Posts tagged Zohran Mamdani
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders rally with nurses on ninth day of strike
January 21, 2026 // The democratic socialists, speaking to a boisterous crowd of nurses in front of Mount Sinai West on the Upper West Side, called on hospital executives to return to the negotiating table to resolve the contract impasse that prompted some 15,000 nurses to walk off the job last week.
Watson Commentary: Making the AFL-CIO great again: labor policy in 2026
January 20, 2026 // The biggest labor issue of all might be the changing composition of what remains of the union movement. Goodbye, manual-labor men; hello purple-haired they/them grad students.
Biggest nurses strike in NYC history enters 6th day as workers fear for patients
January 20, 2026 // New York’s largest nurses’ union has denied that the biggest nurses’ strike in the Big Apple’s history has turned deadly — after claims that an ICU patient had died as a result of the work stoppage. “NYSNA is not claiming that any deaths directly derived from the strike,” a spokesperson for the New York State Nurses Association confirmed in an email to The Post.
Major NYC hospital accuses nurses’ union of protecting drunk, stoned staffers as thousands go on strike
January 13, 2026 // “NYSNA leadership’s demand that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job is another example of putting their own self-interest before patient safety,” Montefiore said in a statement provided to The Post.
Nurses strike begins in New York City as thousands walk off jobs at major hospitals
January 12, 2026 // Montefiore Senior Vice President Joe Solmonese said, "NYSNA's leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job. We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last." A Mount Sinai spokesperson said, "Unfortunately, NYSNA decided to move forward with its strike while refusing to move on from its extreme economic demands, which we cannot agree to, but we are ready with 1,400 qualified and specialized nurses – and prepared to continue to provide safe patient care for as long as this strike lasts."
Labor troubles in Mamdani’s backyard
January 6, 2026 // A senior official on Abdelhamid’s campaign who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters said Teschner’s contract “was prepared for an independent contractor role,” but “she requested to be onboarded as a W-2 employee due to the temporary nature of campaign work and eligibility for unemployment benefits, which delayed finalizing the contract.” “The campaign explored that request but did not have the legal or payroll infrastructure to accommodate it,” the campaign official continued. “When informed that the role would need to remain a 1099 position, she indicated her fee would increase by $500.” “Given the misalignment between the structure she requested and the campaign’s capacity,” the official continued, “the arrangement was not a fit.”
Starbucks to pay $38.9 million settlement after it violated New York’s labor laws
December 2, 2025 // According to the settlement made public on Monday, Starbucks will pay $35.5 million to the 15,000 current and former employees who worked at the company's stores between July 2021 and July 2024. The settlement will give each of these workers $50 each week to resolve the alleged violations of the city's Fair Workweek ordinance. “With this landmark settlement, we’ll put tens of millions of dollars back into the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers and reinforce every New Yorker’s right to a reliable schedule, full hours, and basic dignity,” Adams said in a statement. Additionally, Starbucks will shell out $3.4 million in civil penalties and fees, and the settlement guarantees employees laid off during recent store closings will get a chance to get reinstated at other company locations, according to the announcement.
Unions Brace to Bargain With New Boss Zohran Mamdani
December 2, 2025 // At a party during SOMOS, the annual Puerto Rico getaway for New York’s political class, District Council 37 executive director Henry Garrido proudly introduced Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to a packed outdoor crowd at the Caribe Hilton of jubilant union officials, political insiders and government lobbyists. Just days after Mamdani’s election, the public display of support from the union leader — highlighted with a hug — underscored the emerging alliance between the incoming mayor and the leader of New York City’s largest public-sector union. That bond is about to be tested, or at least leaned on more than ever before
Opinion Parents and students come second in Randi Weingarten’s teachers union
November 17, 2025 // Former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, once an organizer for the AFT’s Los Angeles affiliate and currently a gubernatorial candidate in California, has in recent years called the union “the largest obstacle to creating quality schools.” Under Weingarten’s presidency, the American Federation of Teachers has reduced the intellectual level of its publications. It has aided a slide away from accountability based on measurable student performance. It was also responsible for massive learning loss during the covid lockdown and is working to limit school options desired by parents. On the other hand, the union now enjoys greater political clout than ever.
Zohran Mamdani tells 1M social media followers to boycott Starbucks amid ongoing worker strike
November 17, 2025 // We’ve been very clear - when the union is ready to come back to the bargaining table, we’re ready to talk. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year. Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks offers the best job in retail, including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners."