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affordable housing

23 02, 2016

Local 79 Members Rally for Truly Affordable Housing

2016-02-23T15:06:36-05:00

On February 23, nearly one hundred members of Local 79 rallied at City Hall Park alongside hundreds of members of Real Affordability for All (RAFA), a broad-based coalition that is opposed to Mayor de Blasio’s affordable housing plan. Numerous speakers, including Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council, protested the Mayor’s plan to rezone a number of neighborhoods in New York. His plan, which includes a provision called Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), contains no assurances that the affordable housing will be built union. At the same time, lower-income residents of the neighborhoods that are proposed for rezoning will [...]

Local 79 Members Rally for Truly Affordable Housing2016-02-23T15:06:36-05:00
17 02, 2016

Local 79 Members: Make Your Voices Heard at the Real Affordability for All Rally

2016-02-17T16:01:12-05:00

What: Rally at City Hall Park (Broadway side) to demand that Mayor de Blasio's affordable housing plan offers solid, middle-class construction jobs and housing that is affordable for low- and mid-wage New Yorkers. When: Tuesday, February 23, 10:30 am Where: City Hall Park (Broadway side)

Local 79 Members: Make Your Voices Heard at the Real Affordability for All Rally2016-02-17T16:01:12-05:00
18 09, 2015

Local 79 Sets Up Wage Theft Line at Museum of the City of New York

2015-09-18T10:56:19-04:00

On September 17, Local 79 members lined up behind yellow hazard tape emblazoned with “Wage Theft” and passed out leaflets about wage theft to participants attending a symposium about affordable housing . The symposium was linked to the opening of a new exhibition at the museum entitled “Affordable New York: A Housing Legacy.” Local 79 members had good cause to be there: a number of the sponsors of the exhibition—Lettire Construction, Mountco Construction & Development Projects, to name two—are bad, non-union contractors. Millions of dollars have been stolen from workers on Lettire and Mountco affordable housing projects.These contractors regularly work on affordable [...]

Local 79 Sets Up Wage Theft Line at Museum of the City of New York2015-09-18T10:56:19-04:00
17 07, 2015

Local 79: Loud and Proud!

2015-07-17T11:37:56-04:00

July 16th was not an unusual day for members of Local 79. Organizers and members put up a rat on Staten Island and on the second day of the picket line turned the job union, putting members to work. Simultaneously we had over 30 members with Governor Cuomo in the Bronx, supporting his announcement of a 10-Agency Joint Task Force to investigate and focus on worker exploitation, wage, and workplace violations. Local 79 members followed that up in the evening with a rally in the Lower East Side with community groups that supported us in our victorious 421-a campaign. The rally called for more union-built affordable housing for New York [...]

Local 79: Loud and Proud!2015-07-17T11:37:56-04:00
14 07, 2015

Rally Alert! Affordable Housing

2015-07-15T11:50:04-04:00

When: Thursday, July 16th, 4pm. Where: East 3rd St between 1st Avenue & Avenue A Why: Local 79 will be joining an alliance of community groups to demand that there is more affordable housing built & that it be built with union labor. Questions: Contact Anthony 646-265-5675

Rally Alert! Affordable Housing2015-07-15T11:50:04-04:00
23 06, 2015

Local 79 Members Help Win 421-a Battle

2015-06-25T15:43:09-04:00

A huge thank you to all of the members of Local 79 who engaged in the all-out battle that was waged to reform 421-a, the program that offers huge tax breaks to developers who build residential housing in New York City. Members made their voices heard by going to City Council hearings and going on buses up to Albany to lobby, taking on both New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the powerful real estate lobby. The message to elected officials was loud and clear: public subsidies in the form of tax breaks have to come with public responsibility. Developers will now have [...]

Local 79 Members Help Win 421-a Battle2015-06-25T15:43:09-04:00
11 06, 2015

Local 79 Apprentices Lobby in Albany

2015-06-11T11:35:55-04:00

A busload of Local 79 apprentices went to Albany on June 10 to lobby legislators regarding 421-a, the program that provides tax abatement to developers who build residential housing in New York City. Their presence there was part of the UP4NYC campaign, a campaign that has been going on for weeks to make sure any extension of 421-a carries with it new responsibilities for the developers who are getting the tax breaks. The apprentices met with a number of legislators and spoke about the critical importance of amending the legislation to add provisions that a percentage of the units receiving tax [...]

Local 79 Apprentices Lobby in Albany2015-06-11T11:35:55-04:00
3 06, 2015

Local 79 Joins Rally to Tell Albany to Fix 421-a

2015-06-03T10:03:48-04:00

On June 2, over 100 Local 79 members rode buses to Albany for a rally outside the state capitol to tell legislators to fix 421-a, the law that allows huge tax breaks for rich developers. They were joined by hundreds of building trades workers, all of whom were demanding that a fix to 421-a must include provisions that provide affordable housing and good paying jobs. Assembly Chair Keith Wright, a resident of Harlem, delivered an inspirational speech to the crowd, strongly urging them to get involved and make sure 421-a is fixed in favor of working people. Sign the letter and tell Albany that public [...]

Local 79 Joins Rally to Tell Albany to Fix 421-a2015-06-03T10:03:48-04:00
1 06, 2015

Local 79 Members: Help Stop the Giveaway to Rich Developers!

2015-06-02T09:44:53-04:00

Local 79 is one of several unions that recently publicly supported an organization called UP4NYC. UP4NYC is an organization that advocates for Albany to repair the broken 421-A tax abatement program. Please click here to read the latest article about the UP4NYC campaign and see a video about the issue. For decades, the 421-A tax abatement program has offered large tax breaks to developers to provide an incentive for residential development in New York City, asking for little or nothing in return.  UP4NYC is seeking to modify the program so that developers receiving 421-A tax breaks guarantee that union wages will be paid on all construction jobs [...]

Local 79 Members: Help Stop the Giveaway to Rich Developers!2015-06-02T09:44:53-04:00
29 05, 2015

Albany Rally Alert!

2015-06-01T13:26:02-04:00

Local 79 members are encouraged to come to a rally in Albany to ensure that any extension of 421-a, the tax abatement program for wealthy developers, contains provisions ensuring that the affordable housing built in exchange for the tax breaks will pay workers prevailing wage. Attendance will count towards your mandatory participation. All attendees will receive will receive a $100 stipend. Lunch and shirts will be provided. When: Tuesday, June 2, 6:00 am Where: Five buses will be outside Local 79, 520 8th Avenue You must call Angela to reserve your seat: 212-465-7912

Albany Rally Alert!2015-06-01T13:26:02-04:00
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