The Real Deal 5/17/2007

From The Real Deal:

Affordable housing rally to hit Stuy Town

Approximately 7,000 people are expected to encircle Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village during a rally this Wednesday afternoon. The rally's organizers are looking to draw attention to what they say is a citywide decline in affordable rents. The groups behind the gathering--which include the New York is Our Home campaign, the Working Families Party and the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association--plan to unveil a series of policy proposals. more

Daily Politics 5/17/2007

From the Daily Politics:

WFP coup No. 2

Having just allowed day-care workers to unionize, which was the Working Families Party's top priority last year, Gov. Spitzer is now sponsoring paid family leave legislation, which is the WFP's top priority this year.

Under Spitzer's bill -- quietly introduced last week by GOP Sen. Thomas Morahan of Rockland County -- workers who need time off to take care for a child or sick relative (including domestic partners) would be entitled to as many as 12 weeks at half pay, up to a maximum of $170 a week. The bill sets the premium at 45 cents a week and authorizes employers to deduct it from paychecks.

These provisions appear to be identical to the WFP's "Working Families Time to Care Act."

UPDATE: There is at least one key difference: While the WFP bill expects employers to pick up the cost, the governor's bill gives them the option of shifting the cost to workers.

The Assembly has not yet introduced Spitzer's proposal, but it has passed a very similar bill several times before. One significant difference: The Assembly's bill extends to government employers, while Spitzer's does not.

In the U.S., this is pretty cutting-edge stuff. The only other state to adopt such a law is California, in 2002. According to the WFP, however, we're one of only five countries in the world that do not provide paid time off to care for newborn children, the others being Swaziland, Lesotho, Liberia and Papua New Guinea.

As far as I can remember, Spitzer has never once mentioned paid family leave as being on his to-do list, either on the campaign trail or since taking office. From what I hear, though, he's making a "heavy-duty, behind-the-scenes push" to get this done.

Lucid Culture 5/16/2007

From Lucid Culture:

Rally for Affordable Housing May 23rd

On Wednesday, May 23rd, New Yorkers will rally in support of New York is Our Home, a broad coalition of advocacy groups and labor unions campaigning for the preservation and creation of affordable housing opportunities in New York City.

Meet up with a team representing Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn for the rally and march on May 23rd at 5 p.m., at the corner of First Avenue and 15th Street in Manhattan (in front of the Chase Bank on the west side of First Avenue). Wear your Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn t-shirt if you have one and join with thousands of other demonstrators in forming a human chain around Stuyvesant Town.

For more information on the event, please visit www.newyorkisourhome.com.

Danger Democrat 5/14/2007

From Danger Democrat:

Too much democracy?

Last weekend the Working Families Party started interviewing candidates that they might endorse for their ballot line. It occured to DD that this is one of the most politically healthy operational details that any current political party does. They interview and then the dues paying membership gets a chance to vote on which candidates will be awarded the line. That's way too much democracy for any of the other parties including my own. Good for the WFP.

Jason Gooljar 5/13/2007

From Jason Gooljar's blog:

WFP Chapter candidate screenings

Yesterday, was the first day that the Westchester-Putnam chapter of the Working Families Party began screening candidates for the 2007 endorsement. As a dues paying member of the chapter (sustainer) you are allowed to participate in these screenings and you even have a vote which carries influence with the executive committee of the state party later on. This is one of the most open and inviting processes that any party in this state has. I took part in this for the first time last year and it was really a great opportunity to grill the candidates on the issues that are important to the party. I highly recommend people joining the party and participating in their local chapters. And if there isn’t a chapter in your area yet. I’d say find out how to start one!

The Albany Project 5/11/2007

Front page blog post at The Albany Project:

Happy Mother's Day! by: SteveWFP (Awesome. - promoted by lipris) As the breadwinner in my family (my husband lost his job last year) and the mother of a 1-1/2 year old with another on its way I am not in a position to forfeit 1, 2 or 3 months worth of pay. And going back to work sooner than 12 weeks is cruel and unhealthy to both the mother and the child. It is simply wrong that the U.S. does not provide the same benefits other developed countries do. And shocking. - Lauren in New York City As the mother of a 2 year old who was premature, I cannot stress how helpful paid time off would have been in our situation. It's time that NY demonstrates how it values families by paying leave! - Jeanette in Blasdell I had to purchase expensive disability insurance to cover post-birth income. And that only lasts 6 weeks and amounted to a small portion of my salary. We need to do a better job as a nation in supporting new families; infancy is a critical time in a child's development. - Christine in New York City What's more important than our children. Show you're really pro-family and sign on. - Melissa in Penfield

There's been an outpouring of support for our Mother's Day card to state legislators calling for paid time off to parents of newborns (or newly adopted children) and adults who need time to care for ailing relatives. Over 700 people have already signed the card, with more signing every day. And the four stories above are just four of the many that people are sharing (you can read all the stories starting at the bottom of this page). Let me explain. The Working Families Party and the Paid Family Leave Coalition are asking everyone to sign a Mother's Day card with a message: It's time to give paid time off to parents of newborns (or newly adopted children) and adults who need time to care for ailing relatives. No family should have to choose between spending time with a newborn child or putting food on the table, should have to risk their economic security to take care of an ailing parent. But working families in New York face these choices every day. That's because the U.S. is one of only five countries in the world without a national policy allowing working families to take paid time off to care for newborn children and seriously ill relatives. That's wrong, and we're going to do something about it. We're working to expand an existing social insurance program - temporary disability insurance - to include family leave insurance. Family leave insurance would let parents of newborns (or newly adopted children) and adults who need time to care for ailing relatives take 12 weeks of paid time off. Working New Yorkers would be able to receive a portion of their wages to maintain their family's economic security and care for their family. Here's more on the policy. We're asking everyone to sign the Mother's Day card. We'll deliver it - and any message you want to send along with it - as we lobby in Albany. Sign our Mother's Day card and send the message that you support family leave insurance. And have a Happy Mother's Day!

Daily Politics 5/11/2007

From the Daily Politics:

Spitzer Bolsters His Labor Ties

In recognition of Labor History Month, Gov. Eliot Spitzer today signed an executive order granting 50,000 day care providers the right to unionize and negotiate with the state to receive bigger public subsidies.

This has long been expected by the labor community, and is a big win for them. It is especially big for the labor-backed Working Families Party, which was among Spitzer's earliest backers but has often been at odds with him on policy - particularly when it comes to healthcare.

UPDATE: I'm told the bulk of the organizing work on this one was done by NY ACORN, whose executive director, Bertha Lewis, is a WFP co-chair, and the United Federation of Teachers.

This unusual move by Spitzer takes the place of legislation that passed the Legislature last year but was vetoed by former Gov. George Pataki.

The Senate overrode the veto on the last night of the 2006 legislative session in June - largely in hopes that the WFP would back then-Republican Sen. Nick Spano in a key race in Yonkers; the party remained neutral and Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins defeated Spano, further narrowing the GOP majority's already-slim margin in the chamber. The Assembly did not follow suit with the override.

The expectation is that day care workers will join one of the two state unions - PEF or CSEA. Critics say this sets a dangerous precedent, creating an employer-employee relationship where none should exist.

UPDATE: UFT spokesman Stu Marques says the expectation is that day-care workers within NYC will join UFT while those outside the city will join CSEA.