Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 1
Committee: Committee on Civil Service and Labor
0:09 Thank you,
0:09 good morning. Welcome, says
0:10 New York City Council well for
0:11 the committee on civil service
0:12 in labor at this time, please.
0:13 Science, all cell phone
0:14 electronic devices and as a
0:16 friendly reminder. Please
0:17 don't approach today's chair.
0:18 We are ready to begin.
0:22 Good morning and welcome t
0:24 otoday's hearing of New York
0:25 City Council's committee on
0:26 civil service and labor I'm
0:28 council Council Member ball
0:30 chair of this committee today
0:31 we will be hearing and
0:34 considering rizzo, 26
0:35 ,sponsored by Council Member
0:39 Alexa Avilés, which calls upon
0:39 the New York City department
0:41 of education to establish
0:43 annually as labor history
0:45 month. I've been involved with
0:46 organized labor for many years
0:48 and I've seen time and again
0:50 how labor movements powered by
0:51 the collective will of the
0:53 people can change systems of
0:56 oppression, oppression and
0:57 improve lives when workers are
0:59 being exploited, abuse and
1:00 take it for granted. It is
1:02 organized labor that is most
1:05 successful in securing that
1:08 protections that are often
1:08 taken for granted. It is
1:10 essential to understand the
1:12 origin of fundamental
1:13 workplace rights without the
1:14 labor movement, we would not
1:16 have the modern five day work
1:18 week laws against child labor,
1:19 we would not have a minimum
1:21 wage and workplace safet
1:23 yregulations or the right t
1:24 osick time or parental leave
1:27 the struggles and collective
1:28 actions of workers built the
1:29 middle class, and it is vital
1:31 to understand the value of
1:33 collective bargaining. However
1:34 , despite the many workplace
1:36 protections that have been
1:38 secured by labor. There is a
1:41 significant gap in knowledge
1:42 about labor, especially among
1:43 our younger generations.
1:45 To the attack on unions and
1:46 the erosion of labor rights
1:48 also correlates with the white
1:50 with widening income
1:53 inequality. Workers have many
1:54 fights to fight, but it begins
1:56 with knowledge and awareness,
1:58 which leads us to the
1:58 resolution that is being heard
1:59 and considered today sponsored
2:03 by my colleague, council
2:05 member this resolution calls
2:06 upon the department of
2:08 education to designate as
2:10 labor history month in New
2:11 York City schools and to
2:13 educate young New yorkers
2:14 about the significant history
2:17 of labor movements that have
2:17 shaped our modern society
2:21 . Young people, our futur
2:22 eworkforce must have the
2:22 opportunity to learn about
2:24 labor history and be empowered
2:26 by the lessons of collective
2:28 activism that secured our hard
2:29 Won rights and protections
2:33 before we begin. I'd like t
2:34 othank committee staff senior
2:36 policy analyst nina nina
2:40 hard work in preparing forive
2:47 this hearing. I'd also like t
2:48 othank my chief of staff so
2:51 brown and our wonderful
2:52 district team for all the work
2:53 that they do? At this point, I
2:55 would like to recognize that
2:56 we have point joined by
2:58 council members cab on
3:00 Hankerson, murano and Avilés
3:03 Hudson and oh and Hudson
3:06 council, Hudson and council
3:07 member Gennaro are on zoom. O
3:09 h, yeah, right here,
3:13 I do not see her. Hey, you
3:15 snuck, kid a Council Member
3:17 Hudson is here in person, I'll
3:19 know I will now turn t
3:20 ocouncil member ivy less for
3:21 her opening statement
3:26 . Good morning and thank you.
3:26 Chair at the ball and members
3:29 of the committee today. I'm
3:31 just really proud to bring
3:32 resolution 26 to a vote this
3:35 resolution calls on the New
3:36 York City department of
3:38 education to establish as
3:40 labor history month in New
3:40 York City public schools. We
3:44 all know that New York City is
3:44 the wealthiest City in the
3:46 country, but New York is also
3:48 a working class City where
3:50 workers from all backgrounds
3:51 have done the work that
3:52 produces that wealth working
3:54 class New yorkers,
3:58 have often suffered greatly
3:59 on the job, but they've also
4:01 come together through the
4:02 labor movement to fight for
4:03 justice from doc workers
4:05 transforming, they're
4:06 dangerous and low paid
4:06 industry to government workers
4:09 fighting for workplace safety
4:10 to food delivery workers
4:12 organizing for a dignified and
4:16 decent pay. This is a proud
4:17 history. Yet the story of
4:19 organized working class Powers
4:21 rarely mentioned in our
4:23 history books this resolutio
4:24 nwould work to change that so
4:25 that our students learn the
4:27 history of average New yorkers
4:29 working together to demand
4:31 better wages, better working
4:34 conditions and a better City
4:35 in learning our city's labor
4:37 history, our students will see
4:39 themselves in that labor
4:40 struggle throughout New York
4:42 city's history and know that
4:44 they, too have the power t
4:46 ocreate transformative change
4:48 .thank you and please vote yes
4:49 on resolution 26. Thank you,
4:53 councilmember? Ari this, eh? I
4:57 now open the floor to public
4:59 testimony on resolution 26
5:01 before we begin, I remind
5:02 members of the public that
5:03 this is a formal government
5:08 proceeding
5:09 . And that decorum shall be
5:10 observed at all times as such,
5:11 members of the public shall
5:13 remain silent at all times the
5:15 witness table is reserved for
5:16 people who wish to testify. No
5:18 video recording of photography
5:19 is allowed from the witness
5:22 table further members of the
5:22 public not present audio or
5:25 video recordings as testimony,
5:25 but submit transcripts are
5:28 such recordings to the
5:29 sergeant at arms for inclusion
5:31 in the hearing record if you
5:32 wish to speak at today's
5:34 hearing, please fill out an
5:35 appearance card with a
5:36 sergeant at arms and wait for
5:38 your name to be called once
5:40 you have been recognized, you
5:40 will have two minutes to speak
5:43 on today's legislation,
5:44 legislation, resolution 26 on
5:48 establishing annually as labor
5:49 history month in New York City
5:51 schools. If you have written
5:52 statement or additional
5:53 written and testimony you wish
5:54 to submit for the record
5:55 please provide a copy of that
5:57 testimony to the sergeant at
6:00 arms. You also email written
6:01 testimony to testimony at
6:03 council that dot gov within 7
6:07 2hours of this hearing
6:09 . Audio and video recordings
6:09 will not be accepted. Mold no
6:16 one person
6:16 . No one in person is here t
6:21 otestify. Okay,
6:21 well, thank you all. So if
6:24 someone's on soon a me. Okay.
6:33 Anybody here?
6:34 Nobody here wants to speak
6:35 .okay. Um, so seeing no one in
6:39 the chamber now shift to zoom
6:48 norma simon. Good morning.
6:49 Good morning. Thank you for
6:51 allowing me to test the father
6:54 this morning. Um, jamie? Yes
6:58 .ok, I'm blessed as the former
7:02 City employees. I appreciate
7:04 the resolution that you were
7:06 to include today for labor t
7:11 obe, um, apart of the
7:13 educational criteria here in
7:14 New York City, but I would
7:17 like to propose a resolution
7:21 that has
7:21 . Labor hearings, such as like
7:27 grievance samplings it when
7:28 you are represented by your
7:29 union, such as 37 that labor
7:34 hearings and grievance
7:34 hearings be one of the record
7:36 like this testimony is being
7:40 done today,
7:41 it would help City workers
7:42 as far as I the testimony. One
7:45 of the record because I had a
7:50 grievance humor that was not
7:52 one of the and the decision
7:54 did not reflect the testimony
7:59 misstep, providing.
7:59 Miss simon, this is
8:00 pronounced them. Oh, yes,
8:02 simone, I'm sorry. Um yep. I
8:06 could you speak to the
8:10 resolution itself.
8:10 In terms of the resolution
8:13 itself
8:13 . Having if you want to
8:16 provide students with labor
8:20 information, it would be
8:20 helpful to I labor hearings
8:25 one the record. Okay. Thank
8:27 you. You welcome home. Any
8:35 anybody else.
8:35 I'd like to recognize
8:36 Council Member nar joined us.
8:45 Small. Okay. Um, well, if they
8:47 are currently on zoom, I wish
8:48 to speak but have not yet had
8:50 the opportunity, please use
8:50 the raise your hand function
8:52 and our staff will commute you
8:57 okay? Seeing a no one else.
8:58 I would like to note that
9:00 everyone can submit written
9:02 testimony to testimony at
9:04 council that dot gov within 7
9:06 2hours of this hearing with
9:09 that the hearing portion of
9:10 today's meeting is now
9:11 concluded and I will turn t
9:13 othe clerk to call the role for
9:15 a vote on this resolution
9:21 .thank you. Good morning,
9:21 william martin committee clark
9:22 roll call vote committee on
9:24 civil service and labor
9:25 resolution 26 chair alberto I
9:33 general.
9:33 I thank you. Carbon I hudso
9:43 n
9:43 . I and thank you to the
9:44 Council Member of it basin
9:45 for there support of a
9:53 marcie's I Hankerson I more
10:00 ronal.
10:01 I and congratulations counts
10:02 member of villas
10:05 . I have one of seven in the
10:05 affirmative, zero in the
10:07 negative end obstetricians
10:08 resolution has been approved
10:08 by the committee and Madam
10:09 chair. That is a full
10:15 committee. Thank you, everyone
10:16 for joining us today and
10:17 congratulations Council Member
10:23 bowls the hearing and vote is