đź•’ Created

Zohran Kwame Mamdani establishes the nation's first municipal office to help workers organize and build power

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani signed an executive order creating the Mayor’s Office of Worker Power (MOWP), the first municipal agency of its kind in the United States. The office is designed to help workers get informed, connected, and organized, providing resources and education on labor rights and helping workers shape city policy. Tony Perlstein, a former longshoreman and union organizer, will serve as the inaugural Executive Director of the MOWP. The office will work across city agencies to identify and address violations of workers' rights, particularly for those who lack adequate wages or meaningful benefits. It aims to reach unorganized workers, such as gig drivers and immigrants, and will hold public hearings to bring worker struggles into the open. The administration announced that the MOWP will not replace existing unions but will instead serve as a resource to help workers understand their rights and find organizations that can assist them. Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su will supervise the office and establish enforcement principles to hold employers accountable. The administration also aims to ensure that workers are protected by labor laws regardless of their immigration status.

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