CNW04302020 - Page 5

Our Perspective New Yorkers Deserve More from Macy’s than Fireworks By Stuart Appelbaum, President Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, RWDSU, UFCW Twitter: @sappelbaum Macy’s announcement that it wanted to go ahead with its July 4th fireworks display in the midst of this pandemic should be disturbing to all New Yorkers for several reasons. Macy’s should not be spending millions on fireworks after laying off its entire workforce. Most of their employees cannot even afford health care coverage at this time. Many Macy’s employees have worked for the company for decades, and now they are on the street with nothing from their employer. Furthermore, they are putting New Yorkers at risk unnecessarily – in order to use our city as a backdrop for their nationally televised commercial for themselves. Most New Yorkers don’t have balconies overlooking the East River. The last thing we want to do is to encourage people to come together in large groups in order to see fireworks. Social distancing at the fireworks display is a joke. That is why Mayor de Blasio rightfully cancelled other large events for the entire month of June, including the Pride Parade which would have been held just a few days before. If Macy’s really cares about New Yorkers, they should be spending that money on healthcare coverage for their hardworking New York employees. That would be the real way to show your patriotism. But that’s not even the worst of it. What is even more outrageous is that Macy’s is insisting on holding contract negotiations in the midst of Governor Cuomo’s “stay at home” order. Yes, the contract between Macy’s and its workers’ union is expiring soon. The stores are closed, nobody is working, and neither party has any clue what the future will hold. How do you negotiate in good faith when the company is unable to tell you when each store will reopen or how it will reopen, or for what hours and with what staffing needs? And nobody has any clue what customer traffic will look like when New York’s economy does begin to re-open. Macy’s even suggested having the three dozen members of the union’s negotiating committee travel from all over New York City to Manhattan for face-to-face negotiations at the beginning of May – in defiance of Governor Cuomo’s “stay at home” order. As we have done elsewhere, we have proposed postponing negotiations and extending the current contract until both sides will have some sense of what the future will look like and what we will be negotiating for. We suggested extending the current contract for a year, and Macy’s said “no.” We then suggested extending the contract for at least six months, and Macy’s again said “no.” So why is Macy’s insisting on negotiating now? It simply appears that they are trying to take advantage of this current crisis for their own ends. It defies common sense to insist these negotiations go on in the coming weeks. Workers cannot adequately prepare for contract negotiations with so many unknowns. Nor is there any serious need to do it now. We are all adapting to our new reality as New York responds to this crisis. Macy’s needs to adapt to this reality now. Just as it shouldn’t be promising a fireworks show that encourages New Yorkers to gather in crowds to enjoy it, Macy’s shouldn’t pretend that it’s business as usual when it comes to these negotiations. This “pause” is for everybody Macy’s, even you. www.rwdsu.org Making Sense of the Census Check Your Mail �� By Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020 Have you checked your mail lately? If you’re one of the New Yorkers that hasn’t responded to the 2020 Census yet, you might have noticed a postcard in your mailbox from the Census Bureau. Don’t worry — you’re not in trouble. But your community could be if you aren’t counted. These postcards and mailers are just another way the Census Bureau is trying to make sure every one of us is counted. After all, there’s a good chance you have other things on your mind. Now more than ever, we all have new and urgent priorities in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, so it might be easy to lose sight of things like the 2020 Census. But the COVID-19 pandemic also highlights just how much we all depend on our public services, and that we need a complete 2020 Census count to keep them fully funded and functioning for years to come. With that in mind, the Census Bureau sends reminders to help make sure no one gets left behind. And in fact, some of these latest mailers even contain the mail-in version of the 2020 Census form — so if you haven’t responded because of issues with your internet or phone, now you have a backup option. We encourage you to respond right away to ensure that you and your family are fully counted. So if you found a census mailer in your mailbox, let that be the inspiration you need to get counted. It only takes 10 minutes, and you can also do it online at my2020census.gov or call 1-844-330-2020 to complete it over the phone. Already filled your form out? The work doesn’t end there. Help make sure your families, friends, and neighbors are also getting counted. Remember, these resources are shared between all of us. We’re all in this together. Let’s make it count. “Making Sense of the Census” is a weekly column from Julie Menin, Director of NYC Census 2020. Every week we will be publishing pieces from Julie and guest authors laying out the facts and answering tough questions about this year’s census. Fill out the census now at my2020census. gov. Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish® Metro New York We’re still accepting donations and pick ups Your Car Donations Matter NOW More Than Ever! Free Vehicle Pick Up ANYWHERE We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not WheelsForWishes.org 100% Tax Deductible Minimal To No Human Contact Call:(917)336-1254 �� PAID DEATH NOTICES To place an announcement in Death Notice, In Memoriam, Sympathy or Cards of Thanks Please Call Celeste 718-260-2554 or e-mail calamin@schnepsmedia.com Schneps Media April 30, 2020 5 /my2020census.gov link /www.rwdsu.org /www.rwdsu.org /WheelsForWishes.org link