I am taking the lead to put an end to this devastation. We need a Marshall Plan to provide thousands of our fellow New Yorkers the mental healthcare and housing they need to thrive. I have listened to the stories of those caught in the revolving door of hospitals, navigating Byzantine application processes and enduring endless waitlists. When we pass the Empire State of Mind Act, we will ensure that every New Yorker has a dignified pathway to recovery.”
The bill also mandates the establishment of more inpatient and outpatient facilities dedicated to mental health treatment and ensures access to assertive community treatment—an evidence-based, wraparound service model that has proven effective in stabilizing individuals. Additionally, the act initiates a statewide network of EmPATH units, which provides a voluntary path to urgent care to remedy most acute mental health crises within 24 hours.
Beyond expanding capacity, Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s legislation holds service providers accountable for their performance, requiring transparent reporting on patient outcomes rather than merely focusing on the number of beds. The bill streamlines access to services, simplifying application processes, presuming eligibility, and mandating timely enrollment.
Rajkumar’s bill earned the enthusiastic, national support of preeminent experts in the field of mental health, praising its practical, common sense, evidence-based policies.
Dr. Thomas R. Insel, former Director of National Institute of Mental Health and Board Member of Fountain House said, “Thank you to Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar for authoring the ‘Empire State of Mind Act.’ The key to making involuntary or voluntary treatment a success is ensuring that people get the full range of services they need to recover. This proposal uses an advocate to navigate and coordinate those services, which is exactly what New Yorkers living with serious mental illness need. I urge the New York State legislature to take up the Assemblywoman’s bill, which serves as a model for all states to emulate.”
Team BRAC - Love is in the air! ❤️
 | Hi there, | Valentine's Day is just a week away — but there's still time to make it a special one, and BRAC can help! | First, send your sweetheart (or friend, or coworker) one of our handmade, digital valentines. Each unique design was made in-house on BRAC's printing press! | Visit our online shop, choose a design, and write a note — we'll make sure it lands in that special someone's email inbox on Valentine's Day. | Check out our custom, $3 designs and share the love today → |
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| Next, if you're looking for something fun to do on Valentine's evening, bring your date — or a friend, or a coworker, or yourself! — to our Live Figure Drawing Class from 6-9PM! The workshop will feature live piano music accompaniment and you are welcome to BYOB (and we'll have wine available by donation). We'll provide the supplies, you provide the vibe! Tickets are only $20! Reserve your spot today →
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| Whether you're celebrating with your sweetheart or your bestie, we hope you'll make this Valentine's Day one to remember with us. See you soon, The BRAC Team
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New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Chase Money Skill - Navigating Your Cash Flow
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