January 2023 INSIDE
Been In a Car Accident? You Need to Contact a Lawyer Immediately ...22
Six Key Reasons You'll Want to Work With a Real Estate Agent ...9
Tourists Consider the Level of Entertainment of a Potential Travel Destination ...20
Issue #40
The New York State Department of Labor Unveils Strengthened Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy
NYC Janitors Are Latest Victims of Twitter’s Meltdown The lives of essential workers have been upended.
T
he New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) on January 12 released a strengthened, nation-leading Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy. The updated policy, drafted in consultation with the New York State Division of Human Rights (NYS DHR), adds new language to include remote workers, defines different gender identities and expands on gender discrimination, and provides examples of sexual harassment and retaliation across a broader spectrum of careers. It also includes bystander interven-
N
continued on page 5
Hot Topics and News You Should Know About
Enough to Make You Sick: Curbing High Hospital Costs ...16
Cannabis Education at Your Fingertips & Own Pace...13
ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute Launches in New York City...8
Labor-Related News - Nationally & Locally
January Is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month ...3
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification ...6
NYC Nurse Strike Ends as NYSNA Declares Historic Victories ...14
ew York, NY: On January 10, twelve janitors at Twitter’s 245-249 West 17th St. location went public about their lives being upended after Twitter canceled its contract with their employer Flagship Services with no explanation. These essential workers, already struggling to keep up with a rising cost of living in NYC, are out of work. If no action is taken, the cleaners, composed predominantly of Spanish and Albanian speakers, risk losing union health care benefits on Jan. 31 that their families have depended on for years for medications and essential medical care. The location has been unionized with 32BJ SEIU for approximately seven years. continued on page 12
How Counseling Can Set You Up for a Healthy, Happy 2023 ...18
Immigrant Workers Who Report Labor Violations Will Be Protected Under This New Policy BY AARON REICHLIN-MELNICK
Laborers Recruit Apprentices ...4
Photo courtesy NYC Central Labor Council
I
mmigrant workers who are the victims of labor exploitation are often faced with a difficult choice. They can either stay quiet out of fear of deportation or come forward to report coercive conduct. Looming over that choice is the possibility that the employer continued on page 10
Brian Figeroux, Esq.