Our Perspective
Delayed Housing
Works Victory Shows
Need for PRO Act
By Stuart Appelbaum, President
Retail, Wholesale and Department
Store Union, UFCW
Twitter: @sappelbaum
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 26 AN. 29-FEB. 4, 2021 BTR
NYC Restaurant Week
To Go in the Bronx:
Where to take out from
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Although NYC Restaurant Week is
taking a different course than usual
this year, the Bronx is serving up
some scrumptious take-out deals
from now through January 31st.
This newly launched, order-in only
concept for restaurant week offers a
variety of entrees to be either taken
out or delivered at a fl at rate of $20.21
in celebration of the long-awaited new
year along with an effort to keep our
beloved eateries afl oat.
Here’s where and how to chow
down in the Bronx this week:
ARTHUR AVENUE
MARIO’S
This Italian staple at 2342 Arthur
Avenue offers the choice of chicken
cutlet parmigiana, chicken francese,
veal cutlet parmigiana, veal marsala,
linguini white or red clam sauce and
salad, ravioli with a meatball and
salad, or fi llet of sole napoletana or
oreganata.
Each comes with a side of choice,
except for the entrées that come with
a salad.
Contact: (718) 584-1188
ROBERTO’S
Technically adjacent to Arthur Avenue
at 603 Crescent Avenue, scenes
from this Italian restaurant include
prix-fi xe entrée and at least one side
during lunch or dinner, eaters are advised
to call for details.
Contact: (718) 733-9503
ZERO OTTO NOVE
This modern Italian mainstay
at 2357 Arthur Avenue also offers a
prix-fi xe entrée and at least one side
during lunch or dinner. Call to learn
more.
Contact: (718) 220-1027
CITY ISLAND
ARTIE’S STEAK & SEAFOOD
Head to 394 City Island Avenue to
pick up a choice of pasta in fresh tomato
sauce with shrimp, clams and
mussels; wood-grilled pork chop with
chive mashed potatoes and cherry
demi-glace or baked Atlantic cod with
tarragon aioli and toasted panko over
rice pilaf.
Contact: (718) 885-9885
SOUTH BRONX
BRONX BREWERY
This iconic ale haven at 856 E.
136th Street is much more than just
that! Chose of any sandwich and fries,
boneless wings and four empanadas,
three tacos and four empanadas; or a
rice bowl and four empanadas as part
of the brewery’s latest partnership
with the Bronx icon Empanology.
Contact: (718) 402-1000
CHARLIE’S BAR & KITCHEN
Here at 112 Lincoln Avenue in Mott
Haven diners can enjoy the choice of
Charlie’s fried chicken; two orders of
trio tacos varying from fi sh, steak,
chicken or pork, baked truffl e mac
with or without bacon, and a side.
Contact: (718) 684-2338
ININE BISTRO
Down at 53 Bruckner Blvd you’ll
get any burger, sandwich or eightpiece
wings with a choice of salad or
fries, soda or water, and cheesecake.
Contact: (929) 265-9682
WESTCHESTER SQUARE
CARIDAD WILLIAMSBRIDGE
Actually in Westchester Square at
1436 Williamsbridge Road, this delectable
Spanish restaurant which has
served the Bronx for two decades offers
one whole fried red snapper and
shrimp with your choice of tostones
or rice and beans.
Contact: (718) 892- 8322
VARIOUS APPLEBEE’S
locations throughout the city
are also participating in restaurant
week.
In December, by an overwhelming margin, 605
employees at Housing Works housing units,
thrift stores, healthcare, and other locations
throughout New York City finally won their
campaign to join the RWDSU. It was one of the biggest union organizing
wins anywhere in 2020, and it meant that Housing Works workers will
finally be able to address the issues they faced including poor pay and
benefits, unmanageable caseloads, lack of training, discrimination and
harassment and health and safety problems. Finally, through a union
contract and a voice on the job, these workers will be able to improve
their jobs, their lives, and the care received by Housing Works clients.
The workers’ win shows their tenacity and dedication. They never
wavered in this unnecessarily long process, which was stalled by their
employer at every turn. They stayed strong as their employer continued to
do everything possible to delay the union election, hoping to squash the
workers’ momentum and eventually smother the organizing drive.
The fact that these workers stood together and won is inspiring and
joyous, and stands as a testament to what working people can accomplish
when they are united. The fact that it took two years, amidst countless
delays and obstacles put up by their employer, can only be described as a
shame. It shouldn’t take workers who overwhelmingly want to exercise
their right to join a union two years to accomplish their goal. Employers
shouldn’t be allowed to continually game the system to try to squeeze the
life out of organizing drives by their workers.
Legislation passed in the House last year, the Protecting the Right to
Organize Act, known as the PRO Act, would help ensure that workers aren’t
denied their rights and that employers aren’t allowed to abuse the system
to run out the clock on organizing drives. The PRO Act would amend labor
laws to give workers more power during disputes at work, add penalties
for companies that retaliate against workers who organize and grant some
hundreds of thousands of workers collective-bargaining rights they don’t
currently have. It would also weaken anti-worker “right-to-work” laws in 27
states that hurt unions.
With a Republican Senate and Trump in the White House, the PRO Act
was considered dead on arrival. With the arrival of President Biden and a
Democratic Congress in 2021, passage of the PRO Act is possible. After
decades of the playing field leaning further and further to employers’ favor,
now is an opportunity to restore some balance in the fight for workers’
rights and give more workers a chance at winning a union voice.
The huge victory at Housing Works showed the power workers have
when they stand united, but it also showed the need to level the playing
field between workers and their employers when it comes to union and
worker rights. When workers want to join a union, it
shouldn’t take years. Workers should be free to
exercise their rights without employer interference,
intimidation, and delay. The PRO Act needs to be a
top legislative priority in 2021, so that more
workers can win union representation and better
lives for themselves and their families.
www.rwdsu.org
/www.rwdsu.org
/www.rwdsu.org