4 The Courier sun • AUGUST 27, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Queens workers owed $800K in unclaimed back wages: comptroller BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected]/@A_GiudiceReport With Labor Rights Week quickly approaching, City Comptroller Scott Stringer scored a victory for city workers when he found $3.7 million as part of unclaimed prevailing wage settlements with several companies that worked on city-funded projects. Stringer is now seeking the public’s help in identifying the over 1,000 workers from across the city to whom these funds are owed. Throughout Queens, 200 individuals are owed nearly $800,000, according to Stringer’s findings. In Corona, 20 people are owed a total of $117,470.53; Elmhurst has 18 individuals who are owed $74,934.79; and in Maspeth, Ridgewood and Jackson Heights, 14 people from each neighborhood are owed a total of $151,811.21. “My office has recovered millions of dollars through our enforcement of the prevailing wage, but now we need your help to connect these workers with the money they are owed,” Stringer said. “Thousands of hard-working individuals, many of whom are immigrants, have been cheated out of their rightfully earned wages, but they may not know these funds exist. Help us get the word out about unclaimed wages — recovering thousands of dollars may only be a phone call or email away.” Stringer’s office is trying to identify those who are owed wages through social media, media partnerships and distribution of informational flyers in several languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Creole in neighborhoods throughout the city. “We’re ramping up our efforts to identify these City Comptroller Scott Stringer is looking for over 1,000 workers who are owed $3.7 million. hard-working men and women who are owed the money they earned,” the comptroller said. “In the coming weeks, we’ll be on the streets, on social media and on the airwaves with a single message: if you’ve been cheated out of your wages, the comptroller’s office has your back. Tell your friends and family: call our hotline or visit our website to see if you are eligible to receive your lost wages.” The prevailing wage laws require employers to pay workers the wage and benefit rate set annually Photo via Scott Stringer’s Facebook page by the comptroller when those employees work on city public works projects, such as renovating public schools or building service contracts, which includes security guard and custodial work, with city agencies. Workers who believe they may be entitled to unclaimed wages can call the comptroller’s hotline at 212-669-4443, send in inquiries via email to [email protected] or check the comptroller’s unclaimed wages website. Pols call for end to JFK employees parking on residential streets BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua Residents living near JFK International Airport say they’ve had enough of airport employees parking on residential streets and are asking local city and state representatives to do something about it. City Councilman Eric Ulrich and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder recently sent letters to the top 10 freight and passenger airlines to request that they actively pursue solutions to the problem. JFK employees are reportedly parking their cars in Howard Beach, Ozone Park and other neighborhoods near the airport and then taking the AirTrain to work. “TSA and other airport employees should be parking their vehicles on Port Authority property, not in front of homes in Ozone Park and Howard Beach,” Ulrich said. “Hopefully they will take action to alleviate this problem to free up much-needed parking for homeowners.” Howard Beach resident Alison Zinkeiwicz said JFK employees who park in residential streets also contribute to the uncleanliness in the area. “Not only is it a inconvenience for resident parking, but most do not have any regard for the cleanliness of our streets,” Zinkeiwicz said in a Facebook post. “They’ve thrown litter onto our sidewalks and streets from their vehicles without a second thought.” Mary Filomena, a Howard Beach resident of 20 years who lives near the AirTrain station in Howard Beach, says this problem has been ongoing for several years, with people parking on her block to not only use the AirTrain but to avoid paying for parking in the LIRR parking lots. “These residents who live around the station have put up with this parking problem long enough and deserve to enjoy their property and use the streets around it,” Filomena said. “I have health problems and can not walk to the train station from my house, however short the walk, I need to park my car close by and I can never do this. ” Goldfeder and Ulrich met with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) authorities on Monday, Aug. 24, to brainstorm possible solutions. JFK airport employs 37,000 people and 5 percent are employeed by the TSA. According to Jon Greenfield, communications director for Goldfeder, the meeting was “productive” and the TSA promised to reach out to staff to educate them on the issue. TSA officials will include the topic in their monthly newsletter and the assemblyman is awaiting a response from Delta officials, who say they are looking into the parking problem. “Our middle-class families work hard and deserve to enjoy the community they invested in, without having to spend their days and nights circling the block looking for parking,” Goldfeder said. File photo JFK employees have been parking on residential streets leading to an outcry of complaints from south Queens residents.
SC08272015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above