24 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 30, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Queens Borough President special election
32BJ endorses Richards in QBP race
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Councilman Donovan
Richards was endorsed by 32BJ
in the race for Queens borough
president.
Th e powerful property service
workers union represents more
than 80,000 workers in the metropolitan
area.
“In his time on the City
Council, Donovan Richards has
been a fi erce advocate for working
people in New York City,”
32BJ President Kyle Bragg said.
“He championed and helped
pass the fair workweek laws to
raise standards and improve jobs
for fast food workers. Richards
has tirelessly advocated for airport
workers rights, joining 32BJ
in the fi ght for airport jobs with
dignity and respect.”
Bragg added that Richards has
also brought thousands of units
of aff ordable housing and good,
family-sustaining jobs to his district
in southeast Queens.
“In addition, he has been a
strong leader in the movement for
criminal justice reforms and has
fought to stop the cycle of incarceration
that has devastated black
and brown communities in our
city,” Bragg said. “Richards knows
fi rsthand the struggles 32BJ
members and low-wage workers
in Queens face every day.”
Richards also received the
endorsement of DC 37, Local
372 and the United Federation
of Teachers in recent weeks. Th e
special election for Queens borough
president will take place on
March 24.
“Th e members of 32BJ are
some of the hardest workers
in our city, and I thank them
for supporting my campaign,”
Richards said. “I’m proud to
have stood with them on the
front lines with airport workers
to fi ght back against sick day
retaliation and to ensure they
are paid a fair wage. As borough
president, I’ll continue to work
with them to ensure more good
paying, union jobs choose to call
Queens home.”
Meanwhile, nearly 500 32BJ
members rallied at JFK airport
to support airport workers.
Inspired by Martin Luther
King Jr. Day, they gathered
in a large prayer circle inside
Terminal 8.
“We just came from inside
Terminal 8 where we prayed for
healthcare,” Bragg said. “Why?
Because our journey to justice
is not yet complete. We are close
but we are not there yet. We
won’t get there until we win
quality, aff ordable healthcare.”
Th e rally included music from
gospel singers, a choir and drum
section and speeches from elected
offi cials from across the city
supporting the workers’ struggle
for adequate protections
and good working conditions.
Donna Hampton, a security
offi cer at JFK, recalled for the
audience the near-decade-long
campaign airport workers have
fought to win respect, dignity,
economic and social justice, as
well as union protection.
“But, as long as there are
brothers and sisters at New York
airports yearning for the protection
of a union contract and
they are being stopped, then
we’re all back where we were
the day our movement started,”
Hampton said. “I want all my
non-union brothers and sisters
to have the same protections I
have and for them to be with me
in the fi ght to win those fi nal
benefi ts for health insurance.”
JFK sits in Richards’ district,
and he off ered his support for
those who rallied.
“On this day that we honor
the memory of Dr. King, we
must be mindful of his warning
that ‘of all the forms of inequality,
injustice in healthcare is
the most shocking and inhumane,’”
Richards said. “Th ese
hard-working New Yorkers
deserve quality, aff ordable health
insurance.”
32BJ SEIU has made passage
of the Healthy Terminals Act
in New York and New Jersey its
2020 legislative priority. Th e law
Photo by Max Parrott/QNS
would require passenger services
contractors hired by airline carriers
to provide their employees
with a benefi ts supplement they
can use to acquire the healthcare
they need.
“Irresponsible contractors
have doubled down on
the poor treatment of workers
and are pushing anti-union
tactics designed to limit benefi
ts,” Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney said. “New York must
put a stop to this abuse, and pass
the Healthy Terminals Act to
establish higher minimum standards
for pay and benefi ts and
protect the workers.”
City Councilman Donovan Richards has been endorsed by 32BJ SEIU.
Crowley scores TWU Local 100 endorsement
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Former Councilwoman
Elizabeth Crowley’s campaign
for Queens borough president
picked up an endorsement
Wednesday from TWU
Local 100, the union representing
the city’s 43,000 transportation
workers.
“Throughout her time in
the New York City Council,
Elizabeth was a steadfast supporter
of organized labor and
a friend to the thousands
of transport workers who
move New York,” Local 100
President Tony Utano said.
“We are pleased to partner
with her to achieve safe efficient
transportation for all the
residents of New York City
and we value her long-standing
and steadfast support
for our members.”
Crowley has been an
ardent supporter of the
Rockaway Beach Branch
reactivation plan that
would connect southern
Queens with the rest of
the city. She is opposed to
the MTA’s Queens Bus
realignment draft plan.
“We are also
confident that
Elizabeth has the
best plan to protect
and create
thousands of
transportation
jobs. Under a
Crowley administration we
can expect a significant expansion
of rail projects, while protecting
the important bus lines
that connect our neighborhoods
to the rest of Queens
and beyond.”
Crowley said she was
extremely grateful for Local
100’s support.
“Without their efforts
on behalf of their over
43,000-member-strong
union, New York City
would be far less connected
and efficient,”
Crowley
said. “I look forward
to working
with the transit
workers to create
and protect thousands
of new jobs, build stronger
connections to our neighbors,
and make Queens an
even better borough for working
families.”
The special election to
replace Melinda Katz, who
left Borough Hall to take
over as Queens district attorney,
is scheduled for March
24. After Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer abruptly quit
the race, citing family circumstances,
it left seven candidates
joining Crowley
in the field: Councilmen
Donovan Richards and Costa
Constantinides, retired NYPD
sergeant Anthony Miranda,
former prosecutor James
Quinn, businessman Dao Yin
and mapmaker Danniel Maio.
QNS/File
Elizabeth Crowley
/WWW.QNS.COM
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