FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 26, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
oped
Our thanks go out to Tiido Tennelo of
Wilmington, VT, who provided us with
this wintry scene from 1958 of Tennis
Place near Dartmouth Street in Forest
Hills Gardens. Tennelo lived in the Forest
Hills area at that time, and he took this
picture while out for a walk following a
snowstorm. Send us your historic photos
of Queens by email to editorial@qns.
com (subject: A Look Back) or mail printed
pictures to A Look Back, The Queens
Courier, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY
11361. All mailed pictures will be carefully
returned to you.
A LOOK BACK
letters & comments
Fight for better
wages continues
BY CITY COUNCILMAN RORY
LANCMAN
It is an unfortunate truth in
New York City today: violations of
employment law and workers’ rights
are a serious and widespread problem
aff ecting low-wage workers.
Th ese violations take many forms, including failure to
pay minimum wage or overtime, forcing employees to work
“off -the-clock,” meal break violations, illegal pay deductions,
and retaliation for making a complaint or organizing
a union. Some industries are plagued by “misclassifi cation,”
where employers label workers as independent contractors
instead of employees in order to deny workers the benefi ts
and rights they are legally entitled to.
Denying workers the salary or benefi ts they have earned
exacerbates the income inequality problem currently
affl icting our city. A study conducted by the National
Employment Law Project in 2010 estimated that more than
317,000 workers in New York City suff er at least one paybased
labor or employment law violation per week. Th e
study concluded that those violations translate to losses of
more than $1 billion per year for low-wage workers.
Th is is appalling. Behind those numbers are New Yorkers
working every day to make ends meet and support their
families. New Yorkers who struggle to put food on the table
or pay the bills because they have not been paid wages they
deserve. New York businesses that have been undermined
by competitors who keep down costs by stealing from their
employees.
Clearly, the city must do more to stand up for low-wage
workers and hold accountable employers who are committing
these violations. Last week, the City Council’s Courts &
Legal Services Committee, which I chair, took the fi rst step
toward making progress on this issue by holding a hearing
to examine the landscape of legal services available for lowwage
workers facing wage-theft , discrimination and other
workplace violations.
Th e committee heard testimony from legal services
providers and labor leaders, who made clear that more
resources are needed in order to adequately address the
current need. While the Fair Labor Standards Act and New
York State’s Wage Th eft Prevention Act provide numerous
protections for workers, government enforcement is oft en
overwhelmed and workers are left to assert their own rights.
In cases involving low-wage workers, government-funded
civil legal services are especially important. Th ese cases
are especially diffi cult for private attorneys to bring forward
since low-wage workers can rarely aff ord to pay upfront
and the recovery can be less than the cost to bring the case
in the fi rst place.
Despite this, city funding to support legal services for
low-wage workers has lagged far behind other priorities. In
the last fi scal year, New York City allocated more than $110
million for civil legal services, but only a small percentage
of the funded cases were employment related.
It is imperative that the city invest more resources in
providing legal services for low-wage workers. Doing so is
a win-win that will both assist the city’s most vulnerable
and ensure that businesses are operating on an even playing
fi eld. Th e totality of these eff orts will be a boon for our
local economy, too.
In the weeks and months to come, I will work with my
colleagues to ensure that more legal resources are available
for low-wage workers who need them to help put an end to
egregious workplace violations.
Councilman Lancman represents the 24th Council District
covering Kew Gardens Hills, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest,
Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Jamaica Hills and Jamaica.
CONVENTION
GIVES POWER
BACK TO PEOPLE
On Nov. 7, the back of the voting
ballot will have a question on
whether to call for a state constitutional
convention. A majority
of politicians oppose the bid
to amend the state constitution,
remarking that “big money special
interests” would infl uence the
convention process.
Funny, but these same politicians
don’t recall that “special
interests” have been holding sway
over the state legislature each and
every day for years.
A constitutional convention
could institute term limits, remedy
internal power struggles, foster
government reform eff orts,
end gerrymandering and take
power from “the three men in the
room” that seemingly make all
the important decisions when it
comes to state government.
New Yorkers can use the constitutional
convention as a way to
reform state government from the
inside out, and make the Empire
State a national trendsetter. Th e
growing urgency for a constitutional
convention is furthered by
politicians who have forgotten
that they should be working for
the people, not lobbyists and special
interests.
Only the people can change
things on Nov. 7.
Joseph Campbell, Port
Washington
VOTING AGAINST
‘CON CON’ IS
SMART CHOICE
In her Oct. 19 op-ed, Rachel
Bloom confuses caution with
an implied desire to undermine
democratic processes when she
urges a vote to organize a constitutional
convention.
At this moment, a President,
an Attorney General, and a U.S.
Congress seem poised to bulldoze
the terrain of American society.
Th ink of the dangers facing a
woman’s right to choose, immigrant
rights, workplace protections,
preservation of the environment
and clean water, support
of public education, voter access,
civil rights, and regulation of big
money in all its forms.
Th ere are rights and freedoms
that the NYS Constitution protects.
Th ere are regulations that
the NYS Constitution enables.
Th e legal framework which the
NYS Constitution constructs
empowers our Attorney General
to protect our rights in court.
It is important that New York
State acts with caution and waits
before making our state constitution
vulnerable.
Ms. Bloom hinges her argument
on the goal of increasing
voter turnout. She lists several
issues that would energize
voter turnout if New York State
held a constitutional convention
and changed several laws. She
expresses valid concerns about
the nomination of candidates.
Th ese are issues which legislation
and a healthy public information
campaign can address.
Th is path to reform would save
the taxpayer the price tag of hundreds
of millions of dollars that’s
attached to a constitutional convention.
In these turbulent times, a constitutional
convention creates an
opportunity for divisive and energized
factions. Th ese factions may
attack cornerstones of our community.
In the fl urry of an enormous
lawmaking undertaking,
the moment to change something
or everything can emerge. Now
is not the time to open that rabbit
hole.
Debra Michlewitz, Bayside
COOP TAXES ARE
KILLING RESIDENTS
I recently received a fl ier from
my co-op notifying residents that
we are getting an increase in carrying
charges, mainly due to a 7 percent
increase in real estate taxes.
Th e people living in these modest
apartments actually pay more
in real estate taxes than wealthy
families who live in large houses.
As stated, co-ops off er some of the
last aff ordable housing available to
middle-class families. Apparently,
there is little regard for struggling
New Yorkers who may live on
fi xed incomes or have jobs that
provide few to no pay increases.
Th is unfair tax situation is
becoming a burden. It is unconscionable
that our elected offi cials
acknowledge the problem, yet
continually refuse to fi x it.
Linda Imhauser, Whitestone
DON’T GET MAD, TAKE
CHEATERS TO COURT
Have you been lied to, cheated
or swindled? Don’t get mad,
get even! Many Queens residents
are taken advantage of by contractors,
business owners or landlords.
Th e Small Claims Court Action
Center through the New York
Public Interest Research Group
(NYPIRG) can help! Our center
can assist you in recovering up
to $5,000 through Small Claims
Court. We can support you, or a
loved one, with the small claims
court process.
If you know that you have been
cheated, we can help! Queens residents
are wronged every day, so
if you are one of the millions of
people being taken advantage of,
don’t hesitate to call us at 718-
997-3937.
Candice Jaimungal, New York
Public Interest Research Group
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