Denis Hughes, President	Ed Donnelly, Director
April 14, 2008	Issue Twelve

President's MessageOn behalf of our Federation, congratulations to Governor Paterson, Speaker Silver and Majority Leader Bruno for producing a budget we can live with, in a reasonably on time manner, in an orderly fashion and seemingly without rancor. The budget addressed many issues of concern to the house of labor, and by and large we have been satisfied with the result.

Critics who have raised the issue of looming recession to advocate cuts were wrong on two levels.  First, the budget reflects the situation right now 2008 and first quarter of 2009. The budget reflects revenue projections.  The response to recession will have to be dealt with in the 2009-2010 budget. By that time the reality of the revenue situation will be clear. Second, one lesson of the Great Depression is the need to spend into recession, in order to keep money circulating through the economy.
    
By disposing of the budget, the state is now set to take important legislative action. The time is now to enact real IDA reform, to raise and index unemployment benefits, to impose fiscal order on the collapsing self-insured trusts for workers compensation, to increase and index disability insurance coupled with the option of paid family leave for families that need it, for re-regulation of health insurance premium setting, for a meaningful commitment to our transportation infrastructure and its shaky financial underpinning, and for a real affordable housing program, economic justice for farm workers and domestic workers.
    
Every aspect of legislative activity is of interest to our membership. There is time enough now to dispose of the issues identified here. This Federation urges the leaders of the Legislature and our Governor to focus on delivering on the agenda we have outlined. Millions of New Yorkers are awaiting your action.

Call to Action
Monday, April 14, 2008
1:00 p.m., State Fed Headquarters
Guest Speakers have been invited.
Lunch will be served.

Issue of the WeekThe New York State AFL-CIO strongly opposed the appropriation of $50 million for agribusiness (pg. 651 of the A9805B version) A. 9805D/S. 6805D

An Act making appropriations for Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation.
    
This Federation recognizes the importance of agribusiness to the New York economy. A basic factor of agribusiness success is the farm labor supply. Farm workers labor under disgraceful working conditions. No meaningful effort has been made to upgrade the status of these workers. Fairness requires worker protections, a modern work week, a day of rest each week, the right to organize, unemployment insurance and all the rights enjoyed by non-farm workers. The failure to afford these workers such protection available to all non-farm workers is plainly discriminatory, and certainly not in moral tradition of our great state.

Addendum: This appropriation was reduced to $40 million. Reducing the appropriation doesn’t do anything for farm workers one way or the other. The whole appropriation should have been eliminated.

Keep An Eye OnThursday, April 24, 3008
Joint Assembly Public Hearing on The Effectiveness of Regulation of Construction and Development in NYC and the Enforcement of the Building Code and the Zoning Resolution: A Second Hearing, 250 Broadway, Assembly Hearing Room 1923, 19th Floor, New York, New York, 10:00 a.m.

Contact Ali Vanderhoef (518) 455-4363.