36 The Queens Courier • FEBRUARY 6, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com CITY DROPS STOP-AND-FRISK APPEAL BY LIAM LA GUERE new mayor chose to drop the lguerre@queenscourier.com appeal. The court has asked the Mayor Bill de Blasio’s unions to review the city’s administration filed papers on agreement with the plaintiff Thursday, January 30 to drop and submit concerns or the city’s appeal of a judge’s motions by February 7, decision to reform the NYPD’s according to the Patrolman’s stop-and-frisk policy. Benevolent Association (PBA) According to court papers, spokesperson. which were filed in the Second “We continue to have serious Circuit U.S. Circuit Court of concerns about how these remedies Appeals in Manhattan, the city will impact our members and came to an agreement with the Photo via Twitter/@NYCMayorsOffice the ability to do their jobs,” PBA plaintiffs in the ongoing case Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would be dropping its appeal in the case where the NYPD’s President Patrick J. Lynch said. against stop-and-frisk, Floyd stop-and-frisk practice was declared unconstitutional. De Blasio made the announcement vs. City of New York. to drop the stop-and-frisk “This is a defining moment respected, and where police with stop-and-frisk. The city frisk for three years. appeal on the same day he in our history. It’s a defining and community stand together filed an appeal of the decision Despite the city dropping joined Mayors Against Illegal moment for millions of our to confront violence.” last year, under former Mayor the appeal, the case may not Guns, the coalition co-founded families, especially those with Last year, U.S. District Judge Michael Bloomberg. be over. When de Blasio was by Bloomberg. De Blasio young men of color,” de Blasio Shira Scheindlin ruled that the In the agreement, a courtappointed elected mayor last year, unions pledged that he will push to said. “This will be one city Police Department had discriminated monitor will oversee that represent the NYPD filed enact laws to fight gun trafficking where everyone’s rights are against minorities the NYPD’s reform of stopand to intervene in the case, if the and illegal gun sales. FILE PHOTO After their act of civil disobedience, the Port Authority has authorized a raise, among other things, for airport workers. WORKERS WIN BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com Airport workers have won their battle. Port Authority Director Patrick Foye has ordered the CEOs of Delta, JetBlue, American and United Airlines to immediately raise wages and make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a paid holiday for the 8,000 contracted workers at John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia Airports. Foye sent a letter to the four CEOs telling them to grant an immediate $1 an hour raise to workers making $9 or less, recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday and work towards “providing an improved wage and benefits package to the thousands of hard-working men and women at the airports.” The announcement comes a week after close to 1,000 workers, elected officials and clergy members blocked a bridge leading to LaGuardia Airport on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, during an act of civil disobedience, demanding “economic justice.” “Pat Foye’s letter is a promising step forward and marks the first real progress we have made in lifting thousands of contracted airport workers out of poverty,” said Hector Figueroa, president of SEIU 32 BJ, a union representing most of the airport workers. “We have gotten to this point due to the courage of the contracted airport workers and their willingness to take action – including being arrested for civil disobedience at LaGuardia Airport on MLK Day, along with Congressmember Charles Rangel and many others.” During the event, more than 30 people were arrested, including city and state elected officials, and workers. “It’s good that someone is finally listening to us and responding,” said Wendy Arellano, a LaGuardia Airport cabin cleaner. “This is a good plan. It’ll be better when we have good benefits, security and the peace of mind that a good contract gives you. But, for now, getting us up to 10 dollars and 10 cents is a real start.” Clinics set to close — again BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com It’s déjà-vu for two major immunization walk-in clinics as the city renews its plans to close the sites by the end of the month, according to union leaders. In August, the City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) announced it would close the Corona Health Center, located at 34-33 Junction Boulevard, and the Tremont Health Center in the Bronx. After community protest, the city temporarily stopped the plan and rescheduled the closing for the end of 2013. Yet, after keeping the clinics open into the New Year with funds provided by the City Council, closures are expected for the end of February. “The function of immunization is prevention,” said Fitz Reid, president of Local 768, a union representing health care workers. “It’s not just job protections, it’s to protect the children, protect the public.” The closures are expected to severely limit access to free and low-cost immunizations for low-income and poor families, protecting them from diseases such as the flu, meningitis, Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and others. The DOHMH also plans on cutting the hours of its STD clinics, according to union leaders. Public employee union District Council 37 tried to hold a meeting with the Health Department, but said it was not productive as no immunization representative attended. The group now wants to schedule a new meeting with the hope of getting their concerns heard by the department’s newly appointed commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett. “We’re hoping that when she takes the reigns, we’ll be able to meet with her and have a productive meeting where we emphasize the importance of the clinics in the communities,” said Judith Arroyo, president of Local 436, United Federation of Nurses and Epidemiologists. “We’re just waiting for a response.” According to Arroyo, the immunization clinics are necessary because they serve as the first step for immigrant families to learn about health care and begin immunization THE COURIER/ FILE PHOTO The Corona Health Center, together with the Tremont Health Center in the Bronx, is slated once again to close its doors, this time by the end of February, without proper notification to the community. records for their children. One of the major issues at hand is that every closure has been kept from the community, said leaders. Residents would then have to travel to the Fort Greene Health Center, located at 295 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, the city’s only walk-in immunization clinic. “I continue to oppose the closure of the Corona immunization clinic,” Councilmember Daniel Dromm said. “The Department of Health unfortunately has decided to keep their plans for the center in the dark. Residents need to have access to these services, including school children who are required to have certain shots before attending class.” The DOHMH did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.
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