Queens pols applaud passage of farmworkers rights
State Supreme Court decision supports Nolan’s Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act
Nolan visiting farms across
the state pushing for the end of
the last vestiges of Jim Crow
discrimination. She called the
ruling monumental.
“It is of the utmost
importance that the New
York State Legislature step
up and pass the Farmworkers
Fair Labor Practices Act
to codify the labor rights
that farmworkers have been
waiting on for decades,
including a day of rest,
overtime pay, unemployment
benefits, and the right to
collectively bargain, I have
been touring New York
State, visiting farms and
hearing the stories from both
farmers and farmworkers,
and it is clear we must
pass the Farmworkers
Fair labor practices Act
this session.”
The agriculture industry
brings in more than $6 billion
a year in New York so it was
no surprise that Governor
Andrew Cuomo also applauded
the court’s decision. When the
suit was filed by the New York
Civil Liberties Union against
the state in 2016, Cuomo
decided the state would not
defend itself in the case.
“From the beginning, we
chose not to defend against this
lawsuit because farmworkers
never should have been denied
the same basic rights as other
workers and we believed this is
to not only be morally wrong,
but also unconstitutional,”
Cuomo said. “I commend the
court’s decision to correct
this undeniable injustice and
reaffirm New York’s principles
of fairness and equity for all.”
The Farm Bureau, which
represents to owners of the
state’s 35,000 farms, vowed an
appeal to the state’s highest
court, the Court of Appeals.
“We are extremely
disappointed in the majority’s
decision and the breadth of
it’s ruling,” Farm Bureau
President David Fischer said.
Meanwhile, Nolan will
keep pushing for the passage of
the Farmworkers Fair Labor
Practices Act with less than a
month to go in the legislative
session, which will break for
the summer.
“Congratulations to the
farmworkers of our state, who
finally have a chance to see
real change for themselves
and their families, and to the
NYCLU, Attorney General
James, and many groups
who have worked tirelessly
alongside our farmworkers to
see the end of this injustice in
our state,” she said.
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
BY BILL PARRY
For more than two decades,
Queens Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan has
championed the rights lowwage
workers through support
of labor pushing for passage of
her Farmworkers Fair Labor
Practices Act.
So, Nolan was particularly
pleased with the decision
by the New York Supreme
Court Appellate Division
on May 23 declaring that
farmworkers across the state
have the right to organize and
bargain collectively.
“This laudable decision by
the court recognizes that our
New York State Constitution
was written to ensure that the
human rights of all workers
are respected,” Nolan said.
“While there is still more
work to be done that ensures
farmworkers are provided
the same protections as
other employees in the state,
this decision marks a great
stride forward in our fight
to see long awaited justice
for farmworkers here in
New York.”
State Senator Jessica
Ramos joined forces with
AS A REQUIREMENT OF LOCAL LAW 196 OF 2017, WORKERS AT MOST MAJOR CONSTRUCTION
SITES MUST BE ABLE TO SHOW AT LEAST AN OSHA 10 TRAINING HAS BEEN TAKEN WITHIN
THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS. ON DECEMBER 1, 2019, WORKERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO
HAVE 30 HOURS OF TRAINING. WHEN FULLY PHASED IN BY 2020, WORKERS AT JOB SITES
THAT REQUIRE A SITE SAFETY PLAN (WHICH INCLUDES SITES THAT MUST DESIGNATE A
CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT, SITE SAFETY COORDINATOR OR SITE SAFETY MANAGER)
MUST RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF 40 HOURS OF TRAINING.
YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE TRAINING. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCSAFETY
Assembywoman Catherine Nolan, who hosted dozens of
farmworkers at the Ridgewood Democratic Club during their 2016
march for justice to Albany, is applauding the State Supreme Court
ruling on farmworkers rights. Courtesy of Nolan’s offi ce
Safety Training. You Can’t Work Without It.
184
TIMESLEDGER,6 MAY 31-JUNE 6, 2019 QNS.COM
/schnepsmedia.com
/NYCSAFETY
/QNS.COM
