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BY SAM MELLINS NEW
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BY WWT EDITORIAL TEAM
BY AMERICA’S VOICE
Texas Republicans are Leading the Charge to End DACA and Block Legislative Fix Dreamers YORK
Carlina Rivera: A Bright Star in a Crowded Field CM Rivera. Photo courtesy Carlina Rivera Campaign
New York's 10th Congressional District was redrawn earlier this year as part of the de cennial redistricting process. The district is represented by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D), who is now running in the 12th Congressional District, facing off in the primary against Rep. Carolyn Maloney. The 10th District previously included the Upper West Washington, DC [August 16]: This week’s ten year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Ar rivals (DACA) program’s implementation is MarriagesInterracialin a NarrativeCounter to Hate ...15Divisionand
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Iast month, a years-long ef fort by the New York City government to move re tired city workers to a cost-cut ting health care plan suffered a significant setback when the insurers slated to administer it decided to withdraw, citing an uncertain start date amid an ongoing lawsuit by retirees seeking to stop the switch. The setback could cost the city’s unions hundreds of mil lions of dollars — and pits re tirees against current workers in a battle over scarce benefit That’sdollars.because the anticipated savings from the retiree care switch were destined for a fund controlled by the unions and the city that pays for ac tive union workers’ health benefits. Until the city and unions find another insurance company to replace the ones that pulled out, the fund will be missing out on those sav ings, which the city estimated at $600 million annually. The city won’t suffer any im mediate financial conse
August 2022 What You Should Know About Co-Signing for a Loan ...9 Safe BusinessesareWorkplacesSound...12INSIDE Medicare CityThreatensStandoffCutstoCurrentWorkers’Benefits Hot Topics and News You Should Know About Issue #35 Parents Urged toLongerBreastfeed...9 Why You ParalegalBecomeShoulda...14Commission Vasan: Get Vaccinated Now for Polio ...17 andEntrepreneurshipCannabis:Education...2 $20 Million Secured for 13k Chipotle Workers in Settlement ...4 UPS Teamsters Rally in NYC to Kick Off Contract Fight ...11 AFL-CIO Applauds Passage of the Infla tion Reduction Act ...10 Labor -Related News - Nationally & Locally What is This New Langya Virus? Do We Need to be Worried? ...18 continued on page 12 Brian Figeroux, Esq. continued on page 6 continued on page 8
www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 2
BY DAVID J. FERREIRA & CHRIS SINACOLA
Recently, I was in Al bany fighting and seeking support of A1261/S1947, legislation that will create a clear def inition of public work and level the playing field for New York’s contractors. District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades Union (DC9), the union for painters, prides itself on being a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety. We are excited about this new publica tion, Workers’ World Today, which covers the issues of relevance and concern for all workers. We are encouraged that all workers: blue and white collar will have a voice andCongratulationsplatform. on your inaugural issue. We wish much success to the lead ers and team of Workers’ World Today and pledge our support.p Davon Lomax Political Director, DC9
TEAM Publisher Workers’ World Today, Inc Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Contributing Writers Linda JennineVictoriaNwokeFalkEstes, MFT Travis Morales Mary Campbell Janet ManuelChrisWayneHowardJordanTobiasHolguin Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Telephone 1-866-435-3286 Email info@workersworldtoday.com Visit us at www.workersworldtoday.com
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The dropout rate for students in the state’s voc-tech schools is one-third that for students in traditional high schools. What this suggests is that stu dents who graduate from voctech schools are just as prepared as their peers in purely academic schools to pursue a college degree. But voc-tech students also leave school with the technical know-how to begin a fulfilling, well-paying career in one of the many industries where skilled labor is in desperately shortThesupply.result is an education model that serves the needs of students while also spurring growth and creating opportu nity throughout the economy- something the status quo education system has failed to do.There's no reason the voctech model must remain exclu sive to the Bay State. By following Massachusetts's ex ample, states across the coun try have a chance to trade in a broken, expensive approach to education for one that actually works.p David J. Ferreira is a career vocational technical teacher, coordinator, princi pal, and superintendent and served as executive director of the Massachu setts Association of Vocational Ad ministrators. Chris Sinacola is a former newspaper editor and the au thor of five books. The views and opin ions expressed in this article are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Work ers’ World Today.
In Solidarity www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 3
Time to Trade in America's Broken Education System for One That Works President Biden is cur rently weighing a mas sive cancellation of federal student loan debt. It's easy to see why. The nation's total student debt load now ex ceeds $1.7 trillion. The situation is even worse given that many student debt holders leave school without a degree – yet must still struggle for years to pay back their loans.Moreover, it's far from clear whether all this spending on higher education is providing our economy with the workers it needs. Even as the number of Americans with a college de gree has risen, a range of vital industries — from construc tion and manufacturing to car repair — have seen the supply of qualified workers steadily shrink.Along-running educational experiment in Massachusetts could point the way out of both these crises. The state's extensive network of voca tional-technical schools — or "voc-tech schools," as they're known — offers high school students a path to career suc cess that doesn't require an ex pensive four-year college degree.Byexpanding this educa tional model to more states, policymakers could slash stu dent debt while also address ing the skilled-worker shortage in some of the na tion's biggest industries. That so many Americans are struggling to pay down stu dent loan debt is evidence of a larger higher-education crisis. Today, it's conventional wis dom that even a modest mid dle-class existence requires a four-year college degree. The perceived necessity of a college education has enabled institu tions to charge increasingly ex orbitant tuition. Student debt levels have risen in tandem. At the same time, those who drop out of college without a degree, or never attend to begin with, are often con demned to low-paying jobs with few reliable paths to more gainful employment. This situ ation describes an enormous segment of the American workforce. By one estimate, more than 44% of the nation's workers have low-wage jobs. Of those, just under half have a high school diploma or less. Yet companies across the economy are in dire need of skilled workers. The manufac turing sector's skilled labor shortage is on track to reach more than 2.1 million workers by the end of the decade, ac cording to one recent study. Across the economy, some 4 million skilled positions sit un filled right now. In short, America's current approach to higher education is failing everyone from debtridden college graduates to low-wage non-college gradu ates – and even understaffed businesses.Massachusetts’s voc-tech model might offer a solution. Unlike in traditional high schools, students in the Bay State's 41 voc-tech schools spend half their time on aca demic work and half learning a technical trade such as auto motive technology, carpentry, electronics, advanced manu facturing, or the culinary arts. Far from detracting from ac ademic performance, the hands-on component of voctech curricula actually comple ments and deepens student understanding of the liberal arts. In fact, students at voctech schools perform roughly on par with their peers from traditional high schools on state tests — even though they’re spending half as much time on academic instruction.
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restaurant employees deserve to be pro tected from the stresses of un predictable work schedules, last-minute shift changes, and being last on the list for job op portunities," said New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix. "This set tlement shows that the city is committed to enforcing this local law, which improves the quality of life for workers who play a vital role in the city's economic recovery."
Photo: Mayor Adams, Commissioner Mayuga and other officials. Photo courtesy: DCWP. Settlement represents largest Fair Workweek settlement nationwide and largest Worker Protection settlement in New York City history
$20 Million Secured for Approximately 13,000 Workers in Settlement with Chipotle Mexican Grill
Workers’ Rights www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 4
NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga on August 9 an nounced a settlement with Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. to deliver up to approximately $20 million in compensation to approximately 13,000 workers who experienced violations of their right to predictable schedules and paid sick leave under the Fair Workweek and Paid Safe and Sick Leave laws. Chipotle will also pay $1 mil lion in civil penalties. The agreement is the result of DCWP's multiyear investiga tion into complaints filed by 160 Chipotle employees and by 32BJ SEIU. DCWP's investi gation found major violations of laws that affected all Chipo tle employees in New York City. The settlement with Chipotle is the largest fair workweek settlement nation wide and the largest worker protection settlement in New York City "Restaurantshistory.and fast food outlets are a critical part of our economy and our daily life here in New York City, but they cannot exist without the hard-working people who are cooking and serving and deliv ering our food," said Mayor Adams. "Today's settlement with Chipotle is not only a vic tory for workers by securing up to $20 million in relief for approximately 13,000 workers, but also sends a strong mes sage, as the largest worker pro tection settlement in New York City history, that we won't stand by when workers' rights are violated. I thank 32BJ SEIU for helping uncover these vio lations and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protec tion for getting justice for these workers.""Ourcity's recovery depends on increasing access to eco nomic opportunity, and the Fair Workweek Law helps turn unpredictable schedules into stable jobs," said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. "This settlement agreement with Chipotle brings justice to workers whose hard work is key to our recovery. I want to thank the Department of Con sumer and Worker Protection for their robust enforcement of these laws." "Fast food workers have the right to predictable schedules and paid safe and sick leave," said DCWP Commissioner Mayuga. "Today, we are deliv ering up to $20 million to Chipotle workers to compen sate them for violations of these rights. To any fast food worker experiencing schedul ing instability, we are here to support"Hard-workingyou."
Family: The True Modern Relationship www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 5
In recognition of National Breastfeeding Month, NYC Health + Hospitals urged Big Apple parents to extend breastfeeding to two years or more, if mutually desired by parents and their babies. The updated guidance is in line with new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which says preliminary data reveal breast milk in a child’s second year of life is a significant source of macronutrients and immunologic factors. The AAP says studies have also shown that breastfeeding longer than 12 months can reduce mater nal type 2 diabetes, hyperten sion, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer rates. “Choosing to breastfeed is one of the most important health decisions a parent can make for their child. These up dated guidelines are consistent with those set forth by the American College of Obstetri cians and Gynecologists, the World Health Organization, and others,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Women’s Health Officer Wendy Wilcox, MD, MPH, MBA, FACOG. “I am proud that all of our birthing facilities have achieved Baby Friendly USA designation, which means they have achieved the gold stan dard for helping birthing par ents successfully breastfeed. Our wonderful mother-baby clinical teams address in equities in breastfeeding every day by supporting their initia tion and sustainability. NYC Health and Hospitals champi ons breastfeeding during Na tional Breastfeeding Month and throughout the entire year!”“As Past President of the American Academy of Pedi atrics and Director of Pedi atrics at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue for more than 45 years, I wholeheartedly support this recommendation for extending breastfeeding after the first year of the baby's life, if desired by both parents and babies. There is strong ev idence of its benefit both to the baby's health and maternal health,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Director of Pediatrics Benard P. Dreyer, MD, FAAP. “We all need to support parents who want to extend breastfeeding, both in their workplaces and in health care, to make sure that all par ents who want to extend breastfeeding have the re sources they need to do so. We also must work to address dis parities in breastfeeding rates throughout all the communi ties we serve as well as sup port gender-diverse families. On a personal level, my son and my son's daughter were both breastfed well into their toddler years and my personal experience is a testimony to the positive effects of longerterm“Breastfeedingbreastfeeding!”is the best way to feed a newborn and is a baby’s first vaccine,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Chairman of Pediatrics and New York State American Academy of Pediatrics Chair Warren Seigel, MD, MBA, FAAP, FSAHM. “Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continued until 2 years of age or beyond, if de sired by the mother and child, provides multiple health bene fits to both. Policies that en courage and support breastfeeding are essential to support all of our families.” The updated guidelines also call for more support for breastfeeding parents to help them meet these new recom mendations. The breastfeeding initiation rate for the non-His panic White and Hispanic pop ulations are much higher than for the non-Hispanic Black or African American population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven tion (C.D.C). Similar disparities are also seen among mothers with low-income, younger women, and those with a high school education or less. The AAP is urging the health care community to address implicit bias, structural bias, and struc tural racism to eliminate these disparities in breastfeeding and improve the health and well-being of all children and families.p
Parents Urged to Breastfeed Longer
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Workers’ Matters www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 6
City Workers’ Benefits/ continued from page 1 quences from the delay, since the Joint Health Insurance Pre mium Stabilization Fund, as the cache is known, is separate from the city budget. Its rev enue comes from contributions from the city and Em blemHealth, the largest insurer of city employees. The size of their contributions varies year to year, depending on pre mium costs and on negotia tions between the city and the unions.The city and the unions jointly decide how to spend the fund’s balance. It’s gener ally used to pay union mem bers’ insurance premiums, and to provide dental and vision coverage and prescription drug plans. But it has also been used for non-health related purposes, like a $1 billion ex penditure in 2014 to pay for wageAlready,increases.that fund has been facing financial challenges. In each of the past three years, due to increasing benefit costs and decreasing contributions from EmblemHealth, the stabi lization fund has spent over $250 million more than it took in. That trend puts it at risk of running dry within the next three to four years, according to the nonpartisan Independ ent Budget Office. In mid-2021, the fund’s balance stood at about $1 billion, down from $1.8 billion in 2016. The city and the unions hoped that the $600 million in annual savings from the switch to Medicare Advantage would provide an alternate revenue stream that would enable the fund to continue to provide premium-free health insurance and supplemental benefits. Now, both could be at risk. “Not having the savings def initely creates a fiscal challenge that the city and unions will need to address these next few years,” said Ana Champeny, vice president for research at the nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission.Unionleaders also expressed consternation at the potential effects of the lost savings. If the fund does run dry, “the most likely situation would be that the unions would have to cut some benefits,” for current workers such as supplemental vision and dental care, said Robert Croghan, chair of the executive board of the Organi zation of Staff Analysts, a union representing city office workers across numerous agencies.“Thisis a hanging-over-ourheads problem of the largest sort, and I know it can’t go on forever,” Croghan added.
Harry Nespoli, chairperson of the Municipal Labor Com mittee, a coalition of city unions that negotiated the Medicare Advantage deal, said that he is “concerned” about the loss of savings to the stabi lization fund since the deal fell through, but declined to say whether he thinks the benefits it provides are at risk. “That remains to be seen. I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said. Raises Uncertain Many retirees have opposed the switch for months, warning that moving to a Medicare Ad vantage plan could lead to higher costs, smaller networks and more barriers to care. “The unions are in this situa tion because they tried to effec tuate a saving on the backs of people who’d already earned those benefits,” said Marianne Pizzitola, president of the New York City Organization of Pub lic Service Retirees, the group that sued to stop the switch. “The unions shouldn’t be taking this out on current re tirees. Their changes should be effectuated on active employ ees or future retirees,” Pizzi tola added. If the unions can’t get the savings from the Medicare Ad vantage switch, they could ask the city to make up the stabi lization fund’s losses. In upcoming rounds of labor negotiations, the city’s unions are already expected to push for bigger raises than the less than 2% annual raises bud geted by Adams. If there’s no replacement for the Medicare Advantage deal, the unions could ask the city to kick in extra money to the fund as well.“There could be implications in negotiating their labor con tracts, because if they want to continue to offer premium-free services, they’re going to have to find savings in a different way,” said Elizabeth Brown, a spokesperson for the Inde pendent Budget Office. But with tax collections slumping, unions may not be able to convince Adams to cough up more cash, espe City employee union members at a March 10 rally.DC 37/Instagram
The cancellation of a proposed cost-saving health plan after retired city workers sued could drain a special fund City Hall and unions use to pay employee benefits.
Workers’ Matters www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 7
#SpeedCamerasSaveLivesnyc.gov/dot
City Workers’ Benefits/ continued from page 6 cially since the city is already on the hook for billions of dol lars in unexpected contribu tions to its pension funds due to a weak stock market. A spokesperson for Adams declined to comment on whether the city would con sider making additional contri butions to the stabilization fund. A Replacement Deal? Both the Adams administra tion and Municipal Labor Committee leadership have said they intend to continue to pursue the Medicare Advan tage switch by partnering with a different insurer. A new deal to switch retirees’ health care coverage could allow the fund to access the planned savings before it’s truly threatened withThebankruptcy.citydoesn’t have to re peat the bidding process in order to award a new contract, according to a spokesperson for city Comptroller Brad Lan der. Instead, it can simply offer the contract to health insur ance giant Aetna, which was the next-highest ranked bidder in the original set of offers. Adams spokesperson Jonah Allon confirmed that the Adams administration is in discussion with Aetna about a potential Medicare Advantage plan, and Aetna spokesperson Rosemarie Miller said that the company is “interested and in active discussions regarding thisNespoliopportunity.”saidthat the Munic ipal Labor Committee is poten tially supportive of the contract being offered to Aetna. “They’re one of the companies that are looking to do it, and we have to just find out,” he said. But even if Aetna or another vendor is awarded a contract to provide a Medicare Advan tage plan to city retirees, it may not save as much money as the city and unions initially hoped, since many retirees have opted out of the Medicare Advantage plan.
• NYC’s expanded speed camera law took effect on August 1, 2022.
• The law allows NYC to issue speed camera violations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
The more retirees opt out, the less money the city saves, in part because the move to Medicare Advantage transfers much of the cost of retirees’ care from the city to the federal government.Over65,000 retirees had opted out of the Medicare Ad vantage plan as of April, ac cording to data from the city Office of Labor Relations ob tained by New York Focus through a public records re quest. That’s more than one in five of the city’s 250,000 retired employees.Underthe city’s initial plan, retirees who opted out of Medicare Advantage would have been required to pay $191 a month to maintain their cur rent coverage, which for most retirees is a plan known as Sen ior Care. That meant that even if retirees opted out of Medicare Advantage, the city would have still saved money by forcing retirees to pay for coverage that they previously got for free. But in March, state Supreme Court Judge Lyle Frank issued a ruling barring the city from charging retirees who choose to stay enrolled in Senior Care. Without this incentive to switch, it’s likely that even more retirees will choose to opt out of Medicare Advantage, further driving down the amount that the city will save. “To the extent that they are required to continue offering Senior Care at no cost, the sav ings won’t fully materialize,” Champeny said. The Adams administration is currently appealing Frank’s ruling and requesting to be al lowed to start charging retirees for Senior Care, with argu ments in the case slated for nextThemonth.unions are hoping that the city wins its appeal, allow ing them to proceed with a Medicare Advantage plan and start charging retirees to main tain their current coverage, be fore the stabilization fund’s cash runs out, Nespoli said. “We’re still waiting for the court case to come down in September. So everything is re ally still up in the air right now,” Nespoli said.p This story was published by on August 10, 2022 by THE CITY.
Promoting Workers Right in NYC Essential workers who played a crucial role during the COVID 19 pandemic should be recognized for their role dur ing the pandemic, which is a boost for workers' rights in New York City. The majority were from the black and brown immigrant communities, coming from around the world, especially the Caribbean, Latin America, and African countries, and have made a home in the city and contributing to society. The workers deserve to be rec ognized and compensated ad equately for their service. According to Rivera, "So the first thing was during the pan demic, they put their lives and families at risk. And so, we had to ensure they received all the personal protective equipment they needed. In terms of pay ment, we are underpaying our essential workers. We have to look at this from now on," she said.She promises to ensure they [the undocumented] get paid what they truly deserve and be allowed to be integrated into society. "After all, they con tribute to the community by paying taxes and deserve to become integrated into society through a pathway to citizen ship. "And while I've been in the city council serving, we put forward a piece of legislation allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. And I thought that was another thing we should do because we have these hardworking immigrants who contribute to our city; they deserve to have a voice at all levels of government."
NYC Politics www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 8
Representing Migrants on Im migration Concerns at Local and Federal Levels In reaction to Governor Abbott of Texas's action of busing mi grants to New York, Rivera considers it cruel. She con demned the act of exploiting migrant families and using them to score political goals. Despite the situation, she shared several actions they have undertaken at both fed eral and local levels in support ing migrant families. "At the local level here in New York City, we've had to fund the needy with programs and services. Whether that's legal services, even for unaccompa nied minors in federal court, looking at the pathway to find ing affordable housing or mak ing sure their children get an education."Shestrongly believes in pro moting every family's right to healthcare, housing, food, and education. While applauding New York City's Mayor's deci sion for federal support, she lamented the lost opportunity of using the situation to push for robust immigration reform. "And in Congress, what we must do, with the current leg islation, is to put people on a pathway to citizenship, legal ization, have comprehensive immigration reform. And that is something I intend to sup port and to bring federal re sources back to our city."
According to her, most peo ple come to New York City an ticipating a better life. They aspire to live in a city that will allow them to cater to and build a new life for themselves and their family members. "And it's becoming more diffi cult to attain. It has to do with affordable housing and home ownership opportunities." These are some of the issues she intends to fight for District 10 community members, in cluding issues of transporta tion, climate change, and reproductive freedom. "So, I want to ensure that people know that NY District 10 is uniquely at the center of these national issues. There is a lot of public housing in this district, and people are always looking to New York to see what we deem worth saving," she ex plained.
The council member strongly believes in having communitybased, federally funded, capa ble health care systems to resolve the problem. "Our health facilities, the ones that are very local, communitybased, understand they have to be culturally humble and sensitive," she says. However, she also noted that 'language' is an essential factor affecting accessibility and the rising cost of health care. "Our biggest challenge is how much health care costs in this coun try. It can be very prohibitive, and it can stop people from going to see the doctor in the city."For the latter, the NYC Care program, which allows people, regardless of their ability to pay or their immigration sta tus, must be expanded and free. "Health care should be free. That's a basic human right," she says. Housing & Affordability in New York City Rivera shared that she grew up in Section 8 and both of her parents grew up in public housing, and some of her fam ily still lives there. The history and experiences are some of the driving forces behind her mission as a public servant, "Running for Congress is not easy for someone from very humble beginnings. I grew up on a low income, so housing is fundamental to me." Cur rently, Rivera represents the third highest concentration of public housing families. She believes there will be more de velopments and more families in N.Y.10 who will need repre sentation — good, strong rep resentation. Her story is that of her mom growing up in Far ragut Houses and her dad growing up in Seward Park Extension.Shefirmly believes that the government should expand Section 8 and prioritize public housing needs. "We have hun dreds of people that live in public housing, and they de serve to live in better condi tions in apartments that are not a hazard to their health. In Dis trict 10, some 18,000 families live in public housing, many of which live in the flood zone. So, we must also ensure we are taking preventative measures against the next Hurricane Sandy." Standing Out and Making a Difference Early in life, Rivera recalls growing up in Section 8 and working as a housing organ izer, acting as an advocate in the communities, and serving on the community board be fore becoming elected. Rivera is confident that such creden tials make her a unique and right candidate to represent the district. "I started in the community, ensuring people had the support they needed to stay in their homes. I was there when they faced eviction from predatory landlords or re quired repairs in public hous ing. I served on my community board, talking about local issues. Then I be came an elected official, where I feel I've been very effective. " Furthermore, she touts her deep knowledge of the issues and concerns assail District 10, including immigration and housing. She believes the com munity requires someone who understands the issues and will fight for its development. "And so, what sets me apart is that no one knows this district better than I do. And there's no one else right now running who has the same support that I have," says Rivera. The support and endorse ments from various elected of ficials at the congressional level, district leaders, and al most all the city council mem bers, unions and community leaders, clubs, and organiza tions also build her confidence in her candidacy. "I'm very proud of the coalition that I've created. I don't think you'll find that anywhere. They know that I'm direct, clear, de cisive, and reliable. And I want people in NYC to see that they have someone who will be working very hard to make them proud."
■ Email us your thoughts to: PublicTestimony@redistricting.nyc.gov
Preventative Health Care & Equity for All Recalling how the pandemic prevented many people from seeing their primary care prac titioners and its impact on the much-needed preventative care forced patients to seek care in the emergency room.
p Take part in NYC’s redistricting process. We’re gathering input from all 5 boroughs on the new city council lines that will impact your neighborhood for the next decade. How to participate: ■ Attend a public hearing in person or virtually: 8/16 5:30 – 9 pm Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria 8/17 5:30 – 9 pm Lehman College, The Bronx 8/18 5:30 – 9 pm Staten Island Borough Hall 8/21 3:30 – 7 pm Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn 8/22 5:30 – 9 pm Schomberg Center, Harlem Visit nyc.gov/districting for interactive maps and more information
■ Call the Commission: 212.676.3090 CM Rivera. Photo courtesy Carlina Rivera Campaign
Carlina Rivera/ continued from page 1 Side and parts of Brooklyn but now consists of all of lower Manhattan and a large section of Brooklyn. People, Power & Politics Radio Show chatted with Carlina Rivera, a candidate in the crowded field. As a New Yorker and Coun cilmember, Carlina Rivera feels the frustration of fellow Americans over the perceived lack of action from the federal government and considers running for office as her way of finding a solution. As an accomplished legisla tor, Rivera feels she has the ex perience and evidence to function effectively in the new congressional seat. "I have been very collaborative and ef fective in my career in public service and service to my com munity. I've passed 27 pieces of legislation in the City Coun cil. I've brought resources into our city, and I think there are very few voices in Congress who want to set the urban agenda. And I know this city and this district, I would say, better than anyone else run ning out there. And I'm proud of the coalition building of supporters I've done." Addressing the Urban Agenda Affordable housing and home ownership are key concerns the councilmember view as crucial for many New Yorkers and require attention. "One of the issues that people talk to me about is how, I guess, unaf fordable the city is becoming. Affordability is the biggest issue we discuss with people on the street."
The Person Using the Loan May Be Using You As Well
Money Matters www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 9 GET YOUR BANKRUPTCY CONSULTATIONDocumentsRequired: *List of debts *Your most recent tax returns *Correspondence from creditors *Lawsuit documents *Social Security and ID *List of assets Save Your: *Home *Health *Business *Peace of Mind/Health *Car *Marriage/Relationship Filing a Chapter 7, 11 or 13 bankruptcy may be your only choice!!! Get the legal help you need NOW! Call 718-222-3155! Creditors’ Harassments! Lawsuits! Foreclosures! The Law Offices of Figeroux & Associates, 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Brooklyn, NY. Visit www.311bankruptcy.com Call 718-222-3155 for a consultation today! What You Should Know About Co-Signing for a Loan There may come a time when someone may ask you to co-sign for a loan. While it is never a bad thing to help a friend or relative get a loan for a car, school or to get an apartment, you have to con sider what you are going to be responsible for if you do de cide to do this. When you cosign for a loan, you are essentially agreeing to pay the loan if the first signer does not. When Should You Co-Sign? The only time that you should co-sign a loan is if you know that you could fully pay the bill if asked to do so. Keep in mind that the creditors will come after you if the person who took out the loan does not make the payments. It will ap pear on your credit report as if the debt was in your name. Promising to potentially pay a loan could therefore compli cate your credit situation as well as your ability to get loans in the future. Make certain that you are not going to be on the hook for a $50,000 student loan because their kid wasn’t able to get a job after graduating fromNevercollege.co-sign a loan just be cause you feel obligated to help out a family member or a close friend. Everyone has to evaluate their own financial situation before taking out a loan. If your friend or parent is not able to afford a loan with out your help, it is probably better that the loan is not taken out in the first place. You May Not Have Recourse through Bankruptcy Court Some loans cannot be dis charged through bankruptcy. Even if your loans are able to be discharged through bank ruptcy, the best that you can hope for usually is Chapter 13 bankruptcy. This means that you will be paying creditors for up to five years or more after the filing is approved. If you co-sign for a student loan, you are not going to be able to have that discharged through the bankruptcy process. The bankruptcy laws were changed to ensure that you pay back loans that are guaranteed by the govern ment. This is why you should never co-sign for a student loan beyond an amount that you are comfortable with.
Always check the credit of anyone who is asking you to co-sign on a loan. If you know that your friend is a deadbeat, you should certainly not cosign on a loan. If you are dat ing someone, you should never co-sign for a loan under anyThiscircumstances.isbecause the person who is asking for your help may have no plans to pay back the loan. Instead, you will be the one making payments on a car that you will never drive or an education that you will never receive. Your girlfriend may suddenly leave you with out a trace as soon as you put your name on the dotted line. Always be wary when you are co-signing a loan. Unless you know that you can pay the bill, it is always a good idea to help someone find alternate ways to finance their next purchase. You don’t want to be stuck with a large bill, a poor credit score and no recourse to get out from under your bad judgement. Whenever some one asks you to help them se cure financing, you have every right to say no if you don’t want to help out. p BY CHRIS TOBIAS
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“I am proud to stand along side President Biden as he signs into law the CHIPS Act, legislation that will ensure crit ical investment in semiconduc tor manufacturing across the country and improve the lives of our country’s essential man ufacturing workers,” said IUECWA President Carl Kennebrew. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden Administration to en sure there are labor protections tied to these federal dollars that will help create good, fam ily-sustaining jobs.” p of Interns and Residents Wins Inclusion in NYS Healthcare Bonus Program Labor Day Parade Returns to Fifth Avenue!
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Today [August 12], the Senate passed legisla tion that will transform the lives of working families at every level. We urge the House of Representatives to pass this bill swiftly and send it to President Biden’s desk. This bill will reshape the fu ture and deliver real help to working families by reducing rising energy and health care costs. Enacting clean energy tax incentives with labor stan dards and domestic content re quirements will create good-paying jobs in construc tion and manufacturing right here in America. And this leg islation will address long over due changes to our tax system that will finally make the most profitable corporations pay their fair share. The Inflation Reduction Act will reduce climate pollution by 40%, keeping President Biden’s promise to make the United States a global leader in the fight against climate change. These incentives will spur the economic transfor mation we need to address the climate crisis, make clean energy more accessible and affordable and direct invest ments to underserved communities.
The effects of this legislation will improve the lives of millions of Americans struggling to afford health care, seniors trying to pay for their prescriptions and future generations who will be able to see the impacts of drasti cally reduced carbon emissions. While this bill represents an incredible step forward, we know the fight for climate and economic justice is not over. The AFL-CIO’s 12.5 million members are united in support for this legislation, and we urge Congress to move quickly to get this passed and signed into law. p ing our country’s manufactur ing sector and fortifying Amer ican supply chains. For too long, the U.S. failed to ambi tiously invest in critical chip manufacturing, leaving global trade at the mercy of China’s unfair trade practices. As the only union representing Amer ican semiconductor manufac turing and final assembly workers, we understand the need for more investment in U.S. manufacturing and widescale competition,” said CWA President Chris Shelton. “This legislation is a significant step towards getting U.S. manufac turing back on the map, while creating sustainable, competi tive jobs in the process.”
The New York City Labor Day Parade and March is returning to Fifth Avenue for the first time since 2019! Tens of thousands of workers representing more than 200 unions and con stituency groups will come to gether in a powerful show of labor solidarity on the 140th Anniversary of the first Labor Day parade in the United States, when more than 10,000 workers marched from New York City Hall to Union Square in 1882. This year, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFLCIO is honored to be led by Parade Grand Marshal U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Parade Chairs AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer
Committee
In the News www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 10
Photo: CWAAFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
NYC
CWA President Chris Shelton and IUE-CWA President Carl Kennebrew joined President Biden at the White House as he signed the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act into law. The CHIPS Act promotes do mestic production of semiconductors and creates good jobs in the United States. IUE-CWA represents workers at onsemi, a semiconductor manufac turer in Mountain Top, Penn., which is currently the only union-repre sented final assembly semiconductor manufacturing workforce in the United States. Jane Stein, president of IUE-CWA Local 88177 in Mountain Top, also joined President Shelton and Kennebrew at the White House for the bill“Thesigning.signing of the CHIPS Act into law marks a historic win for American workers and will be critical to rebuild
AFL-CIO Applauds Senate Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act
Fred Redmond and NYS Department of Labor Commis sioner Roberta Reardon, along with our Executive Coun cil.The Parade will kick off at 10am at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, marching uptown to the NYC CLC Review ing Stand at 64th Street. The theme of this year’s parade is Workers Leading, Workers Rising, reflecting the enormous surge in labor activism and organizing that is taking place across the nation and across all sectors of the workforce, leading to historic worker victories and an increase in worker power. Please join us for a fantastic day of solidarity and fun!
CWA President Chris Shelton, IUE-CWA President Carl Kennebrew, and Jane Stein, president of IUECWA Local 88177 at the White House
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CWA Leaders Join President Biden as the CHIPS Act is Signed into Law CouncilLaborCentralNYCcourtesyPhoto
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU) had a huge victory this week, securing their inclusion in the New York State Health Care Worker Bonus Program. Initially, Gov ernor Hochul's planned COVID bonus for healthcare workers left out resident physicians and fellows, but CIR/SEIU members, who are on the COVID frontlines day in and day out, lobbied, spoke out, shared their stories, and otherwise took action to win the bonuses that belong to all healthcare workers.
There’s no excuse for the com pany to have a two-tier system of workers, to force drivers to work excessive overtime, and to fail to protect workers from extreme heat. UPS must be held accountable to its workers at the bargaining table.”
UPS contract campaign kickoff-rally on August 2. Photo courtesy: teamsters.nyc
Take Workers!FerrySupportAction:SI
For more than 10 years, Staten Island Ferry workers have been fight ing for a new contract with the New York City Department of Transportation. This means that their wages and benefits have not changed since the last contract expired in 2010. This is Stagnantunacceptable.wages and benefits have created high turnover. With fewer workers available to operate the ferries, there has been decreased and unreliable ferry service for the 20 million passengers who use the ferry eachCityyear.officials have used the pandemic as a scapegoat and blamed workers for the service issues instead of taking re sponsibility for their own mis management. Last week, city officials escalated from blam ing the pandemic to accusing workers of an illegal work ac tion that they called a "sick out".Ferry workers are exhausted from working 12 hour shifts for 6 to 7 days in a row. They are working overtime to com pensate for management's in action. While ferry management has failed New Yorkers, workers have not. Staten Island Ferry workers have been on the frontlines during the pandemic and they deserve a new contract. They have waited more than 10 years. They should not have to wait one day longer. We're asking NYC Mayor Adams and his administration to provide a good contract for these workers right now. A new contract is the only way the City will be able to retain Staten Island Ferry workers and hire new ones to ensure the future of the Staten Island Ferry.p Teamster members at UPS in New York City rallied at the company’s Maspeth, Queens warehouse today to demand raises and job protections. The event organ ized by Teamsters Local 804 coincides with many similar events across the country as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — which repre sents 350,000 full- and parttime UPS workers — launched the UPS Teamsters contract campaign, a one-year effort to inform and mobilize members to win the strongest possible contract at UPS. The campaign launch comes one year before the UPS Na tional Master Agreement — the largest collective bargain ing agreement in the U.S. — is set to expire on July 31, 2023. UPS Teamsters are united in the fight to end excessive over time, eliminate the two-tier wage 22.4 job classification, in crease part-time pay and the number of full-time jobs, im prove job security for feeders and package drivers, address safety and health concerns around heat illness, and pro vide stronger protection against company harassment. The kick-off of this historic contract fight also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the successful 1997 UPS Team sters strike, when 185,000 members struck the company. Beginning this week, and in the weeks and months to come, Teamster representa tives and stewards at hun dreds of UPS facilities across the country will be conducting site visits and delivering infor mational resources to UPS Teamsters.“UPSTeamsters are united and ready to mobilize in the fight for the best contract ever negotiated at UPS,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President. “UPS would not have its billion-dollar profits without hardworking Team sters. Our message to UPS is that it’s time our contract re flects the essential work of our members. The Teamsters are resolved to win a strong con tract by August 1, 2023, and we won’t extend negotiations by a single day. We’ll either have a signed agreement that day or be hitting the pavement.” UPS Teamsters delivered an unprecedented volume of packages during the pandemic for businesses to run smoothly and families to safely shelter at home, and still continue to work around the clock in 10-12 hour shifts and under punish ing conditions like extreme heat. Workers’ dedication to the company drove UPS’s net profits to $11.2 billion in the last two years alone, yet the av erage UPS worker is paid 600 times less than UPS CEO Carol Tome.“The essential workers of UPS are ready to fight for the pay and working conditions that we deserve,” said Vinnie Perrone, President of New York’s Teamsters Local 804, In ternational Union Trustee, and Eastern Region Package Direc tor. “UPS is making record profits on our backs, but in stead of putting that money into more full-time jobs and safety improvements, they are investing in worker surveil lance and stock buybacks. We are united — drivers and in side workers, full-time and part-time — and we are going to win good jobs for the work ing class in this country.” “We are going to spend the next year educating each other and building unity, because we need a new contract that holds UPS accountable,” said Domenick DeDomenico, a driver and Teamsters shop steward at UPS. “There is strength in numbers. We are the workers that make UPS its billions and the managers can’t run it without us.” “I want all the 22.4 guys out here because this is the change that we need,” said Elijah Buckram, a 22.4 driver at UPS. “UPS treats us like discount drivers. We need to show up and take part, because we de serveTeamstersmore.”
representatives and stewards in Massachu setts, California, Michigan, New York, and at hundreds of other UPS facilities across the country will help kick off the campaign this week and con tinue to engage for the next 365 days to ensure members are informed and united. “I was proud to stand in sol idarity with the UPS drivers of Teamsters Local 804 who ral lied this morning in New York City,” said Congressman Ja maal Bowman Ed.D (NY-16). “The work that UPS drivers do is essential to the functioning and well-being of our society. UPS made $10 billion in aftertax profits last year and needs to do right by their workers.
UPS Teamsters Rally in NYC to Kick Off Contract Fight
Union In Action www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 11
“I stand in solidarity with workers at Teamsters Local 804 and across the country as they fight this UPS contract campaign,” said Assembly member Zohran K. Mamdani. “As UPS rakes in record prof its on the backs of workers, the least they can do is to ensure safety, dignity, and fair pay. I applaud the strength and courage of Local 804 members to stand together despite the company’s efforts to keep workers divided.”p
For example, EW Howell Con struction Group in New York participated in Safe + Sound Week last summer by con ducting stand-downs dis cussing fall protection, silica dust awareness and COVID19. The Regional Hispanic Contractors Association in Dallas – a Susan Harwood grant recipient – also held a virtual and in-person fall pro tection event offered in Eng lish and Spanish as part of the annual observance and high lighted the impact of its suc cesses.Organizations of all sizes in any industry looking for an opportunity to show their commitment to keeping the workplace safe for workers, customers and their commu nity should join us! p Doug Parker is the Assistant Secretary of the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Every year, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job, about 14 per day, and more than 3.6 million suffer a serious job-re lated injury or illness. Many workers face unnecessary workplace hazards because their employer didn’t imple ment a safety and health man agement system. These injuries or illnesses don’t just hurt workers and their fami lies, they can hurt business op erations as well. That’s why we are collabo rating with businesses and or ganizations nationwide for our annual Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 15-21, to recog nize the value of workplace safety and health programs and share ideas on how to keep our nation’s workers safe.Safe + Sound Week is a yearround effort where employers integrate and improve their safety and health manage ment systems. The week pro vides an opportunity to highlight these efforts and en gage with more businesses that want to improve worker safety and health and discuss the importance of identifying and managing workplace haz ards before they cause injury or illness to improve sustain ability. These programs help organizations: •Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.
Safe Workplaces are Sound Businesses
•Enhance social responsibility. Increase productivity and boost overall business opera tions.Through this campaign, our goal is for workplaces to de velop best practices to identify and fix hazards and apply worker involvement systems and implement a safety and health system, so that workers go home unharmed to their families at the end of the day. Last year, we had over 5,300 participants. Businesses from all 50 states, five territories and 75 countries participated.
BY DOUG PARKER DEPT OF LABOUR
Workers’ Safety www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 12
•Reduce costs, including workers’ compensation pre miums, time away from work, expenses for hiring and train ing replacement workers, and loss or damage to material, machinery, and property.
DACA & Dreamers/ continued from page 1 an opportunity to reflect on the success and importance of this life-changing program. It’s also a moment of mounting frustra tion, given the tenuous future facing Dreamers due to Re publicans’ continued legal challenges to DACA and the GOP’s legislative obstruction to a permanent solution. Texas Republicans are lead ing the charge against DACA and Dreamers. Because of this, the full slate of Texas GOP elected officials and candidates on the ballot should define their position toward DACA and a legislative solution for Dreamers. Vague statements of support are insufficient when the Texas GOP is leading the charge to make Dreamers with DACA deportable. How Texas Republicans are leading charge against DACA and permanent fix for Dream ers As a reminder, the State of Texas is leading the latest legal challenge against DACA, re cently heard in front of a con servative panel on the Fifth continued on page 13
•Improve compliance with laws and regulations.
•Engage workers.
Old & New Immigrants: Their Rights www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 13 DACA & Dreamers/ continued from page 12 Circuit.Meanwhile, the Texas Repub lican Party platform makes clear its hostility to Dreamers, calling for Texas to strip instate tuition eligibility for Dreamers who graduated from Texas high schools and the platform declares the Republi can Party’s blanket opposition to “any form of amnesty … in cluding the granting of legal status to persons in the coun tryInillegally.”Congress, Texas lawmak ers are among the leading ob stacles to a long overdue legislative fix for Dreamers, with Senator John Cornyn up to his usual “Cornyn Con” tricks and trotting out the ageold “border security first” ex cuse to try and justify inaction on legislation that would pro vide a path to citizenship for Dreamers.AndtheGOP members of the Texas delegation are in over drive trying to fearmonger about the border, including the continued conflation of recordhigh apprehensions and bor der encounters with an “open border” and support for Trump era policies like Title 42 that make border enforcement more difficult, as well as ad vancing white nationalist con spiracy rhetoric about an “invasion.” The Texas Repub lican Party issued a “declara tion” of an “invasion” and is aggressively raising money on it. This despite the reality that Texas voters overwhelmingly support DACA and Dreamers.
Overall, Texas likely voters support legal status for Dreamers 61-27%, with a plu rality of 31% saying they “strongly support.” This support extends across party lines, with Democrats backing 80-11%, Independents 59-27%, and Republicans 48%40.
Texas GOP candidates and elected officials, especially those representing districts with lots of DACA recipients, should detail where they stand. The America’s Voice bilingual campaign, “Show Me Your Friends,” includes a focus on four Texas House Re publican candidates in districts that run along parts of the U.S./Mexico border: Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Rep. Mayra Flores (TX-34), Cassy Garcia (TX-28) and Rep. Tony Gonzalez (TX-23). Each of these candidates should detail their views on DACA and Dreamers. For example: Rep. Mayra Flores has stayed vague, telling Newsweek: “I support Dreamers, I support immigration reform, but it must include border security.” She should detail if she would hold out against legislative progress for Dreamers until unrelated border measures were attached, knowing that the “secure the border first” claim is an excuse for perpet ualMeanwhile,inaction. Rep. Tony Gon zalez (R-TX) voted against the “Dream and Promise Act,” which would provide citizen ship for Relatedly,Dreamers.withHouse GOP Minority Leader Kevin Mc Carthy pledging no amnesty under a potential Republican Congress, any vague support for Dreamers rhetorically should be followed up with questions about their views to ward McCarthy’s. If elected, one of the first acts of these Re publican House Members would be to vote for or against McCarthy as GOP Leader or potentially, as Speaker of the House.According to Mario Carrillo, Texas-based Campaigns Direc tor for America’s Voice: “The Texas GOP not only doesn’t care about the fate of young immigrants and their families’ countless contribu tions to our state, they’d rather drive us out of Texas. I know this from first hand experience. My family is one of thousands that are mixed-status in Texas, who have relied on DACA throughout the last decade, with my wife being a longtime DACA recipient. We’ve mar ried, purchased a home, started a family all while DACA has remained a con stant, albeit an uncertain as pect in our life. We’re far from alone. Just think how much the lives of DACA recipients have changed in a decade. People have grown up under a shadow of uncertainty, in a frail sense of security that can change at any time. We need certainty, but our state’s lead ers are unfortunately leading the charge against Dreamers. How can any Texas Republi can candidates defend the antiimmigrant nativism and governing philosophy of the Republican Party and its hos tility toward families like mine? DACA and the stories of its recipients demolishes the lies that Republicans use to jus tify their hostility to immi grants and every single Texas candidate should detail where they stand on these important questions.”p
Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
A new poll from the Dallas Morning News/UT Tyler shows that while public senti ment on border security ques tions is largely divided along partisan lines, protections for Dreamers is broadly popular among Texas voters. The poll asked, “Do you support or op pose granting permanent legal status to immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally when they were children?”
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What Services Can a Paralegal Provide?
Have you ever wondered how a lawyer is able to show up to different court cases on the same day and still have all the documents they need? This is usually because they have a team of paralegals to whom they delegate this work. Indi viduals in this profession are very good at preparing legal documents. From briefs and contracts to agreements, para legals have the knowledge and experience to get these docu ments ready in a short amount of time. Providing Legal Information to a General Audience Paralegals can't offer legal ad vice to someone. However, they can provide legal infor mation to a general audience. There are many individuals around the country who are unaware of their legal rights in various situations. Employees, tenants, and other parties might be forced to endure cer tain conditions simply because they are unaware that the law is on their side. A paralegal can be brought in to provide some legal infor mation to such an audience so they are more aware of where the law stands when it comes to certain issues or how they can go about getting legal aid if they need it. Explaining Procedural Issues of Law
September 12, 2022
Many people who have never been to court before will be surprised at how certain things are handled. You could spend a day getting ready to argue your case only for pro ceedings to be postponed. One reason for this is court proce dures. There are many proce dures that courts are required to follow and paralegals can explain these to you. Representing Parties in Ad ministrative Law Hearings
An administrative agency can allow a paralegal to represent you at an administrative hear ing. However, if the case is ap pealed to a court, you'll have to find a lawyer to represent you. Rising Prestige As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is ris Monday,
The legal profession in cludes many individu als who are not actually lawyers. This, however, does n't mean that they cannot do any legal work. There are plenty of services that can be provided by a paralegal, and these services can make all the difference in your case. Paralegals can perform sub stantive legal work that has been delegated to them by a lawyer. They often have a mix of work experience, education, and professional training that qualifies them for this job. Below are some of the services that you can request from a paralegal. Preparation of Documents
BY THE CHAMBER COALITION ing. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corporate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal sec retaries to become respected legal team members. Ready to Take the Leap? A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; op tions vary, depending on the paralegal's practice area. Para legals in the public interest sec tor help poor and disadvantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes payment.p
to the Pew Research Center, about 17% of new marriages are interracial couples. All of that comes as cities nationwide saw a significant surge in racially motivated attacks dur ing the Covid 19 pandemic, rattling communities and con tributing to growing tensions. According to Justin Gest, as sociate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Govern ment, the rise in interracial marriages offers a counter to
Love, Health & Travel www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 15
BY JENNY MANRIQUE ETHNIC MEDIA SERVICES
Rise in Interracial Marriages a Counter Narrative to Hate and Division
She identifies as African American, Mexican, and Puerto Rican. He is Ko rean American but didn’t speak English until he was school age. They met and got married in Los Angeles and had four children who they are “raising intentionally” in a multicultural, multiracial, and multilingual home. At a time of increased polit ical polarization and racial ten sion, Sonia and Richard Kang’s story offers an alternative nar rative that is increasingly be coming the norm in the United States.“Imet Richard and we have children who are multiracial and I'm thinking: how are we going to make this better for them,” said Sonia, whose fa ther is African American and whose mother is Mexican. “Growing up I just always knew I didn't fit in very well,” she recalled of her upbringing in the 80s in Hawaii and LA, a time when blond hair, blue eyes, and big waves were the standard. “I was darker skinned and had tight curly hair. I had the surname Smith in a predominantly Latino area in school but spoke Spanish. So I always stuck out.” It was the same for Richard, Sonia’s husband. “I could tell there was something different about our family,” he says of his childhood growing up as a Korean speaker in a predomi nantly white neighborhood. The couple shared their ex perience during an August 5 media briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services looking at the rise in inter racial mar riages amid a backdrop of in creasing hate crimes and deepening political polariza tion.Data from the 2020 census shows that “mixed race” is the fastest growing category under racial identity, and according the increasing “separation, po larization and some of the vio lence that we're seeing in our country.”Gest,author of the 2022 book “Majority Minority,” which looks at societies where domi nant religious or racial groups lost their numerical advantage, says families like the Kangs are a “powerful way for people to overcome the divisive politics that take place in societies un dergoing a lot of demographic change.” That includes the US, where demographers predict that by 2045 non-Hispanic whites will no longer be the majority. “When people are intermar rying, it basically disarms the politics of polarization and di vision,” Gest notes. “These re lationships blur those boundaries. They don't allow politicians and others to use fear mongering to divide us.” Interracial marriages were prohibited in the US until the 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving vs. Virginia. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of interracial unions jumped threefold, according to census data.The most common unions are white and Asian, and white and Latino, with only 20% of all interracial couples being be tween two nonwhite partners. California is the leader when it comes to the number of inter racial marriages, with Hawaii a close second. continued on page 16
Sonia and Richard Kang. Photo courtesy: The Kangs
Simple Hacks to Avoid Travel Sickness this Summer
Love, Health & Travel www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 16
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Travelers are being ad vised on how to avoid travel sickness when they hit the roads this summer. Travel experts have re searched eight easy solutions to prevent people from experi encing travel sickness. Travel sickness is caused by consistent movements during traveling and is found to be most common among children and and pregnant women. One of the biggest fears for travelers is getting travel sick ness which could lead to a trip beingSimpleruined.tips such as sitting at the front of the car and rolling down the windows can make a big difference to anyone who develops symptoms of headaches and dizziness. Fol lowing this essential advice can make all the difference for passengers and allow them to get to their destination with a peace of mind. Here are eight helpful tips to prevent travel sickness: Roll down the windows Taking in the fresh air is vital when a passenger is experienc ing sickness. Breathing in the fresh air can ease nausea symptoms. When travelling by plane, turn on the air condi tioning to relax the sickness feeling. Stay hydrated Water is key to reducing the severity of a headache caused by travel sickness. Drink plenty and avoid the tempta tion of a glass of prosecco or fizzy drinks. Pack the gum Having chewing gum can relax your stomach, as the coolness can relax stomach muscles and takes your mind off the pain. Bring both pep permint and ginger flavored gum to help the sickness. Snack lightly Avoid heavy and greasy foods on the journey. Choose some lightly salted snacks such as seaweed bites or dry crackers which won’t disturb the stom ach pains. Play some good tunes Distraction is one of the best ways to help your mind forget about the burden of travel sick ness. Play your favorite songs on the radio at a low volume to focus your mind on something else other than feeling sick. Bring a sick bag A last resort option may be needed if you can’t do any thing to stop sickness. Having a sick bag on board can make you feel calmer, as you know there is another option avail able. Get in the front seat Whether it’s in a family carhire or a road-trip with friends, sitting at the front lets you focus on the road and mini mize the likelihood Stay off the screen As tempting as it can be, scroll ing on social media can worsen headaches by straining your eyes from looking at bright screens. It’s best to put the phone away until the end of journey.p BY HARRY ETURBONEWS.COMJOHNSON
And according to Allison Skinner Dorkenooh, assistant professor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences & Social Psy chology at the University of Georgia, there has been a “great increase” in media rep resentation of interracial cou ples, which correlates with data showing 94% of Ameri cans approving of such unions. But, Dorkenooh adds, there is still a lingering bias toward same race marriages in many families, including Richard’s. “I was going to marry Sonia no matter what,” he says, de scribing his parents’ initial re jection of his soon-to-be wife. It was only after his father fell ill, and then after his parents met their grandchildren, “that they really opened their hearts to us.”The couple decided early on to raise their children in a multi-lingual house. “We've called it ‘culture proofing our home,’ to safeguard their iden tity,” Sonia said. “We made sure that we brought in prod ucts, books, and movies, all that look like our family in an authentic way.”p Interracial Marriage continued from page
Love, Health & Travel www.workersworldtoday.com August 2022 17
Unvaccinated New Yorkers Urged to Get Vaccinated Now for Polio
The New York State De partment of Health (NYSDOH) and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) on August 12 updated New Yorkers on the detection of poliovirus (the virus that causes paralytic polio) in sewage, suggesting likely local circulation of the virus. Polio can lead to perma nent paralysis of the arms and legs and even death in some cases.“For every one case of para lytic polio identified, hundreds more may be undetected,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said. “The de tection of poliovirus in waste water samples in New York City is alarming, but not sur prising. Already, the State Health Department – working with local and federal partners – is responding urgently, con tinuing case investigation and aggressively assessing spread. The best way to keep adults and children polio-free is through safe and effective im munization – New Yorkers’ greatest protection against the worst outcomes of polio, in cluding permanent paralysis and even death.”
“The risk to New Yorkers is real but the defense is so sim ple – get vaccinated against polio,” said Health Commis sioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “With polio circulating in our communities there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you’re an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine. Polio is entirely preventable and its reappear ance should be a call to action for all of Theseus.”findings follow the identification of a case of para lytic polio among a Rockland County resident on July 21,and the detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples collected in May, June and July from neighboring New York City counties, Rockland and Or ange County – underscoring the urgency of every adult, in cluding pregnant New York ers, and children staying up to date with the polio immuniza tion schedule, particularly those in the greater New York metropolitan area. NYSDOH and NYCDOHMH will con tinue its active, ongoing waste water surveillance efforts in partnership with CDC and to ensure prevention measures, particularly immunization clinics, are in place as the best way to keep New Yorkers and children polio-free is to main tain high immunity across the population through safe and effectiveVaccineimmunization.coveragefor rou tinely recommended vaccines has fallen among children in New York City since 2019, put ting us at risk for outbreaks and devastating complications of vaccine preventable dis eases. Only 86.2% of NYC chil dren between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old have received 3 doses of the polio vaccine – nearly 14% remain not fully protected. Of particu lar concern are neighborhoods where coverage of children aged six-months to five-yearsold with three doses of polio vaccine is less than 70%, put ting these children at risk of contracting polio. Polio can lead to permanent paralysis of the arms and legs and can be fatal due to paraly sis in the muscles used to breathe or swallow. Most peo ple infected with the virus do not have any symptoms, though some will have flu-like symptoms, like sore throat, fever, tiredness, nausea and stomach pain. One in 25 people with infection with get viral meningitis and about one in 200 will become paralyzed. While there is no cure for polio, it is preventable through safe and effective immunization. A core component of CDC's NYSDOH for all school-aged children, most children are al ready vaccinated. According to CDC, inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV), which is the only polio immunization that has been given in the United States since 2000, protects 99% of chil dren who get all the recom mended doses. p
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THE CONVERSATION
What is This New Langya Virus? Do We Need to be Worried?
BY ALLEN
•It must be able to be isolated from people with the disease •The isolate from people with the disease must cause the dis ease if given to a healthy per son (or animal) •It must be able to be re-iso lated from the healthy person after they become ill. The authors acknowledge this new virus doesn’t yet meet these criteria, and the rele vance of these criteria in the modern era has been ques tioned.However, the authors say they didn’t find any other cause of the illness in 26 peo ple, there was evidence 14 peo ple’s immune systems had responded to the virus, and people who were more unwell had more virus. What can we learn from re lated viruses? This new virus appears to be a close cousin of two other viruses that are significant in humans: Nipah virus and Hendra virus. This family of viruses was the inspiration for the fictional MEV-1 virus in the film HendraContagion.viruswas first re ported in Queensland in 1994, when it caused the deaths of 14 horses and the trainer Vic Rail. Many outbreaks in horses have been reported in Queens land and northern New South Wales since, and are generally thought to be due to “spillover” infections from fly ing foxes.
Anew virus, Langya henipavirus, is sus pected to have caused infections in 35 people in China’s Shandong and Henan provinces over roughly a twoyear period to 2021. It’s related to Hendra and Nipah viruses, which cause disease in humans. However, there’s much we don’t know about the new virus – known as LayV for short – including whether it spreads from human to human. Here’s what we know so far. How sick are people getting? Researchers in China first de tected this new virus as part of routine surveillance in people with a fever who had reported recent contact with animals. Once the virus was identified, the researchers looked for the virus in other people. Symptoms reported ap peared to be mostly mild –fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, muscle aches, nausea and headache – although we don’t know how long the pa tients were unwell. A smaller proportion had potentially more serious com plications, including pneumo nia, and abnormalities in liver and kidney function. How ever, the severity of these ab normalities, the need for hospitalisation, and whether any cases were fatal were not reported. Where did this virus come from? The authors also investigated whether domestic or wild ani mals may have been the source of the virus. Although they found a small number of goats and dogs that may have been infected with the virus in the past, there was more direct evidence a significant propor tion of wild shrews were har bouring the virus. This suggests humans may have caught the virus from wild shrews. Does this virus actually cause this disease? The researchers used a modern technique known as metage nomic analysis to find this new virus. Researchers sequence all genetic material then discard the “known” sequences (for example, human DNA) to look for “unknown” sequences that might represent a new virus. This raises the question about how scientists can tell whether a particular virus causes the disease.Wehave traditionally used “Koch’s postulates” to deter mine whether a particular micro-organism causes dis ease: •It must be found in people with the disease and not in well people
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People could have caught the virus from wild shrews.
In total, seven human cases of Hendra virus have been re ported in Australia (mostly veterinarians working with sick horses), including four deaths.Nipah virus is more signifi cant globally, with outbreaks frequently reported in Bangladesh.Theseverity of infection can range from very mild to fatal encephalitis (inflammation of theThebrain).firstoutbreak in Malaysia and Singapore was reported in people who had close contact with pigs. However, it is thought more recent outbreaks have been due to food contam inated with the urine or saliva of infected Significantly,bats.Nipah virus ap pears to be transmitted from person to person, mostly among household contacts. What do we need to find out next? Little is known about this new virus, and the currently re ported cases are likely to be the tip of the iceberg. At this stage, there is no indi cation the virus can spread from human to human. Further work is required to determine how severe the in fection can be, how it spreads, and how widespread it might be in China and the region.p Allen Cheng is a Professor in In fectious Diseases Epidemiology, Monash University CHENG
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