JOIN US at our 3rd Annual Labor-Faith Prayer Brunch!

Each year in December, Long Island Jobs with Justice commemorates the anniversary of the Universal Declaration by honoring one champion of human rights right here on Long Island. This year, we are proud to honor the staff of MercyFirst in Syosset. When news broke that over 2,000 refugee children, fleeing poverty, gang violence and persecution in Central America, had arrived on Long Island, MercyFirst was among the first to respond by offering the children shelter, food, education and asylum. MercyFirst did this despite some strong local public opposition. For MercyFrist, recognizing the inherent dignity of the children trumped all other concerns.

Please join us on Tuesday, December 9th, from 10am-12pm, as we celebrate and honor the remarkable humanitarian work of MercyFirst. Register here.

Our speaker for the afternoon will be Patrick Young, Esq., Program Director of the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN)

The event will be held at the MercyFirst facility (525 Convent Road, Syosset, NY 11791)

$25 REGISTRATION
**You can make an online payment at www.longislandjwj.org/donate (select “one-time contribution”) OR make checks out to “Long Island Jobs with Justice” and mail to 390 Rabro Drive, Hauppauge NY, 11788**

Register TODAY! Registration includes a full breakfast and our program.
Prayer Brunch 2015 StD

HUGE VICTORY FOR LONG ISLAND BUS RIDERS!

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Members of the Long Island Bus Riders’ Union celebrate a HUGE VICTORY after presenting a list of rider demands to Nassau County and NICE Bus in early September. A bus rider will be added to the Transit Advisory Committee, which oversees the NICE bus system, adding a level of representation that was not there before. This gives bus riders the opportunity to advocate for the kind of service THEY need!

Additionally, after countless efforts to get the County to invest more in public transportation, they have bumped up their contribution by $2M! While the operational needs of the bus system are well over the $4.6M that is in the 2015 budget, this is another victory for bus riders across Nassau County!

THE RIDERS UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!

Check out today’s Newsday article:

NICE bus gets $2M bump in 2015 Nassau budget

Updated October 30, 2014 8:40 PM
By ALFONSO A. CASTILLO  alfonso.castillo@newsday.com

A bipartisan agreement by Nassau lawmakers will boost the county’s subsidy to its bus system by $2 million, freeze fares for some customers in 2015, and give NICE riders more say on issues that affect them.

The plan, included in Nassau’s newly adopted 2015 budget, increases the county’s subsidy to the Nassau Inter-County Express to $4.6 million from the previous $2.6 million. It promises to hold a ride to $2.50 for customers who pay in cash or with NICE’s mobile application, and will add four new members to the county’s Bus Transit Committee, which governs NICE.

The four new members will include two appointed by County Executive Edward Mangano, one by the Republican majority, and one by the Democratic minority. Democratic lawmakers said they plan to make their pick a riders’ representative, chosen in conjunction with the nonprofit Long Island Bus Riders Union.

“NICE Bus continues to save taxpayers millions of dollars while protecting riders from a fare hike or service cut,” Mangano said in a statement Thursday.

But the new county budget was not all good news for riders. Even with the increased subsidy, NICE still runs a deficit of about $6 million, according to figures in Mangano’s originally proposed executive budget. And Nassau’s vow to not raise fares outside of any hikes on the MTA-controlled MetroCard removes one of the county’s options to help fill the deficit.

Officials with Veolia Transportation, NICE’s parent, declined to comment Thursday.

Long Island Bus Riders Union spokeswoman Anita Halasz said she fears that, without further government subsidies, Veolia may be forced to cut service to fill a budget gap, as it has before.

“Can we not come up with a better plan?” Halasz said. “We need to be prioritizing public transportation.”

Halasz added that she was grateful that riders will soon be able to voice their concerns on the county Bus Transit Committee, even if that voice may be “diluted” by the addition of three additional Republican appointees. In total, seven of the panel’s nine members will be appointed by Mangano or the GOP majority.

“I think no rider representation is worse than some rider representation,” Halasz said. “For us, this is a victory.”

 

Bus Riders Demand Public “Thank You” from Veolia and Nassau County for Bus Bailout

Garden City, NY—

On Tuesday, September 2nd, the day after Labor Day, bus riders and public transit advocates demonstrated outside of NICE Bus Headquarters where the Long Island Bus Riders’ Union released and delivered a “Bus Rider’s List of Demands” in response to the recent decision to increase bus fares to partially fill NICE Bus’ $3.3 million budget deficit. This fare increase comes with no plans to expand bus service.

 While both Nassau County and Veolia contributed financially to offset the budget shortfall, many bus riders, like Kimberly Saget, felt it was unfair for them to pay more without seeing improvements in service.
“I work hard for the money I have. Knowing that NICE bus is taking more money but not giving anything in return is frustrating. If NICE wants to keep riders happy, taking our money and not improving service is not the way to do it,” said Saget.
 
Aaron Watkins-Lopez, Organizer with the Long Island Bus Riders’ Union expressed a similar frustration.
“Once again, Veolia and Nassau County are looking to us, the riders, to bail them out. Our concerns and requests are reasonable – we want affordable and accessible service and we want to be part of the decision-making process,” said Watkins-Lopez.
 
 The Nassau County Bus Transit Committee held public hearings where bus riders were given the opportunity to provide their input. The two scheduled public hearings were held during normal business hours – 2pm and 5pm – when many bus riders are at work and unable to leave. Many riders, like Nassau County Community College professor and bus rider, Stephanie Sapiie, felt that rider’s concerns have fallen on deaf ears in the past and wants NICE Bus and Nassau County to finally add riders in to the decision making process.
 
“Bus riders are only asking for a say in the decisions that affect their commutes and working-lives. We think that NICE Bus should not only listen to bus-riders but should also incorporate our needs into decisions made about service, routes and fares,” said Sapiie.
 
 Cindy Tropeano, a former MTA and NICE bus driver, expressed her concern with the future of the bus system in Nassau County.
 “I’ve seen the profession I love deteriorate tremendously in the last two and half years. Veolia has brought down the standards and quality of Nassau County Bus,” said Tropeano.
 
 With the rising cost of fares, service cuts and changes, and late buses, bus riders are forced to take more expensive, and sometimes less safe, modes of transportation.
“I really wish there were more n49 service at night especially after midnight. I used to pay cab $10 from work one-way, now I pay $13 with tip every night. I may have to consider getting a new bike to ride to and from work if this keeps up,” said Long Island Bus Riders’ Union member Richard Clolery.
 
 “We need stronger financial oversight when it comes to matters of this size. We hope that the Nassau County Legislature and Veolia can devise a system that will prevent budget shortfalls and that the County can identify a steady funding stream so that bus riders do not have to endure fare increases like this again,” said Anita Halasz, Executive Director of Long Island Jobs with Justice.
 
Included in the list of demands were the following: keep fares affordable, use fare increase money to improve and expand service – not to fill budget shortfalls, invest in routine trainings for drivers, add a bus rider and community advocate to the Bus Transit Committee, make future public hearings accessible, and issue a public “thank you” to bus riders for paying more to fill the budget deficit.
 
 
To see the News12 story check it out here!
 
To check out our List of Demands download them here!

My FARE Increase

If YOU could decide, what would you want YOUR additonal 25¢ to go to? 

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Stephanie Sapiie, Professor

That is the question the Long Island Bus Riders’ Union has been asking Nassau bus riders.
On September 1st, Nassau County and NICE Bus will be imposing a 25¢ fare increase on cash paying customers as one solution to help fill NICE Bus’ $3.3 million budget shortfall. Does anyone else smell a bailout? Nassau County and NICE Bus have also agreed to chip in, but do not be fooled by this gesture – the buses have needed more money since 2012 and Nassau has not delivered! To top it all off, with little to no public notice, Veolia (NICE Bus operator) held two virtually INACCESSIBLE public hearings with barely any riders’ present. Without any public support, a fare increase was approved, and Nassau County and NICE bus have decided that bus riders should be the ones to pick up the tab and bail them out.
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Mary Frances, Nassau Community College Student

This (un)fare increase comes with no improvements to bus service, yet riders are expected to pay, and for what?!
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Anonymous Rider, Mother of Three

As a response, the Long Island Bus Riders’ Union launched the “My FAIR Increase” Campaign, demanding that Nassau County and NICE Bus give bus riders a public thank you for bailing them out! Aaron and Kimberly will be visiting bus terminals and bus stops until September 2nd to speak with riders about what they want their 25¢ to pay for (see the pictures). We will deliver these demands to NICE Bus on September 2nd, the day after the implementation of the fare increase, where we will demonstrate outside of the NICE Headquarters (700 Commercial Avenue, Garden City) at 6:30PM. We will also visit Nassau County officials on September 8th at their legislative meeting (1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola) at 1PM (see flyer below for details).

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Simja Bezalel, Medicaid Service Coordinator for the Disabled

Please join us on September 2nd and the 8th as we tell Nassau County and NICE Bus that if they want our money then they need to listen to US, the riders!
Aaron Watkins-Lopez
Organiser
Long Island Bus Riders’ Union

And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

BRU September Actions

 

This Labor Day: Celebrate, Reflect, and Act for Worker Justice

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Dear Friend,

This Labor Day is a time of celebration. Our economy is finally growing again: the stock market has set new records and corporate profits are up, as is the productivity of American workers.

This Labor Day is also a time of reflection and recognition. The wealthiest 1% of Americans now possess 40% of the nation’s wealth, while the bottom 80% own only 7%.

Workers are still struggling, and many remain in the shadows! Wages are stagnant, and low-wage workers’ incomes are actually shrinking.

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So, this Labor Day is a call to acknowledge that we are coming out of the Great Recession due to the unrewarded, or under-rewarded, toil of workers in the US. We need to celebrate their hard work as we recommit ourselves to economic justice for all.

Long Island Jobs with Justice is offering two opportunities for you to reflect and act on worker justice:
First, for those of you in religious congregations, please incorporate the powerful prayers for workers we are providing into your services on Labor Day weekend.  Here are the prayers you can use at your place of worship: 2014 Labor Day Prayers
2014 Labor Day Prayers
Second, on Sunday, September 14th, we invite you to attend a workshop, “Undocumented and Unprotected: An Action Plan for Farmworker Justice on Long Island,” from 4-7PM at St. John the Evangelist Church in Riverhead. At this workshop, you will learn about the specific hardships faced by undocumented immigrant farmworkers on the East End, who are not protected by federal or state labor laws. The workshop will focus on what you can do to support them in the coming weeks and months  . A free light supper will be provided, but please RSVP with Kimberly Saget at ksaget.lijwj@gmail.com or call 631-348-1170 ext. 317 so that we know how much supper to provide.
Undocumented and Unprotected Flyer
Undocumented and Unprotected Flyer
Let’s make this Labor Day more than a backyard barbecue, back-to-school sale or trip to the beach. Let’s truly honor workers and recognize the labor of those who have been kept in the shadows.
In solidarity,
The staff of Long Island Jobs with Justice:
Anita, Aaron, Kimberly, Victoria and Dick

Sandy Mold Report Release

On Monday, August 11th, Long Island Jobs with Justice in collaboration with NYCOSH, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, and supported by allies and Nassau Legislators Curran and Denenberg released a report about the lingering dangers of mold in houses affected by Hurricane Sandy and the necessity for disaster preparedness training and education for community members.

To read the article go here,

To watch the the News12 story about this issue go here.,

And to read the Newsday article about it go here.
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Congratulations Richard!

The 2014 Peacemaker of the Year is our very own Richard Koubek! Here is a picture of Richard receiving the award for Long Island Jobs with Justice from Pastor James Rey and Rev. Ken Graham of the Long Island Presbytery for the remarkable work he is done across Long Island for economic justice! Congratulations Richard!10577102_10153352066474897_5836220528182018977_n