This week, Executive Director Anita Halasz and Organizer Aaron Watkins-Lopez rode the bus with Nassau County Legislators Siela Bynoe (LD2) and Laura Curran (LD5) through their districts to speak to riders and find out what the experience for daily bus users is. With the threat of upcoming service cuts due to a $3.3 million deficit, the support of county Legislators is amazing! #NICEneedsNassau
Register today for our 4th Annual Working But Still Poor Conference, being held on Friday, March 28th. This year’s conference will address how we can organize around systemic injustice on Long Island at a time when our federal government is stalling. Visit “Conference” under for a full list of workshop descriptions and presenters!
Our opening keynote speaker this year will be prominent Long Island civil rights attorney, Frederick Brewington, Esq., and our closing keynote speaker will be Congressman Tim Bishop!
If you have any difficulties with or questions about registering, please contact us at 631-348-1170 ext. 310 or lijwj01@gmail.com.
We look forward to your participation!
Do not miss our 4th Annual Working But Still Poor Conference on Friday, March 28th, 2014! Our conference theme this year is organizing in solidarity for economic justice on Long Island. Our workshops will reflect on the specific needs of our communities and how we can organize around the systemic structures that keep people struggling. Topics include navigating systems to help immigrants, organizing to meet Long Island’s transportation needs, moving from charity to social justice advocacy, and many more!
The Conference will be held on Friday, March 28th, from 8:30am to 2:30pm at Touro Law Center in Central Islip. Early-registration (before March 10th) is $25 and late or on-site registration will be $30. Registration fee includes both breakfast and lunch.
Registration sign-up will be available soon.
Hope to see you all there!
On November 29th, in accordance with the Black Friday Day of Action, Long Island Jobs with Justice and our allies held two Worker Appreciation actions at the Valley Stream and Setauket Walmarts. This Black Friday, hundreds of actions took place all around the country telling Walmart that workers and families will not stand for the exploitation of our communities any longer. We gave “Thank You” cards to over 100 associates to demonstrate our appreciation for all of their hard work during this holiday season and to show them that their communities support them.
Before the action, one Setauket associate reached out to us about what she wished could be changed at her store:
“I want to see 90% full time, permanent positions, better wages, and better benefits. I applied for permanent, full time and I was hired as a part time, temporary employee. Now I spend every week begging for any spare hours they have just to try to make a decent check. […] Also, if you bring people in for the holidays, they deserve the same holiday discount and holiday pay as permanent employees.” She signed her letter “Hard Working Mom”.
This hard working mother’s wish mirrors the wishes of countless Walmart associates nationwide on a day where the stores are packed and the hours are long. This Black Friday also marks the 5 year anniversary of the death of Jdimytai Damour, a Valley Stream Walmart security guard who was trampled in 2008. Walmart has yet to pay the $7,000 it was fined by OSHA for failing to protect its employees. In the past 5 years, this Valley Stream Walmart has doubled in size and has opened its doors on Black Friday at 6 pm on Thanksgiving, yet workers have yet to see any benefits for their hard work and sacrifices.
Please register online now for our upcoming Prayer Breakfast on December 10th, 2013!
The Long Island Bus Riders’ Union, a project of Jobs with Justice, held a press conference at the Rosa Parks Bus Terminal, in Hempstead, where we released our second annual report card on NICE bus service for disabled riders. The report, released during Disability Awareness Month, presents research compiled over the past year that measures Veolia’s improvements and shortcomings on both fixed-route and Able-ride buses concerning accessible bus service for disabled riders, and their compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, transportation, state and local government, public and private accommodations, and communication. The Bus Riders’ Union grades NICE based on its compliance with the ADA. The report found that Veolia received “failing” grades for its “accessibility” rating on fixed-route buses, based on the fact that 45% of audible and visual announcements aboard buses were not working, and 84% of external bus announcements were not working.
The Bus Riders’ Union also gave NICE a low rating of “D” for the Braille signage at many bus terminals, including Roosevelt Field, Nassau Community College and Jamaica.
Overall, we made a set of recommendations and what they called “legal requirements” to NICE Bus, and urged them to act on their recommendations swiftly. While some of these recommendations are just suggested improvements that NICE should make to its bus system, there are also legal requirements that NICE Bus must fulfill. Audible announcements, Braille at bus terminals, and on-time pickups for Able-Ride are legal requirements, and NICE needs to fulfill them.
To view our report, click here!
For Newsday’s coverage of the press conference, visit their website online here.
Nearly a year ago, Superstorm Sandy devastated Long Island. 90% of us lost power, and many of us lost our homes. As we approach the unfortunate anniversary of the disaster, many are still waiting for financial assistance from New York State and are still repairing their homes from storm-related damages. This is unacceptable.
As we continue to assess damages and advocate for improvements in preparation for future disasters, Long Island Jobs with Justice and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) have partnered on an important survey. This survey will help assess 1) health issues of Long Islanders impacted by Superstorm Sandy, 2) damage to homes, and 3) access to recovery funds.
Please help us by spreading around this survey to your friends and colleagues. Your support is critical to the success of this project. For online link, click here. For print-outs of the survey, contact me at 631-524-3922 or by emailing charlene.obernauer@gmail.com
Long Island Jobs with Justice 