Latest / OneLegUpAlex Media / LaborPress Radio's Alex Garrett Talks With Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers At the Heroes of Labor Awards 10-9-2024

Transcript

LaborPress Radio's Alex Garrett Talks With Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers At the Heroes of Labor Awards 10-9-2024 · OneLegUpAlex Media

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  Speaker 1: Back here at the Labor Press Emblem Health Heroes of
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  Speaker 1: Labor event. I'm Alex Garrett with council member from District
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  Speaker 1: thirty one, Savina Brooks Powers, Council Powers.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks for joining me, Thank you for having me. It's
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  Speaker 2: a pleasure to meet you.
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  Speaker 1: All right. You're here obviously because you're union strong and
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  Speaker 1: you're a union strong rep for the council. To talk
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  Speaker 1: about that, talk about your you know you're honoring the
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  Speaker 1: unions today.
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  Speaker 2: No, absolutely so. In the New York City Council, I
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  Speaker 2: serve as their chair for the Committee on Transportation Infrastructure,
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  Speaker 2: which we have a number of amazing members from TWU
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  Speaker 2: and ATU that are heroes that went above and beyond
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  Speaker 2: the job that they were hired to be able to
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  Speaker 2: help everyday New Yorkers, and I wanted to be here
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  Speaker 2: to celebrate the work that they did, they do and
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  Speaker 2: they and the heroism that they demonstrated.
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  Speaker 1: The chair, it sounds like a hefty title, especially for
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  Speaker 1: New York City transit, So talk about your day to day,
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  Speaker 1: you know, make making sure our city moves quick and fast.
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  Speaker 2: As the chairwoman, so as a chair, we look on
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  Speaker 2: legislation to be able to address needs in the community.
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  Speaker 2: Right now, for example, we're working on the Queen's bus
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  Speaker 2: redesign and that's going to be major, especially as the
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  Speaker 2: conversation around congestion pricing. What will happen, if anything, will
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  Speaker 2: happen to make sure that we are ahead of the
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  Speaker 2: curve ball in the event that congestion pricing comes back
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  Speaker 2: to the forefront.
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  Speaker 1: Let's talk about that for a minute, because obviously that's
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  Speaker 1: a big deal. With everything in legislature right now, how
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  Speaker 1: will congestion pricing impact unions across the city.
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  Speaker 2: So in terms of congestion pricing, I think it's spirit.
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  Speaker 2: The spirit of congestion pricing is to deconte just the
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  Speaker 2: areas it's supposed to help our city buses move quicker
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  Speaker 2: and to push people to public transportation, and communities like
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  Speaker 2: the one that I serve, we have a lot more
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  Speaker 2: challenges not enough benefits. So I'm hopeful that as that
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  Speaker 2: conversation happens, we're able to see how we could make
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  Speaker 2: public transportation stronger, more reliable in terms of how quickly
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  Speaker 2: it runs, but also expanding the access to public transportation
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  Speaker 2: for the communities that are in transit deserts.
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  Speaker 1: I'm still glad we have having this conversation because I
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  Speaker 1: feel like the news only talks about the division between
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  Speaker 1: City Hall and City Council and all that. But how
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  Speaker 1: can New Yorkers be reassured that with you as chair,
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  Speaker 1: things are getting done for New Yorkers.
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  Speaker 2: Well, right now, we're blocking out the noise and focusing
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  Speaker 2: on the work at hand. There are accountless New Yorkers
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  Speaker 2: that are depending on city government to work for them,
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  Speaker 2: and we are, myself and my colleagues continuing to put
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  Speaker 2: forth legislation, consider legislation that benefits of community. Before we
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  Speaker 2: know it, we'll be back in the budget season looking
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  Speaker 2: at who do we fund, where are the priorities, And
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  Speaker 2: those conversations will be happening soon. So it's a lot
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  Speaker 2: of work and that's to be done, and we continue
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  Speaker 2: to do that, all right.
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  Speaker 1: The heroes of labor, I feel like, again back to
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  Speaker 1: the media world, they don't pay unions in the best light.
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  Speaker 1: So what's it mean for you to see these union
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  Speaker 1: members probably you know them, being on the chair to
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  Speaker 1: be honored today.
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  Speaker 2: It's amazing And I consider myself a union baby. My
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  Speaker 2: mother was a member of eleveninety nine. For over forty years,
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  Speaker 2: she was a union delegate. I was a member of
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  Speaker 2: the union CWA. I was a union delegate, and I
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  Speaker 2: worked in labor for a number of years too, So
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  Speaker 2: I know the work of the men and women that
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  Speaker 2: are represented in unions, and so it's wonderful to see
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  Speaker 2: a space created where we can celebrate these individuals for
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  Speaker 2: going above and beyond their work.
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  Speaker 1: One hundred percent. Now, how can New Yorkers rest assure
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  Speaker 1: that you're striking a balance between ian make sure the
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  Speaker 1: unions are happy and the budget's happy. I feel like
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  Speaker 1: there's a bit of a balance to strike there.
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  Speaker 2: Right, It's always a balance. It's always about talking to
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  Speaker 2: all sides of a conversation, hearing everybody out and seeing
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  Speaker 2: where you can find alignment.
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  Speaker 1: And while there might be a lot of political different divisions,
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  Speaker 1: how do you make sure to cut through all the
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  Speaker 1: political divide and get things done.
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  Speaker 2: It's always going to be about New Yorkers. It's about
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  Speaker 2: deliverance services.
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  Speaker 1: You're a life long New Yorker yourself, right, I am.
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  Speaker 2: I am a lifelong New.
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  Speaker 1: Yorker and that means a lot, I'm sure. And District
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  Speaker 1: thirty one, the one you serve at union heavy district.
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  Speaker 2: As well, Yes, we have a high population of members
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  Speaker 2: of the union and retirees.
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  Speaker 1: Well, thanks for joining us here at Labor Press. I'm
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  Speaker 1: Alex Garrett, a councilwoman Brooks Powers.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks so much, thank you, Thanks for having me.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you so much.