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
The Committee on Civil Service and Labor held a hearing on Resolution 26, sponsored by Council Member Alexa Avilés, calling on the New York City Department of Education to establish Labor History Month annually in New York City public schools. The chair and sponsor gave opening statements emphasizing the importance of teaching labor history to young New Yorkers. One member of the public testified remotely. The committee then held a roll call vote, with the clerk announcing the resolution was approved by the committee.
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