WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 6, 2017 13
BRING THE SUBWAYS
UP TO SPEED NOW
The derailment of 2 cars of an A
train in Harlem last week is just the
latest in a series of problems that have
been plaguing our aging subway system.
This time 34 people were injured,
fortunately none too seriously, but the
fact remains that there were injuries
-- and that does not bode well for
the MTA.
It is time to get the subways back up
to speed. Improvements are needed
throughout the entire 80-year-old system,
from new signals to new tracks,
signals, escalators, elevators, and a
much improved PA system, as well as
and station platforms.
The riding public deserves to be able
to use a system that is safe, modern
and up to date. Our fi rst responders
handled this latest problem very well,
and deserve to be commended for
their work.
John Amato, Fresh Meadows
DID PROTESTERS
KILLED TREES?
Regarding the protests against the
Independent Democratic Conference
outside State Senator Tony Avella’s
offi ce last week: If these protesters are
hanging on the climate change issue,
much of which has been debunked,
then the person who made the statement
about them killing trees to create
placards for a non-issue was correct.
They need to be informed and act on
facts not emotions and hysteria based
on falsehood.
QNS member Steven Katz
‘BEE’ KIND
TO THE
POLLINATORS
Recently, we had National Pollinator
Week, a week dedicated
to celebrating bees and other
pollinators that make our foods,
farms and fl owers possible. And
we need to do more to protect
these pollinators.
Environment New York and
our national network launched
the Bee Friendly Food Alliance
to unite chefs and restaurant
owners in New York and across
the country to save the bees.
Aft er all, who knows better than
chefs and restaurateurs: no bees
means no food.
Bees pollinate many of the
foods we enjoy, everything from
strawberries to almonds to avocados.
Unfortunately, bees are
dying off at alarming rates with
significant consequences for
our environment and our food
supply.
From pie shops and breweries
to fine dining establishments,
chefs and restaurants
were hard at work this Pollinator
Week raising awareness
and educating customers
about the vital role that bees
play for our food supply
and the need to save them.
And even though Pollinator
Week might be over, we’ll be
continuing to build the Bee
Friendly Food Alliance this
summer and beyond!
Heather Leibowitz, Director of
Environment New York
OP-ED
Cable company must
make deal with labor
BY CITY COUNCILMAN
RORY LANCMAN
Back in March, 1,800 members of
IBEW Local 3, who are employed
by Charter Communications
(formerly known as TimeWarner cable),
decided to go on strike. The workers
did not make this decision lightly,
but felt it necessary after Charter
proposed cutting their health care and
benefi ts and refused to compromise.
The strike has now gone on for more
than 90 days, as Charter refuses to
negotiate in good faith.
IBEW Local 3 is headquartered in
my Council District, in a neighborhood
literally founded and built by the electrical
workers union, Electchester. I
know many of the workers impacted by
the strike personally and I see its devastating
impact as families struggle to
pay the bills and put food on the table.
They are our friends and neighbors,
who want nothing more than to make
a good living with dignity and security.
It is sadly far too common in America
today for a major corporation to try
to undercut the pensions and health
benefi ts its workers rely on, all in the
interest of its own bottom line. Local 3
workers are not just fi ghting for their
own livelihoods, they are standing for
every working person in this city.
As IBEW Local 3 workers push
for a fair deal, Charter has turned
around and given away their jobs to
out-of-state contractors. We have the
evidence: Charter contractors have
been spotted in my district and all
over the city with license plates from
California, Georgia, Illinois, New
Hampshire, Texas and beyond.
I stood with more than 150 striking
Charter workers last week to denounce
this latest example of corporate greed.
We made clear that Charter’s decision to
outsource these jobs is a violation of its
Franchise Agreement with New York City,
which requires that city vendors must be
used to the extent feasible. Charter is clearly
not following through on its responsibility
to hire New York City workers, and
that is completely unacceptable.
Not only does Charter’s use of outof
state workers violate the Franchise
Agreement, but it goes against the
values that we hold as New Yorkers.
We want New York City work to be
completed by New York City workers,
like Local 3’s members, who have the
skills and expertise to get the job done
right. We want our money to be spent
here in New York City, instead of being
handed off to workers from elsewhere.
It is time for New York City to do its
job and hold Charter accountable for
its disregard for both the Franchise
Agreement and New York City workers.
There must be no ambiguity: if
Charter wants to do business here, it
must live up the terms of the agreement
it signed with New York City.
I will continue to proudly stand with
Local 3 members. Instead of using
out-of-state workers, Charter should
return to the negotiating table and
hammer out a contract with Local 3
that is fair and reasonable for all.
City Councilman Rory Lancman
represents the 24th Council District
based in Hillcrest.
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
A LOOK BACK
The Dietz Coal Company is pictured
in this 1940s picture at the corner of
Cypress Hills Street and 71st Avenue
in Ridgewood. The plant went out of
business years ago and is now the
site of the Glendale Mews condominiums.
Share your historic photos of
Queens with us by emailing editorial@
qns.com, or mail printed pictures to
A Look Back, ℅ The Queens Courier,
38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361.
All mailed pictures will be carefully
returned to you.