11/18 News Roundup & Open Thread
Greetings birdies! A bit of news you won’t see in the NYT today.
Airport Workers Rally for “Healthy Terminals”
Give Thanks, give health care” – that’s the message airport workers will deliver to Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a rally today at noon at LaGuardia Airport.
In July, New York lawmakers passed the Healthy Terminals Act, a bill supporters say would provide some 25,000 terminal cleaners, baggage handlers, security officers and other service workers at New York airports access to quality, affordable health insurance. But the governor still hasn’t signed the bill.
And according to Rob Hill, vice president of SEIU local 32BJ, despite being urged to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many people will travel for the holidays.
“We know that travel is going to pick up at the same time the pandemic is picking up again,” Hill said. “And these workers are still being asked to work in close quarters inside without health care. And that’s got to get fixed.”
Opponents of the bill say it actually could eliminate jobs by raising costs for airlines already facing huge economic losses due to the pandemic.
But Hill pointed out the airlines got $50 billion in federal relief through the CARES Act and could get more in a second relief package. And without the Healthy Terminals Act, he said, many frontline airport workers won’t have access to health care.
“To the extent employers offer some health care, it’s usually something that has a copay or it’s out of reach for what these workers can afford, and so they generally don’t have it,” he said.
The bill would require airline subcontractors to pay a benefits supplement of $4.54-an-hour so workers can acquire quality health insurance.
Hill noted workers at other airports get similar benefits. And he contends that, if it is left up to employers, the problem of inadequate health care will not be addressed.
“The bottom line is, the only way they’re going to have decent health care is if it gets mandated,” he said. “And there are other cases – LAX airport and San Francisco airport – where they mandate this same kind of thing. So, it’s something that’s been done before that should be done here in New York City.”
Cheap-ass Cuomo. Just in time for the busiest air travel.
More news, tweets, videos, etc in the comments. See you there!
Fire away…
Good morning. Thanks for the early thread.
Who Wants to Break the News to Him?’ Trump Silent After GOP Drop Effort to Block Certification in Michigan
Rep Rashida Tliab was monitoring the situation closely, protesting on twitter. The R’s reversed their votes, and of course, crickets from the tweeter-in-chief.
Sounds good, Rep Tlaib.
I knew Rep. Tlaib would get on the warpath, and she did. We Progressives are slowly growing in number and clout in the U.S. House. 🙂
Where the vote really needs to be scrutinized is in Texas, and Florida, and South Carolina. And maybe Iowa, and Maine, and Kentucky, as well. In Kentucky alone, voter registrations don’t add up to the vote totals claimed. So, either the vast majority of registered Democrats (and the lesser number of independents) voted for McConnell, or something is wrong.
As long as we’re at it, and all.
music to my ears. lol. not that it’s happening. that people are noticing. ty
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2020/11/18/wayne-county-board-of-canvassers-monica-palmer-complaint/6339134002/
something good!
too good to come true.
Trump is right—-Big Pharma chose Joe. Trump seeks revenge as that is his signature move. I am doubtful he will succeed.
an upbeat talk
the organization
2020 SACNAS Featured Speaker: C. Brandon Ogbunu, PhD
F.D.A. authorizes the first at-home coronavirus test
The consumers who will buy it don’t likely have to work at minimum wage. The cost is one day’s pay for those who work in essential services and retail.
Not signing a bill the NY Legislature has passed, is a favorite tactic of Andrew Cuomo where he looks to stymie the Progressive will of the people.
After the Legislature votes bills out, they are supposed to go to the Governor for his signature. Many never get to his desk. They sit on Assembly Leader Carl Heastie’s desk gathering dust.
This ugly undemocratic move prevented the candidate for Queens District Attorney to take her seat. The specific bill extended a favorable ballot counting rule which if properly in place would have given the Progressive candidate the victory in her race. A Queens Machine candidate is the DA instead.
Cuomo has lost the battle for control of his State and how ugly it gets as he struggles to regain his control is anybody’s guess.
As big as NY is, there is no viable candidate with the power/name recognition to challenge this RW yahoo? Is the state Democratic Party as hopelessly corrupt as FL’s?
I’m unaware of any candidate willing to take Cuomo on. I supported Cynthia Nixon who did really well, but she was an unusually brave woman.
keep shoveling that dough…
+100! 🙁
Rev Warnock is channeling MLK, Jr.
160+ Organizations Urge President-Elect Biden to Withdraw Heidi Heitkamp from Consideration for USDA Secretary
Not the only place he’s made strong inquiries:
Lindsey Graham says he’s spoken with multiple battleground state officials about ballot counting
iirc, the SOS in AZ said not true. never talked with him. maybe he’s trying to act like it’s more innocent–see, i did it here and here…
That putz Graham has no authority to talk to any official on elections, i believe only Senate members on that specific committee can make inquires. Graham should be charged with tampering with elections
He should have been kicked out of office, but we’re talking SC here.
Either this ad and strategy is entirely insane or I am. beyond belief
How do you think Beijing Mitch got re-elected in a cakewalk? With the help of the DNC?
smdh
measly cowards and bullies, the lot of them. throw the peasants some crumbs to keep those votes coming. god forbid you should truly raise them up.
agree. and up the amount canceled to at least 30,000. That should help all students in distress by a significant amount.
https://www.wcax.com/2020/11/17/sanders-reflects-on-trump-transition-democratic-losses/
https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-end-corporate-welfare-firms-move-abroad-1547915?amp=1
Biden’s transition team in this area is more promising than others.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/business/biden-wall-street-transition-elizabeth-warren/
if this pans out, payback for breaking bernie’s knees. good. at least something good maybe comes out of this mess.
“If you’re a bank that has a scandal, then you need to be worried.” lol shouldn’t that be the very baseline? like taken for granted.
Doesn’t seem like much of a new day in America to me
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/nancy-pelosi-house-speaker-second-term-437119
i wish someone would have challenged her, even knowing they would lose. it would be good for the House in general and would be revealing as to who is honestly progressive.
Maybe they thought it wasn’t worth giving up their committee assignments.
oh, i didn’t know you had to give it up just to run. might want to change that. ty
At that age they belong down in the “Villages” figuring out their next T time or shuffle board time, not making decisions that will screw up the next generation. Instead of hanging on to have their bodies wheeled out of congress
The one group gaining power through the voters are the Progressives. Their numbers are growing every 2 years. Botoxed Nancy has 2 more years.