UFT Ad Slams Bloomberg’s Record on Education

UFT Blasts Bloomberg On Teacher Evaluations

BY Celeste Katz

The city teachers union is blasting Mayor Bloomberg’s education record in a television attack ad that’s airing amid the tense standoff over teacher evaluations.

(Click HERE for the Ad)

Our Ben Chapman reports:

More than eight million viewers are expected to see the union’s 30-second spot, which pulls no punches in its critique of the mayor’s education reforms.

“Ten years as Mayor, and Mike Bloomberg still doesn’t get it,” begins the narrator’s criticism of Bloomberg’s record on schools, starting with his appointment of Cathie Black as schools chancellor.

“Fudged education test scores, closing schools, parents shut out of the process,” the somber voice continues, over a montage of photos of city students.

The ad — which doesn’t specifically mention the evaluation controversy — finishes with a harsh message to the mayor, who hasn’t been on speaking terms with the teachers union since Dec. 30, when city officials walked away from talks on instructor evaluations.

“If you really want to do right by our kids, you’ll work with teachers and parents and stop playing politics with our schools,” the voice says.

City officials hit back at the union’s $1 million ad, calling it a “political stunt” that distracts the public from the real issue of teacher evaluations.

“The Mayor, Governor, and State Education Department are working collaboratively to implement a rigorous teacher evaluation system,” said Bloomberg spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua, adding: “It’s a shame that the UFT continues to block accountability measures that will help students.”

The city stands to lose nearly $60 million in federal aid for 33 failing schools because city officials and the union were unable to reach a deal on instructor evaluations.

At the state level, the lack of a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and principals threatens nearly $1 billion in federal education money.

Despite signs of a thaw at Monday’s legislative hearing on Gov. Cuomo’s education budget, on Tuesday city union and education officials said they still had not met to discuss the issue.

Public Pensions Are Not the Enemy by NYAFL-CIO President Mario Cilento

Public pensions are not the enemy
So why does Gov. Cuomo’s plan vilify middle class retirement security?

By Mario Cilento / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Wednesday, January 25 2012, 4:24 AM

We hear all the time about exorbitant public-sector pensions, which leads many to believe mistakenly that retired nurses, firefighters, teachers and others are wealthy. We don’t hear that the average benefit for a member in the largest plan in New York — the New York State and Local Retirement System — is $19,000 a year, or that 76% of these pensions are less than $30,000 a year.

There is no doubt that state and local governments face difficult budgetary decisions, which has fairly brought all spending under greater scrutiny. But some corporations and their messengers have tried to capitalize on the pressure created by the short-term economic crisis to advocate for the permanent decimation of benefits in the public sector. They seek to complete the rollback of pensions and the shift to insufficient 401(k)s that has already taken place in the private sector — driving a stake in the heart of the defined benefit pension as we know it.

This is audacious, considering that corporate greed and misconduct caused the collapse of the economy, the budget crisis and billions in pension losses in the first place.

Now, even though it will not produce any savings to help address the current budget deficit, Gov. Cuomo’s executive budget includes a new pension tier with an “optional” 401(k).

In reality, there is no option in this plan, as the new tier would obliterate the defined benefit plan, slashing payouts and making employee contributions unaffordable. The new defined benefit “option” would require employees to work longer, pay up to double in base employee contributions and pay even more if the stock market declines — all to get less in their pension. What sense does that make?

The 90 years that the state has been providing pension benefits demonstrate that the system works. Pensions are long-term vehicles that should not be overhauled with every change in the political wind.

It’s not as though public employee unions are resisting any and all change. They did their part and agreed to a new pension tier just two years ago that is projected to save $35 billion over 30 years. This is on top of wage freezes, furloughs, increased health contributions and layoffs.

But where they draw the line — as well they should — is in eviscerating retirement security entirely.

Far too many workers have learned the hard way that a 401(k) is not the answer to long-term economic security. Such retirement plans place all the risk on the shoulders of workers. If Wall Street collapses when they retire, they’re simply out of luck.

There’s another problem: cost. I don’t doubt the ability of working men and women to decide how to successfully invest their retirement savings — provided they can afford professional assistance. They’ll have to add that burden to the cost of rent, utilities and prescriptions.

A financially secure retirement is slipping away from the American worker. According to the National Retirement Risk Index, a project of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, more than half of American workers are at risk of not being able to maintain their standard of living in retirement. This retirement insecurity comes at a time when the number of people with pensions has declined, particularly in the private sector, with 401(k)s becoming many workers’ sole retirement savings vehicle.

Yet, although data from multiple sources indicate that 401(k)s are inadequate, their stranglehold continues in the private sector — and that dominance is used as the rationale for reducing public-sector pensions. It’s a race to the bottom that’s inappropriate and unconscionable.

Cilento is president of the New York State AFL-CIO, the largest state labor movement in the country, representing 2.5 million workers in 3,000 union affiliates throughout the state.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/public-pensions-enemy-article-1.1011290#ixzz1kV7jn7pL

BALCONY Members Comment on Gov. Cuomo’s 2012-2013 NYS Budget

CSEA President Danny Donohue:

“Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget lays out some complex challenges in many areas. CSEA remains concerned that the governor seems out of touch with the day-to-day challenges that public workers in both state and local government face as a result of his budget priorities. Too many necessary services in every part of the state are deteriorating because people are working short staffed and at risk without adequate equipment, training and backup.”

“CSEA has no hesitation in saying that the proposal for a new public employee pension tier is an assault on the middle class and a cheap shot at public employees. It will provide no short-term savings and will mean people will have to work longer, pay more and gain less benefit. Simply put, the Tier VI provisions would be onerous on working people and undermine middle class security and the governor ought to be more concerned about that.”

“The governor’s proposal of a 401K style option as part of Tier VI would certainly be attractive to highly paid political appointees who could max out their contribution, have it matched by the public employer and take it with them as they come and go. It’s a lot different for front-line career employees who have to worry about whether being at the mercy of Wall Street ups and downs will provide them with adequate retirement security 30 years from now.”

NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi and Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta:

New York State United Teachers today welcomed that Gov. Andrew Cuomo honored his commitment to boost education funding, but said this would still leave students with less state support than they need.

NYSUT also said the governor’s plan to tie proposed school aid increases to agreements on a teacher and principal evaluation system, as well as competitive grants, is problematic and would create an uncertainty that districts cannot afford.

NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi said that while the union “shares the governor’s frustration over delays in implementing the evaluation law and many of his points about the education bureaucracy at SED, we think there are better ways to achieve implementation rather than tying it to funding increases that benefit students.”

Iannuzzi pointed to frustration also shown by districts and local teachers unions that have been hampered by the State Education Department’s failure to develop a model to measure student growth; a working data system; and the Department’s appeal of a state Supreme Court’s ruling validating the existing law.

Iannuzzi added, “After the court decision, NYSUT gave the State Education Department a proposed settlement that meets the department’s needs, and would immediately jumpstart the process in many school districts. There has been no response. We welcome the governor’s leadership in helping to implement what he characterized as a ‘real teacher evaluation’ law by moving to settle the lawsuit, break the logjam and move implementation of the teacher evaluation law forward.”

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta said the budget’s proposed Tier VI “would endanger the current workforce, as well as the pensions of retired public employees, by diverting or reducing contributions to state retirement funds.” He noted that, just two years ago, unions worked collaboratively to deliver $35 billion in savings to taxpayers by agreeing to a new Tier V. “Enough is enough,” Pallotta said. “Current and future public employees – just like all workers in the private sector – should have a measure of retirement security. This plan does the opposite.”

Pallotta said the proposed budget also falls far short of what SUNY, CUNY and community colleges need. He said funding increases for public hospitals, colleges and universities — the economic lifeblood of communities likes Syracuse, Oswego, Cortland, Oneonta and Plattsburgh – must be a budget priority. “We agree with the governor that the answer is jobs, jobs, jobs. Our question is: Why don’t we start with a greater investment in our public hospitals and higher education systems?” Pallotta said.

Pallotta pledged to work collaboratively with the governor and lawmakers to build on the positive elements in the proposed budget and to correct those that would shortchange students from pre-kindergarten all the way to the post-graduate level. “A new year brings a new opportunity for NYSUT and the Assembly, Senate and Governor’s Office to work together in a positive way to improve education and enhance learning opportunities for all our students,” he said.

PEF President Ken Brynien:

It is time for our state’s elected leaders to recognize that nothing gets done without workers: trained,
competent, professional workers. The governor’s proposed budget ignores the fact that state workers have done their
share to address the state’s fiscal problems.

Since 2008, the state’s workforce has been reduced by 16,000 jobs. The state pension plan was changed in 2010 to create
a new Tier 5 that will save state and local governments $35 billion over the next 30 years. In 2011, PEF agreed to a
labor contract that freezes pay, requires workers to pay more for health insurance and cuts salaries through furloughs.
This contract will save the state more than $230 million over the next four years.

The governor’s proposal calls for another new pension tier that will do little, if anything, to affect the 2012-13 state
budget. The Tier 6 proposal is nothing more than a false choice of accepting severely reduced pension benefits or joining
an inefficient 401k style pension system. It would force public employees into a pension gamble that virtually guarantees
a lower level of benefits. This proposal is similar to the misguided proposals for reforming Social Security proposed by
former President George W. Bush.

Our members earned their pensions, which are reasonable. The average state pension is $19,000 per year. The current
increases in pension costs don’t result from increased pension benefits. They were caused by the collapse of the stock
market.

Initiatives proposed in this budget will increase the privatization of key state services in agencies that serve youths and
people with disabilities. The governor has also proposed “reforms” to the Civil Service system that will make it easier to
appoint politically connected individuals by making who you know a more important factor in hiring than what you
know.

While the overall size of the state workforce remains relatively unchanged in the budget, many state agencies remain
severely short-staffed. This hinders the ability of agencies to perform their statutorily mandated mission which can only
lead to wasteful and costly contracting out of state services as agencies struggle to meet their statutory mandates. For
example the Department of Transportation has already lost 1,900 employees since 2000 including more than 900
engineers. They will lose another 91 employees this year including 62 engineers. During this time period DOT has
increased its spending on consultant engineers even though they cost between 50 percent to 75 percent more than state
employees. In the last year alone, DOT has increased its spending on consultant engineers by 22 percent.
We support a different approach to budgeting. Respect the professionalism of the state workforce and we can work
together to get the job done.

BALCONY Members Comment on Gov. Cuomo’s 2012 State of the State

PEF President Ken Brynien:

“We agree with many items in the governor’s State of the State speech, but there are other points with which we do not agree.”

“We take exception to the governor targeting public-sector pensions and his proposal for a new retirement tier. The ability to attract good workers will be important if the governor seeks to pursue his ambitious agenda. The governor’s proposal for a new pension tier is like eating your seed corn. It may help you get by now, but you will starve later.”

“The governor stated that now is not the time to be squandering resources, we couldn’t agree more. The best ways to achieve efficiencies would be to reduce the number of unaccountable public authorities by merging them into state agencies. In addition, we need to eliminate the multiple layers of political patronage appointments that currently exist in virtually all state agencies and authorities. Finally, we need to reduce the use of high cost consultants and contractors that do work public employees can do better and for less.”

“If this is what the governor means by re-imagining state government, this is a framework we can work within.”

UFT President Michael Mulgrew:

“A bipartisan state commission on education is a very promising idea. Rather than do what New York City now does, which is to set its educational policy by a political agenda, the commission could look at the research about what really works in schools. The commission could also shine on management inefficiencies, like the fact that the New York City Department of Education promised to use three-quarters of a billion dollars in state money to reduce class size — and then let class sizes go up every year.”

CSEA President Danny Donohue:

“Gov. Andrew Cuomo presented a challenging vision of New York’s future and CSEA fully expects to be actively engaged in discussion and debate with the administration over the details.

I am frankly surprised that the Governor gave such high priority to a new pension tier with emphasis on immediate impact. A Tier V was only recently enacted and will not provide the state and localities with any significant savings for many years. A Tier VI would be no different and would only mean that working people would have to work longer, pay more and benefit less – hardly in keeping with the Governor’s goal of strengthening the middle class.

Finally, it was disappointing that the Governor’s appropriate recognition of first responders to the recent series of natural disasters seemed to focus on the uniformed services without real appreciation for the wide range of front line state and local government employees who were essential in New York’s addressing the emergency. Many of these workers put duty first to respond while their families faced risk and devastation. So many of these workers are at risk from state and local cutbacks and property tax capping.”

NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi:

“As long-time advocates for our students, we would welcome the governor to work shoulder to shoulder with us in ensuring all children receive a quality public education. Teachers, in partnership with parents, have always been lobbyists for what children need. That historic advocacy has resulted in smaller class sizes, better technology, high standards for teacher effectiveness, anti-bullying legislation and hot lunches for children in poverty. Gov. Cuomo’s advocacy would be invaluable in jump-starting the current state bureaucracy, which certainly has been frustrating to teachers as we work to achieve meaningful change.

We applaud the governor for emphasizing the need to make sure no child goes hungry. As teachers we know that ending the achievement gap is a shared responsibility, and combating hunger is an important piece in making sure children are ready to learn.

Regarding the governor’s proposed commission, we don’t know enough about its mission or composition, so we don’t know whether to be anxious or excited, but we look forward to working with the commission to effect positive change.

We have a sound law for teacher evaluations in place, but we share the governor’s frustration when it comes to implementation. Teachers and administrators in local school districts are working hard to implement the evaluation law, but SED Commissioner King used intimidation tactics to derail what has been significant progress by dictatorially yanking much needed federal support from some of our struggling schools. We look to the governor to jump-start that progress once again in an inclusive approach.”

Montefiore Nurses Win New Contract, January Strike Averted

2,300 Bronx nurses make gains on staffing, wages, affordable health care

BRONX, Dec. 30, 2011 – The New York State Nurses Association has successfully negotiated a new, four-year contract with Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

The 2,300 professional registered nurses who work in the hospital made important advances in safer patient staffing, affordable health care, and fair wages, comparable to their colleagues at other New York City unionized hospitals. The nurses had given the hospital a strike notice for Jan. 10, 2012, because of their staffing concerns.

“Our members at Montefiore stood together to get a contract that’s good for our patients, our nurses and our families,” said Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, president of the Montefiore’s Moses Division bargaining unit. “The nurses give their very best every day to patients, and deserve a contract that treats them and their work with dignity and respect.”

The contract will provide about 125 new RN positions, salary increases of 7.5 percent over four years, a $750 lump sum payment on ratification and affordable prescription benefits.

The strike notice for Tuesday, Jan. 10, has been withdrawn.

The nurses will vote on the proposed contract in January.

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is New York’s largest professional association and union for registered nurses. The association represents registered nurses, and some all-professional bargaining units, in New York and New Jersey. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

New York State Unions File Federal Lawsuit Over Retiree Health Increase

Cuomo Administration unilateral action hits retired state employees hard

ALBANY — A coalition of CSEA, PEF, UUP, NYSCOPBA, NYSTPBA, NYSPIA, and
AFSCME Council 82, unions representing virtually all of New York State employees have filed
lawsuits in federal court challenging the Cuomo Administration’s unilateral increase in the
percentage of health insurance contributions required of state retirees.

The legal challenge applies to changes made by the administration this fall and covers state
employees who have retired and seen their share of health insurance premium increase beyond
the level at which they retired.

Retirees have long contributed 10 percent of individual coverage and 25 percent of family
coverage for their health insurance coverage in retirement based on the percentages included in
the state contracts when they retired.

The changes imposed by the Cuomo Administration increase the percentage of contribution 2
percent for both individual and family coverage. The changes have severe and unexpected
consequences on retired employees. The coalition of unions asserts that it is illegal for the state
to increase those rates for already retired members. The unions did not negotiate such increases.
Contrary to popular perception, most public employee retirees have contributed to their health
insurance and retirement costs over decades of service and receive only meager to modest
benefits. For example, individuals who retired prior to 1983 receive an average pension benefit
of $8,760. Those who retired between 1983 and 1990 have a retirement benefit of $13,786
annually.

Out of their fixed income, retirees must pay rising food, fuel, and gas prices along with all other
living costs. A retiree on fixed income covered under the Empire Plan would pay about $150
more annually for individual coverage and about $460 more for family coverage. Costs for other
health insurance options would vary according to the plan. Making matters worse, the Cuomo
Administration has indicated that it will unilaterally impose a 6 percent increase for retirees who
retire on or after Jan. 1, 2012, these changes will result in a 60 percent increase in contribution
costs for individual coverage and a 24 percent increase for dependent coverage.

All of the employee groups appealed to the Cuomo Administration not to impose this change on
retirees before its imposition. The state must now respond to the legal filing in the next month.
“CSEA is disturbed and disappointed that the Cuomo Administration can be so heartless about
imposing higher costs on people who have devoted their lives to the service of New Yorkers,”
said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “Nobody bargained for this and these increases will hit
retirees hard – it’s not right and they don’t deserve this treatment.”

“What the Cuomo Administration is trying to do is pull the rug out from under state retirees
many of whom planned their retirements based on when they felt they could afford to retire.
These decisions were based on a promise and expectation of what their health insurance costs
would be. Changing the rules after the fact is outright wrong,” said PEF President Ken Brynien.
“Our members selflessly work to protect New Yorkers in some of the most dangerous
environments in the state. They have earned these benefits, and they are entitled to the coverage
that the state agreed to when they retired,” said NYSCOPBA President Donn Rowe. “Not only is
this change unconstitutional, it’s just unfair. The Cuomo Administration should recognize its
legal obligations to its retirees and not shift its financial burdens on those least able to absorb the
hit.”

“The New York State Troopers PBA will continue to fight for the well-being of our retired
members. It is imperative that the active members of the PBA protect those members who came
before us and proudly wore the gray uniform while sacrificing so much in the name of public
safety,” said PBA President Thomas H. Mungeer.

Joseph Barrett, president of the New York State Police Investigators Association (NYSPIA),
stated: “It is unfortunate that, after risking their lives for the citizens of the State of New York
during their careers, that same State of New York now chooses to impose unprecedented health
care cost increases on its retired State Police members and the widows and widowers of its
deceased members. The State’s decision to force this cost increase on our retirees in these years
when they live on a fixed income is particularly disturbing”

“The hardworking public safety professionals of New York State are particularly outraged by the
Cuomo administration’s targeting of retirees,” said Council 82 Executive Director James Lyman.
“Council 82’s retirees are men and women who dedicated their lives to providing a safer New
York and deserve to be respected and honored for their service, rather than have the state turn its
back and break its promise to its retirees.”

Final Report on Mandate Relief

Originally posted on December 26, 2011 by Jimmy Vielkind

Jim Odato devoted his column this morning to the final report of the Mandate Relief Redesign Team, which issued its 70-page document, it seems, without all of the team members even knowing it was coming out.

Business and local government groups, in part bubbling through the regional economic development councils, will be making a major push on the subject this year. Lawmakers enacted a property tax cap last year without a corresponding mandate relief package, and it’s thought to be at the top of the list come January.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REPORT

NYSNA, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Reach Agreement-Strike Notice Withdrawn Pending Ratification

MANHATTAN – The New York State Nurses Association, which represents the 1,300 registered professional nurses at St.Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan, has reached a tentative agreement with hospital management.

Members will vote on the proposed four-year contract on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012.

The tentative agreement addresses the nurses’ principal concerns throughout the negotiations – affordable health care, relief for members with high prescription costs, safe staffing levels for patients and nurses, and fair wages.

With this tentative agreement, negotiations continue at two remaining major New York City hospitals – Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

An agreement was ratified by the nurses at New York-Presbyterian Hospital earlier this month.

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is New York’s largest professional association and union for registered nurses. The association represents registered nurses, and some all-professional bargaining units, in New York and New Jersey. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

Democrats May Say No Dice to New York Casinos, Sheldon Silver Warns

Democrats may say no dice to New York casinos, Sheldon Silver warns
Assembly Speaker supports idea, but can’t guarantee bill will fly with Dems

BY Kenneth Lovett

ALBANY — The push to legalize casinos in New York is no sure bet to pass in the Assembly, the Daily News has learned.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) supports the idea, but he told the Daily News on Monday that he can’t guarantee such a bill would fly with his Democratic conference, which holds a majority in the chamber.

“I just don’t know,” Silver said.

Gov. Cuomo has said he will call on the Legislature in 2012 to make the first of two needed approvals of a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling, which would then require a referendum, no earlier than 2013, before it becomes law.

“The last time it came up in the late 1990s, it was a close vote in the conference,” Silver recalled.

In particular, the speaker said he does not know if there is support in his New York City-dominated conference for a casino specifically within the five boroughs.

The News reported in Monday’s editions that Cuomo opposes a casino in densely populated parts of the city, but is open to one at a place like Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, which already has a virtual casino. Silver’s views are the same on both points.

But much has changed since the Legislature took up the issue in the 1990s, Silver acknowledged.

Not only is the deficit-plagued state desperately in need of new revenue and job creation, but casinos have sprouted up in surrounding states and even on Indian reservations within New York.

“There may be an attitude of ‘Let’s take some of the revenue and keep it [at\] home,’” Silver said.

In addition, there are now nine virtual casinos at New York racetracks, including at Aqueduct, and their existence may help generate support for full-blown casinos.

Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos, of Nassau County, has said he supports a constitutional amendment to legalize casinos. But a Skelos spokesman said Monday that the chamber has not taken a position on where casinos should be located.

Assemblyman Karim Camara, a Brooklyn Democrat who chairs the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, says the group has not taken an official position on casinos. But while Camara opposes the idea of casinos in areas with high concentrations of poverty, he is open to legalizing them at existing racetrack “racinos” like Aqueduct.

Silver and Skelos recently promised Cuomo that they would pursue within their respective chambers the first of two needed legislative votes on the constitutional amendment.

Some insiders took that to mean the approvals would be automatic. But Silver and Cuomo both told The News that the speaker promised the governor he would raise the issue with his members, but couldn’t ensure the measure would meet with success.

Cuomo wants the constitutional amendment to legalize casinos in the state, but not necessarily spell out how many casinos would be allowed or where they would be located. Those matters would be decided later on by the governor and Legislature before the needed public referendum.

Silver said it is possible that his members will want the constitutional amendment to be more specifically defined than the one Cuomo has talked about.

klovett@nydailynews.com

A Living Wage, Long Overdue (NYT Editorial)

A Living Wage, Long Overdue

New York City provides hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxpayer-financed subsidies to private developers. It is only right that the jobs created by those projects pay a decent wage. The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, widely known as the living-wage bill, would nudge these employers in the right direction.

The bill now before the City Council would require future development projects that receive $1 million or more in discretionary financial assistance from the city to pay $10 an hour plus benefits for full-time workers and $11.50 an hour without benefits for at least 10 years. That may not be much, but it is an improvement over the minimum wage of $7. 25 an hour.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is fighting this change, arguing that a wage increase might scare off new developments and cost the city thousands of lower-paying jobs. That has not been the experience elsewhere.

A similar law enacted in 2003 in Los Angeles requires companies receiving city subsidies to pay workers $10.42 an hour or $11.67 without benefits. Despite warnings that the city would lose projects, Donald Spivack, a development official in Los Angeles, said at a Council hearing last month that those predictions were wrong and that he was unaware of any project that was canceled because of the wage requirement. The Center for American Progress found that 15 cities with living wage laws, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Francisco, “had the same levels of employment growth” as other similar cities without the requirements.

Mayor Bloomberg’s arguments against this modest wage increase contrast with his endorsement of a 2002 city law that now sets a minimum of $10 an hour for about 60,000 workers employed by service contractors hired by the city, many of them home health care workers. Home care workers got a similar increase as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Medicaid redesign this year.

The City Council has revised the bill after earlier criticisms that it was confusing and too restrictive. It now has clear exemptions for manufacturers and smaller businesses with revenues of less than $5 million. The bill’s sponsors should also consider exempting grocery stores in areas that need fresh food markets. That said, this bill makes sense. A wage of $10 an hour would help lift thousands of New Yorkers above the poverty line.