November 8–14, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 3
Our Perspective
Housing Works Employees
Demand Their Rights
By Stuart Appelbaum, President
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW
This is especially surprising at an
Twitter: @sappelbaum
organization that so many New Yorkers, myself
included, so firmly believe in. What is clear is
that Housing Works has strayed very far away
from its progressive values in dealing with its
workforce, and it’s deeply troubling.
On October 29, over 100 employees at
Housing Works’ New York City locations
walked off the job to speak out about the
working conditions that they face throughout
their organization. Workers also delivered to
their employer Unfair Labor Practice charges
(ULPs) that they filed with the National Labor
Relations Board. The fact that they had to walk
off their jobs to have their voices heard was a
stunning development considering that their
employer has long been a progressive leader
for social justice.
For months, workers at Housing Works
have raised serious concerns to management
about their workplace environment. With
conditions only worsening, workers believe that
union representation is the best way for them
to address their concerns. Housing Works’
refusal to sign a neutrality agreement is
hindering that process.
Housing Works employees strive every day
to improve the lives of people living with
HIV/AIDS, and their work makes a real
difference. It’s not too much
for them to expect that
their employer lives up to
the same progressive
principles toward their
workers. Housing Works
needs to sign a neutrality
agreement.
When workers at Housing Works first
approached our union, I was
surprised to hear about the issues
they face every day. Housing Works was
founded in 1990 by several members of ACT UP
in order to provide housing, healthcare, job
training, legal assistance, and other supportive
services for people living with HIV/AIDS. Their
800 employees work at housing units, thrift
stores, healthcare, and other locations
throughout New York City.
We presumed that a non-profit like Housing
Works with a progressive vision would respect
the right of their workers to join a union. We
approached Housing Works management about
a neutrality agreement to expedite the process
for workers to make changes in their workplace,
as we have done at many other places before.
A signed neutrality agreement ensures that
workers can choose to support a union free of
any intimidation or retaliation by the employer.
Additionally, neutrality agreements can
prescribe the process of how workers join a
union. This is something that all major
Democratic presidential candidates support.
Other components of a neutrality agreement
can include accessibility to workers and
management remaining truly neutral.
In our discussions with Housing Works,
we’ve learned that their progressive messaging
does not apply to their own workforce. Housing
Works management is behaving just as antiunion
as much of corporate America. In fact,
H&M, ZARA and countless others have signed
neutrality agreements. Housing Works’ refusal
to sign a neutrality agreement and their hiring of
a “union avoidance” attorney demonstrates
their true intent.
www.rwdsu.org
Railslide to destruction
Anti-skating barriers destroyed outside of Borough Hall
Local skaters did not appreciate the Parks Department’s
anti-skating scheme and removed an astroturf
barrer (shown crumbled in lower right).
Photo by Ben Verde
tempted to finally put an end
to the practice, which does
long term damage to the iconic
downtown building, according
to a Borough President spokesman.
“The Parks Department
findings show there is clear
damage to the landmarked
steps and lamp pedestals due
to skateboard grinding,” said
Jonah Allon.
Reps with the Parks Department
did not respond to request
for comment about their
future plans for the skate-stopping
barricade.
In any case, skateboards
aren’t the only four-wheeled
nuisances that overtake the
plaza, as the Borough President’s
staff has made a habit
of parking their placarded cars
in the plaza surrounding the
building.
That controversial car-parking
scheme lead to heated criticism
of the BP from pedestrians
that decry the ensuing
eye-sore, but Adams — a mayoral
candidate — has refused
to crack down on the practice
until other municipal leaders
ban private parking at their cityowned
buildings.
Charity under fi re for union bust
Photo by Kevin Duggan
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Housing
Works CEO Charles King faced off outside the charity’s
Willoughby Street headquarters on Nov. 4.
Fleurantin, a case manager at
Housing Works.
The company also hired Chicago
based labor law firm Seyfarth
Shaw LLP, which prides
itself as keeping workplaces
“union-free,” according to its
website, and has a history of
cases that include working
against the 1960s agricultural
labor activist Cesar Chavez and
defending Harvey Weinstein’s
film company against a slew of
sexual harassment claims.
Senior Housing Works staff
also sent out a link to the unioncritical
website unionfacts.com
to supervisors, according to
Fleurantin.
In response, Williams —
along with a slew of city and
state legislators — fired off a
letter demanding charity honchos
sign a pledge of neutrality
forbidding them from meddling
in the unionization effort, and
the pols rallied in solidarity with
workers on Monday.
Charles King, Chief Executive
Officer of Housing Works,
confronted the pols assembled
outside the charity’s Lawrence
Street HQ, where he flatly denied
accusations of union busting,
claiming the charity has
maintained a healthy neutral
stance throughout the unionization
effort.
“Housing Works is committed
to remaining neutral
in this organizing campaign,”
King said.
King did, however, reject
the neutrality pledge, which
requires workers watch a 90-
minute video by the Retail,
Wholesale and Department
Store Union on company time
and allows the union access to
its facilities to hold informational
meetings, among other
things.
But a rep for the union said
King is speaking out of the side
of his mouth, and that organizers
sent the charity head an
email agreeing to drop those
clauses from the neutrality
agreement if Housing Works
would simply pledge not to interfere
with the labor effort, according
to Gay City News.
Great rates like ours are always in season.
6-Month
2.00%
CD or IRA CD APY1
$5,000 minimum deposit
By Ben Verde
Brooklyn Paper
Local skaters have fought
back against the Parks Department’s
attempts to halt their
skateboarding outside of Borough
Hall — pushing aside a
low-tech barrier to reclaim their
makeshift skatepark.
A week after bureaucratic
buzzkills installed a green astroturf
barricade at the foot of
the Borough Hall steps, rebellious
boarders forcibly moved
both the tarp and a large planter
meant to keep the structure in
place.
The plaza outside the Borough
President Eric Adams’
office has become a mecca for
skaters in recent months — as
dozens of shredders gather each
evening to grind on the marble
staircase.
But city parks bigwigs at-
By Kevin Duggan
Brooklyn Paper
Elected officials accused
executives at a Downtown
Brooklyn nonprofit of attempted
union busting at a
rally on Monday.
“What I’ve heard from you
today... sounds a lot like a person
who really is trying to not
have a union,” said Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams.
Employees at Housing
works — a nonprofit dedicated
to house homeless New Yorkers
suffering from HIV and AIDS
— are attempting to organize
in response to what they claim
are unfair working conditions,
including low pay, high caseloads,
and lousy benefits
And Monday’s actions followed
a walkout on Oct. 29 that
saw 100 workers leave their post
to join a demonstration at Borough
Hall, where some workers
claimed management pressured
them to bail on the union
action.
“They had senior people asking
people if they were going
to the walkout,” said Brian
To qualify you must have or open any Flushing Bank Complete Checking account2 which
provides you with access to over 55,000 ATMs, ATM fee rebates, mobile banking and mobile
check deposit. Plus, you can qualify for additional cash bonuses of up to $300.3,4,5
For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call
800.581.2889 (855.540.2274 TTY/TDD) or visit www.FlushingBank.com.
Small enough to know you.
Large enough to help you.®
1) New money only. APY effective September 26, 2019. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred
from an existing Flushing Bank account. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice.
2) New money required for new checking accounts only. A Flushing Bank checking account with a $5,000 minimum balance is required to receive the advertised rate. Certain fees, minimum balance requirements and restrictions may apply.
Fees may reduce earnings on these accounts. A checking account is not required for IRA accounts. 3) New Complete Checking account with new money only. Existing checking account customers are not eligible. A new checking account is
defined as any new checking account that does not have any authorized signatures in common with any other existing Flushing Bank checking account(s). An existing checking customer is defined as anyone who currently has or has had a
Flushing Bank checking account within the last 24 months. New money is defined as money not currently on deposit with Flushing Bank. 4) The Cash Bonus is limited to one (1) account credit per new Complete Checking account. To qualify
for the Cash Bonus, a new Complete Checking account must be opened with a minimum opening balance of $1,000 or more. The Cash Bonus credit will be based on the monthly average account balance of the first three (3) full months after
account opening. The monthly average account balance tiers and respective account credits are as follows: Tier 1: $1,000 - $4,999 a $10 account credit, Tier 2: $5,000 - $9,999 a $50 account credit, Tier 3: $10,000+ a $100 account credit.
The Cash Bonus credit will be posted to the account on or about the end of the subsequent month following the account’s three (3) month anniversary. A 1099 will be issued in the amount of the account credit. The new Complete Checking
account must remain open, active and in good standing for six months. If the account is closed prior to six months or prior to receiving the credit, the account credit will be forfeited. Other fees and restrictions may apply. Notwithstanding
the Cash Bonus offer, a minimum deposit of $25 is required to open the Complete Checking account. 5) This offer is limited to one Complete Checking account per household. Minimum deposit required to open a new Complete Checking
account is $25. No minimum balance required to be eligible for the Bonus. Direct Deposit– You will receive $100 for signing up for and receiving a recurring direct deposit. Each direct deposit must be $250 or more. Tax refund checks do
not qualify as direct deposit. Direct Deposits must be completed prior to 90 days after the account is opened. Debit Card Purchases – You will receive $50 for the completion of 5 debit card purchases. Each debit card purchase must be $25
or more. Online Banking bill payments – You will receive $50 for completing 5 online banking bill payments via Flushing Bank’s Online Banking portal. Each online bill pay must be $25 or more. Debit Card Purchases and Online Banking bill
payments must be completed prior to 60 days after the account is opened. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ANY CUSTOMER CAN RECEIVE IS $200. The compensation will be credited to the checking account on or about the
end of the month following the completion of the above qualifying transactions within the required time after account opening. A 1099 will be issued in the amount credited to your account. Other fees and restrictions may
apply. The promotion and offer are subject to change and termination without prior notice at any time. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
/www.BrooklynPaper.com
/www.rwdsu.org
/www.FlushingBank.com
/www.BrooklynPaper.com
/www.rwdsu.org
/unionfacts.com
/www.FlushingBank.com