MRNY members fill state capitol to demand a raise for all minimum wage workers.
On April 2, after more than a year of organizing by our labor-community-faith coalition, Governor Cuomo signed into law an increase in New York State’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour over the next three years. 1.5 million working New Yorkers will see $2 billion added to their paychecks as a result—a real step forward for economic fairness in New York.
But we’re not done yet. After restaurant lobbyists tried to block a raise for tipped restaurant workers—a high-poverty workforce that is predominantly women and people of color—we won a commitment from the governor to raise their wages through a Labor Department wage board.
Now we need your help to ensure ALL minimum wage workers get their raise: Click here to sign our petition to Gov. Cuomo and state lawmakers!
MRNY Spearheads Sandy Relief Initiative
Members participate in OSHA health & safety training for Sandy cleanup work in Long Island.
Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported how victims of Superstorm Sandy are in serious need of legal services and how multi-faceted service programs like MRNY's are so important for immigrants and other vulnerable populations with limited access to aid.
Your donations have helped expand not only legal services, but also our workforce development program and policy advocacy in order to make a real impact for affected communities in Staten Island, Long Island, Queens, and Brooklyn. Click here to meet our new Sandy Response Team.
Sandy Relief Snapshot:
Members participate in OSHA health & safety training for Sandy cleanup work in Long Island.
In the last three months, we've helped 328 families with:
- Accessing FEMA aid, disaster unemployment assistance and emergency food stamps
- Negotiating insurance claims
- Representation in housing court
- Job skills trainings and access to new employment opportunities.
We've held 26 legal clinics and continued our door-to-door canvass, reaching more than 2,000 people in order to both connect them to aid and to monitor the status of government relief efforts. Read more...
MRNY Releases Report on Sandy's Devastation of Immigrant Communities
Our report, "Unmet Needs: Superstorm Sandy and Immigrant Communities in the Metro New York Area," reveals the astounding absence of government and private support for immigrant victims of the storm. Read more...
WATCH: MRNY featured at Robin Hood's 2012 Heroes Awards with Geoffrey Canada
How You Can Help:
1. Please donate to assist victims in need.
2. Our offices are accepting food, blankets, diapers, baby formula and other supplies for families in the areas hardest hit by the storm. Find your nearest MRNY location for drop-off.
3. We need both English and Spanish-speaking volunteers to help deliver supplies, conduct needs assessment surveys, and collect toys for children during the holiday season. Email us at volunteer@maketheroadny.org to sign up.
Resources:
Download the most up-to-date resources for obtaining assistance here.
Descargue los recursos más recientes para obtener ayuda aquí.
From NPR, All Things Considered: Post-Sandy Aid Inaccessible For Some Immigrants
By REEMA KHRAIS
Rosa Maria Ramirez lost most of her belongings in the storm and is moving out of her damaged house on Staten Island. Because she's undocumented, she doesn't qualify for federal financial disaster assistance.
November 26, 2012 - The living room was muddy and foul when 16-year-old Prisma revisited her family's apartment days after Superstorm Sandy washed through it last month. The furniture was tarnished, and most of the family's belongings were scattered and in ruins. The home was uninhabitable.
"Everything was completely in a different place," Prisma says. "It was really nasty."
Prisma's story is similar to those of thousands of others left immediately homeless by the winds and waters of Sandy. But, unlike many, her family can't receive the same kinds of help that others are relying on to rebuild their lives...
Listen to the full story on NPR
(Article full text here.)
