BALCONY New York

Demos Report: U.S. Tax Dollars Funding Low-Wage Work, Fueling Inequality

kevin — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:41:04 +0000

Click here to read the full Demos report: Underwriting Bad Jobs

How many low-wage workers are your tax dollars funding through private corporations? In a new Demos report, Underwriting Bad Jobs: How Our Tax Dollars Are Funding Low-Wage Work and Fueling Inequality, authors Amy Traub and Robert Hiltonsmith reveal that private companies funded through the federal government provide over 2 million Americans with low-wage jobs, earning them $12 an hour or less for full-time work.

Today, hundreds of these low-wage workers walked off the job in Washington D.C. and called on President Obama to sign an executive order or sponsor legislation that requires contractors who receive taxpayer money to pay a living wage.

NYSUT: One Voice United Rally, June 8, 2013

kevin — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:38:27 +0000

BALCONY stands by New York's teachers and their union, New York State United Teachers, a key BALCONY member, as NYSUT plans to head to Albany on June 8 for a major rally.

"Sisters and brothers, I am asking you to come to Albany June 8; come to Albany - not by the hundreds, but by the thousands - to cry out with one voice to Fight for the Future of Public Education." stated NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi.

NYSUT and its more than 650,000 members are mobilizing with a few simple demands that state legislators need to meet:

• End the over-reliance on expensive corporate developed tests!
• Demand fair and equitable funding of our schools!
• Protect the safety of students and staff!
• Restore local control of our public schools! Fix the Tax Cap!
• Invest in public higher education and save SUNY Downstate Medical Hospital!

Click here for more information on the June 8 rally and other NYSUT issues.

NYSNA: Safe Staffing Day of Action – May 21, Albany

kevin — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:34:29 +0000

By New York State Nurses Association

Hospital administrators are forcing nurses to take on 9, 10, or even more patients at once. That’s too many — and it’s time to do something about it. Join more than a thousand nurses, patients, and other community leaders in Albany on May 21 and:

* Tell lawmakers about the staffing emergency * Push the Assembly and Senate to put safe nurse-to-patient ratios into law * Be part of the biggest rally for safe staffing in New York history!

A detailed agenda will be posted soon.

Safe Staffing Day of Action is designed to prepare NYSNA members to promote Safe Staffing Legislation in New York State, and to advocate for the nursing profession. Objectives

Fair Contracts For All Rally – June 12

kevin — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:25:09 +0000

By the Municipal Labor Committee

Join your fellow city workers as all the municipals unions gather together for a citywide rally in City Hall Park to demand fair contracts for all and to tell this mayor and the candidates who want to succeed him that workers count and workers vote.

The rally is being organized by the Municipal Labor Committee; Several BALCONY members are participating.

Date: June 12, 2013 Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Location: City Hall Park Broadway & Chambers Street New York City, NY

Sign up using our online form.

DEMOS: Transforming American Awards & Gala — May 30, 2013

kevin — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:56:50 +0000

BALCONY Members Fight to End New York’s Political Corruption

kevin — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:31:29 +0000

In recent months, New York suffered a black eye from the all-too-familiar one-two punch of public corruption.

We saw several New York politicians arrested, indicted, and/or convicted. Most of them are accused of illegally exchanging money in return for promising to provide improper influence.

These alleged transgressions have become far too common in New York State - 32 New York officials have been indicted, convicted or censured in the last seven years, according to the New York Public Interest Research Group.

So, what's a concerned electorate to do?

Fortunately, some of BALCONY's influential members have recently released reform proposals that have received considerable media attention. Click HERE for details.

Top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes Director to Headline New York Diabetes Summit

kevin — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:42:31 +0000

Dr. Ann Albright, Ph.D., RD, Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation, CDC

The Institute For Leadership (IFL) and the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (BALCONY) jointly announced that nationally recognized diabetes expert Dr. Ann Albright known for her work on models of care in community clinics and leading national type 2 diabetes prevention efforts will serve as the keynote speaker at the inaugural New York Diabetes Summit on May 16th.

Dr. Albright, Ph.D., RD, is director of the Division of Diabetes Translation for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr. Albright is well-known for her work in diabetes including the implementation of evidence-based diabetes care guidelines and development of public awareness campaigns to increase understanding of the disease, the importance of blood glucose control and making lifestyle changes to prevent type 2 diabetes.

New York Diabetes Symposium – Thursday, May 16, 2013

kevin — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:20:26 +0000

You are Invited to:

The New York Diabetes Symposium

Featuring Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Ann Albright

Director, Division of Diabetes Translation

Centers for Disease Control

Thursday, May 16, 2013 -- 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Ballroom 4 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: SYMPOSIUM

LICH Supporters Slams SUNY’s Search for New Hospital Owner

kevin — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:01:41 +0000

By Rob Abruzzese and Mary Frost

State University of New York’s (SUNY) search for an entity to take over Long Island College Hospital (LICH) may be designed to fail, warned LICH supporters Thursday night at the Cobble Hill Association’s community forum to discuss the future of the 150-year-old hospital.

The nearly bankrupt (SUNY) issued a public Request for Information (RFI) on Wednesday to signal its intent to find another operators to take over LICH.

But the RFI has “more holes than Swiss cheese,” said Jerry Armer, the 76 Precinct Community Council President and long-time community activist. “And the holes are designed for a developer to use this land as something else.”

The RFI calls for an operator who could provide health care services either "on the [LICH] campus or in the community around" the hospital, leaving open the possibility that some or all of the valuable Brownstone Brooklyn real estate could be sold.

Women’s Equality Agenda, Spearheaded by BALCONY Executive Board Member Cynthia DiBartolo, Tops Governor Andrew Cuomo’s ‘Priorities’

kevin — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:42:45 +0000

Letter to New York Daily News from Governor Andrew Cuomo

We have accomplished much in this legislative session: a third balanced budget on time, business and middle class tax cuts, an extensive economic development program, teacher evaluations, gun control — and the list goes on.

But now is not the time to rest on our accomplishments. There is more to do for our state — and several more weeks in this legislative session.

Here are my top priorities:

The Women’s Equality Act. This is a 10-point plan to address the many lingering inequalities that women still face in our state and in our society, and it’s essential. Today, men are 32 times more likely than women to become a CEO or member of a corporate board. Meanwhile, women are five times more likely to be victims of sexual harassment or domestic violence as well as twice as likely to be victims of housing or lending discrimination.

Why New York needs healthy small parties

kevin — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:28:17 +0000

In targeting corruption, Gov. Cuomo should respect the workings of democracy
By Michael Waldman , Miles Rapoport AND Susan Lerner / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The shocking allegations against four more elected officials in New York are depressing — but they provide an opportunity for bold action by our state leaders. Gov. Cuomo has proposed a new, comprehensive campaign finance law, including the creation of a voluntary, small-donor public financing system and an independent enforcement unit.

Groups File Environmental Lawsuit to Stop Brooklyn’s City Point Project

kevin — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:24:12 +0000

Elected Officials, Unions, Community Groups File Suit Against City, Developer Acadia @ Brooklyn’s City Point Project; Demand City Shut Down Project, Halt Subsidies, Create New Environmental Impact Statement; Say Acadia Took City Land, $40 Million in Public Money, But Pays Workers Poverty Level Wages

BALCONY STAGES A SUCCESSFUL 2013 GOLF OUTING

kevin — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:13:20 +0000

Alan Lubin, Michael Mulgrew, Anita Kartalopoulos, Bill Thompson and Lou Gordon

BALCONY held its 2013 Golf Outing on Monday April 29th at the New York Country Club in Rockland Country. During the dinner reception, BALCONY honored UFT President Mike Mulgrew, former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson and Anita Kartalopoulos partner of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz.

Finally after torrential rains and hurricane Sandy forced the cancellation of the event two times in October 2012, more than 80 golfers hit the links Monday on "naturally" a "drizzly" BALCONY golf outing.

And a good time was had by all!

No Rich Child Left Behind

kevin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:05:34 +0000

by Sean F. Reardon

Here’s a fact that may not surprise you: the children of the rich perform better in school, on average, than children from middle-class or poor families. Students growing up in richer families have better grades and higher standardized test scores, on average, than poorer students; they also have higher rates of participation in extracurricular activities and school leadership positions, higher graduation rates and higher rates of college enrollment and completion.

Whether you think it deeply unjust, lamentable but inevitable, or obvious and unproblematic, this is hardly news. It is true in most societies and has been true in the United States for at least as long as we have thought to ask the question and had sufficient data to verify the answer.

What is news is that in the United States over the last few decades these differences in educational success between high- and lower-income students have grown substantially.

More than 10 percent of NYC’s adults have been diagnosed with diabetes

kevin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:59:50 +0000

by Erik Kriss

The Big Apple’s appetite for sweet drinks and fattening food is growing deadlier by the year.

A staggering 10.5 percent of New York City adults, or close to 650,000, have been diagnosed with diabetes — more than double the rate of the life-shortening disease a generation ago, officials said yesterday.

And another 230,000 residents are walking around without knowing they have it, according to the city’s Health Department.

NYCOSH 2013 Awards Celebration: June 4, 2013

kevin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:40:07 +0000

WhyHunger Chapin Awards Dinner: Monday, June 3, 2013

kevin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:57:21 +0000

Large Majority Of Small Businesses Favor Minimum Wage Increase In New National Poll

kevin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:08:01 +0000

By The Greater New York Chamber of Commerce

In contrast to their conventional portrayal, small business owners overwhelmingly favor increasing the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 an hour, according to a scientific national poll released today. The minimum wage was last increased in 2009.

Two out of three small business owners (67%) support increasing the federal minimum wage and adjusting it yearly to keep up with the cost of living. The strong support for a minimum wage raise is particularly striking since the small business owners are all employers and predominately Republican. The poll was conducted March 4-10, 2013 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research on behalf of Small Business Majority.

“This new national poll confirms what we’ve been saying all along – increasing the minimum wage will help small businesses, not hurt us,” said Lew Prince, Co-Owner of Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis and a leader in Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. “As I recently testified before Congress, workers will spend their minimum wage increase at local businesses buying the basics they can’t afford now. And adjusting the minimum wage annually for inflation would make it easier for businesses to predict labor costs and consumer demand.”

The poll shows 65% of small business owners agree that “increasing the minimum wage will help the economy because the people with the lowest incomes are the most likely to spend any pay increases buying necessities they could not afford before, which will boost sales at businesses. This will increase the customer demand that businesses need to retain or hire more employees.”

Dedicated to Reform: New Roosevelt Proposes Full-Time Legislature

kevin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:59:41 +0000

By Morgan Pehme

In the wake of the latest public corruption scandals in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference and Assembly Democrats have separately proposed reforms aimed at cleaning up the Capitol, ranging from instituting publicly financed elections and easing voter registration changes to eliminating the Wilson Pakula Act and strengthening law enforcement’s ability to prosecute political corruption.

Now New Roosevelt, a good-government group led by progressive entrepreneur Bill Samuels, is launching another reform into the mix: a dedicated Legislature.

In a soon to be released white paper provided to City & State, New Roosevelt calls for the state Legislature to adopt a structure similar to the one in place for the U.S. Congress. Legislators would cease to be designated as part-time, and accept strict limitations on outside income and more stringent oversight of their potential conflicts of interest. In exchange, senators and Assembly members would receive a significant salary hike—in excess of 60 percent of their current base pay of $79,500, or even as much as the $174,000 that members of Congress now earn, and that New York State Supreme Court justices will start being paid in April of 2014.

NYS National Organization for Women Wants Ideas to Become Bills

kevin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:54:01 +0000

By Casey Seiler

The state chapter of the National Organization for Women brought its troops to Albany on Tuesday to press for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Women's Equality Agenda, 10 initiatives first outlined in early January that still haven't evolved into legislative language.

The lack of concrete details presented a challenge for the advocates, who would like nothing better than to secure commitments from enough Republican lawmakers in the Senate to help bring the measure to the floor despite the concerns of GOP Conference Leader Dean Skelos.

"This is a first step," said Sonia Ossorio, president of NOW's New York City chapter.

A coalition of some 750 groups and businesses are pushing for the agenda, which includes economic fairness provisions, stronger laws to fight human trafficking, Ossorio said. In addition, legislation similar to the Reproductive Health Act that supporters say will codify and modernize abortion rights protections is supported.

Retiree Surge Coming Soon For State

kevin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

By Jimmy Vielkind

The Cuomo administration is finalizing a contract with Datrose, a Webster-based data entry, document scanning and personnel firm, according to a memorandum provided by a state official.

The April 17 memo says Datrose will "design a professional development and knowledge transfer program for state employees so that they can learn their search techniques" and "provide expert advice and support to the State to design and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy for the State."

Senate Ignores Overwhelming Support for Commonsense Gun Laws

kevin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:58:57 +0000

By Alan Lubin, BALCONY Founder and Co-Chair

Shame. That’s what the razor-thin bloc of Senators who killed a very commonsense and bi-partisan attempt to strengthen our nation’s gun laws should be feeling right now.

The centerpiece of the Senate bill would have strengthened background check requirements for those trying to purchase guns—a simple policy that 90 percent of Americans support and that many believe is already law.

Through spin and smear efforts, the NRA was able to stoke fear in 90 percent of Republicans and a small number of Democrats, all of whom cowered in fear that the group’s misinformation campaign would hurt their re-election efforts.

Taking the Money Out of Politics

kevin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:50:58 +0000

The Chief op-ed, by Arthur Cheliotes, President of CWA Local 1180 and founding member of BALCONY

Following the news that six New York politicians allegedly exchanged bribes to illegally place State Sen. Malcom Smith (D-Queens) on the New York City mayoral ballot, a number of good government groups convened to discuss how to eradicate dirty money in New York politics.

“As long as the first thing you need to do when you run for office is raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, we're going to have a show-me-the-money culture,” said Karen Scharff, executive director of the good government group Citizen Action of New York. "We want transparency, disclosure, lower limits, better enforcement. ... But without public financing you're not going to change the culture.

As President of Local 1180 CWA and a founding member of BALCONY, I am joining over 100 civil rights, business, faith-based, grassroots community, good government, environmental and labor organizations to call on Albany to take the money out of politics.

Campaign Reform in Albany

kevin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:41:51 +0000

New York Times Letter to the Editor by Arthur Cheliotes, President of CWA Local 1180 and founding member of BALCONY

State Senator Malcolm A. Smith’s alleged plot to bribe his way onto New York City’s mayoral ballot highlights how badly New York State needs campaign finance reform.

Albany must give small donors as much influence as big-money insiders. As president of Local 1180 of the Communications Workers of America and a member of the Business and Labor Coalition of New York, I urge Albany to democratize campaign finance laws in these ways:

BALCONY Labor Breakfast Features Top Labor, Business and Non-Profit Speakers – SLIDESHOW INSIDE!

kevin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:01:31 +0000

By Nick Moroni, BALCONY Communications Director, Policy Analyst

Cynthia DiBartolo - Tigress Financial Partners

The Business and Labor Coalition of New York’s (BALCONY) April 16 informational breakfast was well-attended by leaders in the labor, public policy and business sectors.

Over 30 attendees came to hear BALCONY members, many of whom are top figures in the business and labor fields, discuss BALCONY’s strength and influence in the public policy arena.

The April 16 event was co-hosted by Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU); Arthur Cheliotes, President of Communications Workers of America Local 1180; and Alan Lubin, BALCONY Founder and former Executive Vice President of New York State United Teachers.