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      Eric Adams, former police officer, wins New York mayor’s race

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      New YorkEric Adams, former police officer, wins New York mayor’s raceAdams, who defeated Republican and founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa, will become city’s second Black mayor Adam Gabbattin New York@adamgabbattTue 2 Nov 2021 22.33 EDTFirst published on Tue 2 Nov 2021 21.17 EDTFormer police officer Eric Adams will be the next mayor of New York City, after the Democrat defeated Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election.Adams was on course to easily beat Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, with a lead of 66% to 29% after more than half of projected votes were counted.Adams will now take charge of the largest city in the US in January, when he will be faced with overseeing recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 34,500 New Yorkers.Adams, 61, becomes only the second Black person to be elected New York mayor, after David Dinkins, who led the city from 1990 to 1993. Adams, who defeated several progressive candidates in the Democratic primary, has pledged to cut government inefficiency and made public safety a central part of his campaign.In a speech, Adams urged unity and told his story as a working-class child who grew up to become mayor. “Tonight, New Yorkers have chosen one of their own,” Adams, said in a victory speech. “I am you.”Adams urged unity. “Today, we take off the intramural jersey and we put on one jersey, Team New York,” he told supporters at a celebration at the New York Marriott. “Tonight is not just a victory over adversity, it is a vindication of faith. It is the proof that the forgotten can be the future.”The centrist politician has been a disappointing choice for many progressives who hoped to see radical reforms in the criminal justice system. Adams has promised to strike a balance between fighting crime and ending racial injustice in law enforcement.After winning a contentious primary, Adams was always the favorite to defeat Sliwa, a Republican, in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans seven to one. He will replace Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat who is limited to two terms as mayor, in January.Adams was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, in 1960, and spoke during the campaign about his impoverished upbringing. He decided to join the New York City police department in an effort to change the force from within, Adams said, after being beaten by officers when he was 15 years old.He joined the police in 1984 and became a captain before leaving in 2006 to run – successfully – for state senate. During his time in the state legislature he was criticized by the New York inspector general for his role in attempting to bring a casino to a racetrack in Queens, New York City. Adams had accepted campaign contributions from a politically connected group bidding for the gambling franchise.In 2013 Adams was elected to Brooklyn borough president, a power-light position that chiefly involves championing the borough, but one which also boosted Adams’s profile as he weighed a run for mayor.Adams trailed Andrew Yang, a 2020 presidential candidate, in the early months of the Democratic primary, but came through New York’s ranked choice voting to edge out Kathryn Garcia, a former New York City sanitation commissioner, in July.His campaign raised eyebrows over the summer when Adams was forced to answer questions about whether he actually lives in the city he was bidding to lead, given he owns a home in New Jersey and was rarely spotted at the address in Brooklyn where he claims to reside. Adams has insisted he lives in New York City.Sliwa, a talk radio host best known for founding the Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention group, in the 1970s, proved a charismatic if ultimately flawed candidate.He had been a regular presence on New York City’s streets, frequently standing on top of a car-pulled float and spreading his message through a microphone and speaker. Sliwa wore his red beret throughout the campaign, including during the mayoral debates, but struggled to gain much attention in a race where Adams had long been the presumptive winner.TopicsNew YorkUS politicsDemocratsBill de BlasionewsReuse this content More

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      Nine percent of New York City workers still unvaccinated after Friday deadline

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      New YorkNine percent of New York City workers still unvaccinated after Friday deadline
      Last-minute rush of jabs boost vaccination rate to 91%
      Fox News host gets death threats for vaccinations plea
      Victoria Bekiempis in New YorkSun 31 Oct 2021 13.02 EDTFirst published on Sun 31 Oct 2021 08.30 EDTNine percent of New York City’s municipal workforce remains unvaccinated following a Friday deadline to demonstrate proof of receiving at least Covid shot, officials said.‘They broke my heart’: sculptor laments Central Park Covid monument removalRead moreHowever, the percentage of city workers with at least one dose rose considerably as the deadline loomed.Opposition to vaccine mandates fueled by rightwing politicians and media figures led to protests in New York this week. But on Saturday night, authorities said 91% of city workers had received at least one dose, up from 83% on Friday and 76% on Thursday.Workers who did not abide by the requirement were still due to be placed on unpaid leave from Monday, potentially spurring staffing shortages in the police, fire, emergency medical services and sanitation departments.The New York police department vaccination rate stood at 84%, officials said. Asked about the plan for dealing with a potential staff shortfall, an NYPD spokesman said in an email: “We will be prepared for any changes in personnel due to the mandate.”City data indicated that 78% of fire department workers, and 79% of sanitation department workers, had received at least one dose as of Saturday.Those agencies also said they were preparing for staffing shortfalls.Fire officials said they were prepared to close up to 20% of fire companies and see 20% fewer ambulances in operation.The department planned to change schedules, cancel vacations and seek out non-fire department EMS providers.The fire commissioner, Daniel Nigro, slammed some firefighters who took paid sick leave in advance of the vaccine deadline.“The department has not closed any firehouses,” Nigro said. “Irresponsible bogus sick leave by some of our members is creating a danger for New Yorkers and their fellow firefighters. They need to return to work or risk the consequences of their actions.”The New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, recently said the sanitation department would implement 12-hour shifts rather than the normal eight-hour shifts, and start working on Sundays so garbage did not accumulate amid staffing shortages.The Associated Press contributed to this report.TopicsNew YorkCoronavirusVaccines and immunisationInfectious diseasesUS healthcareUS politicsnewsReuse this content More

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      New York City delivery workers win rights to better tips, bathrooms and more

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      Gig economyNew York City delivery workers win rights to better tips, bathrooms and moreA package of bills targeting app-based companies such as Grubhub and Doordash will also set minimum pay Kari PaulThu 23 Sep 2021 21.14 EDTLast modified on Thu 23 Sep 2021 21.31 EDTNew York City lawmakers have passed a historic package of bills to improve labor conditions for gig economy and food delivery workers.The first of its kind legislation, which targets app-based delivery companies such as Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Doordash, will set minimum pay, allow workers to keep more of their tips, and limit how far workers can be asked to travel for deliveries. It will also guarantee workers access to bathrooms – an issue that has long plagued people in the gig economy and has been exacerbated by Covid-19 restrictions.City council speaker Corey Johnson, speaking in a press conference following the vote on Thursday, said the package would give workers the “rights they deserve” and inspire future legislation.‘I don’t like being treated like crap’: gig workers aim to retool a system they say is riggedRead more“New York will now be the first city in the country to make sure delivery workers are not exploited – to make sure people are treated with dignity and respect, that they get their wages, and that they are not exploited by these multibillion dollar corporations,” he said.The legislation was written in collaboration with Los Deliveristas Unidos (LDU), a collective of mostly-immigrant app delivery workers that have long pushed for living wages, bathroom access, and the right to organize.It comes as Covid-19 has increased consumer reliance on delivery services, causing the sector to grow exponentially in the past year. Uber Eats, the food delivery segment of the ride-hailing company Uber, grew by 190% in 2020, adding 36,000 couriers in New York City alone.But the growing army of workers found themselves on the front lines of a pandemic with no health benefits and little job security. Many complain they are unable to access bathrooms and often cannot see or access the tips that customers add to orders.Excluding tips, the median hourly wage for delivery workers in New York City was $7.94 in 2020 according to a study from the Worker’s Justice Project. The hourly net pay when including tips was still below New York’s $15 minimum wage, at an average of $12.21.A spokesman from Grubhub said the company supported the bills, calling them “common-sense steps to support the delivery workers who work hard every day for New York’s restaurants and residents”.“Ensuring they receive a living wage and have access to restrooms isn’t just a good idea – it’s the right thing to do,” he said. DoorDash has also expressed support of the legislation.Cities are increasingly cracking down on the gig economy. Chicago sued food delivery apps in August for misleading consumers, restaurants, and workers – including “using consumer tips to pay itself rather than its drivers”. In June, San Francisco voted to cap delivery app fees charged to restaurants at 15%.But some of the companies targeted by these efforts are also fighting back. California in 2020 passed a law entitling drivers to benefits and better pay, which industry giants such as Uber quickly countered with their own bill exempting themselves from the legislation. Uber now plans to appeal after that bill, Prop 22, was ruled unconstitutional in August.Workers themselves are also making their own efforts, demanding the benefits afforded to full-time employees including better pay and the right to organize.Starting this week, contractors at Instacart have called on customers to boycott the app as they demand better working conditions. In June, Uber and Lyft drivers participated in a day-long strike to demand the right to organize.Worker advocates say the New York bills are a good start but do not address some broader concerns about the gig economy in the US, and that more comprehensive legislation on a national scale is needed.“This is an excellent step in the right direction, but I am concerned that a piecemeal approach to addressing these serious issues is going to take the wind out of the movement towards basic employment rights for these workers,” said Veena Dubal, a professor of employment law at University of California, Hastings.She added that delivery workers are at a very high risk of injury and should be entitled to workers’ compensation and healthcare when they are hurt on the job.“This is better than nothing in the short term, but lawmakers should not think by passing these bills they are doing enough,” she said.TopicsGig economyNew YorkUS politicsWorkers’ rightsnewsReuse this content More