ALBANY – Maritza Silva-Farrell, Executive Director of ALIGN and a leader in the NY Renews and Raise Up NY coalitions, released the following statement today in response to Governor Hochul’s State of the State address:
“The first elected female governor made strides for workers and our environment in today’s State of the State address, but to deliver a prosperous New York for working families, we expect urgent action.
Governor Hochul listened to workers by proposing an index to the minimum wage—a great step forward for working families struggling to make ends meet. Yet 2.9 million underpaid workers can’t wait for a living wage; increasing the minimum wage must be an immediate act.
And for many disadvantaged communities across New York, the climate crisis is a grave threat to their health, safety, jobs, and livelihoods. We applaud the Governor’s investments in a new Office of Just Transition ensuring no worker is left behind and large-scale funding for climate solutions, which ALIGN has long-championed. Now we must advance these solutions with equity. Our state needs the full power of the Climate, Jobs, & Justice package, to invest in workers and frontline communities, create thousands of green career jobs, and build an equitable clean energy economy for the future of New York. We look forward to working with the Governor and Legislature to meet the needs of the climate crisis and deliver lasting economic relief to our state.”
About ALIGN
ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) is a longstanding alliance of labor and community organizations united for a just and sustainable New York. ALIGN works at the intersection of economy, environment, and equity to make change and build movement. Our model addresses the root causes of economic injustice by forging strategic coalitions, shaping the public debate through strategic communications, and developing policy solutions that make an impact.
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