Thursday, October 24, 2013

ATTENTION: The Future of Stop & Frisk Discussion; 11/12; FG

WHEN: Tuesday, November 12, 2013
7:00PM

WHERE: Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church
85 South Oxford Street
(between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street)

WHAT: Panel discussion and Q & A regarding the future of Stop & Frisk

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

ATTENTION: Finish Your GED

If you or someone you know took the GED and passed some but not all parts of the test, time is limited. The old scores will expire and testers will have to take a completely different test as of January 2014.

The “Finish Your GED in 2013” campaign can help testers with sections of the tests they didn’t pass. For more info go to http://www.gedcompass.org/index.html or call (718) 557-2525.

CM James Announces 2014 Clinton Hill Slow Zone

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
OCTOBER 15, 2013

Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis (212) 788-7081

Council Member Letitia James Announces 2014 Clinton Hill Slow Zone
Crown Heights and Prospect Heights To Receive Slow Zones By 2016

(Brooklyn, NY)— On Friday, October 11, 2013, the NYC Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Slow Zones Initiative announced five new slow zones for the City of New York, including one for Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

The 2014 slow zones, which lower speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph where needed (in addition to adding new signage, street markings, and speed bumps to city blocks) will help combat speeding in a Downtown Brooklyn area that is seeing increased commercial and residential development, as well as a sharp increase in bike riding.

Clinton Hill was selected for the program following strong community support. The administration also announced an additional 10 slow zones to be placed throughout the city— including the 35th District neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights, in 2015 and 2016 respectively. For the 2014 slow zone, the area borders Lafayette Avenue to Fulton Street, and Washington Avenue stretching beyond Classon Avenue, extending two blocks into Bedford-Stuyvesant.

“I am pleased to announce the Clinton Hill Slow Zone,” said Council Member Letitia James. “Clinton Hill is beginning to experience record high traffic, on par with its neighbor Fort Greene. With numerous schools and day care centers that span this strip of Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant, I hope that these traffic calming measures will create a safer community for all.”

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013

ATTENTION: 2nd Fowler Square Redesign Session; 10/19; Fowler Square

FAB Alliance will be hosting the 2nd Public Workshop for the FOWLER SQUARE REDESIGN, the next step in the on-going community input process for the redesign and construction of a permanent plaza at Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

There will be a presentation of preliminary design plans and opportunities for attendees to provide feedback.

The workshop will be held outdoors at Fowler Square, Saturday, October 19, 2013, 11am-1pm (Presentation by the design team at 12:00 noon).

WHAT: FOWLER SQUARE REDESIGN- WORKSHOP II
WHEN: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2013
11:00am-1:00pm
(Presentation by the design team at 12:00 noon)
WHERE: Fort Greene's Fowler Square

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS UNION IN DISPUTE WITH OWNERS

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Contact: Aja Worthy-Davis (212) 788-7081

JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS UNION IN DISPUTE WITH OWNERS
Administration Misrepresented Legal Positions; Judge Rules Companies Must Repay Lost Wages

(New York, NY)— Recently, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that New York City’s busing companies will be required to repay school bus drivers and matrons lost wages and benefits following an illegally declared impasse last spring.

Earlier this year, I called on the City Council to launch a full investigation of the administration’s previous negotiations regarding the school bus driver’s strike, following misrepresentations surrounding their legal ability to bargain with Local 1181. Mayor Bloomberg, Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott, and representatives of Corporation Counsel previously presented to the City Council information regarding the solicitation of contracts for school bus transportation services— specifically the decision not to include traditional Employee Protection Provisions (“EPPs”) for school bus drivers, matrons, and mechanics. They claimed that including the EPPs in the solicitation for bids was something “we are not legally permitted to do”, a claim that was false.

As predicted, through the administration’s removal of EPPs, bus drivers lost job security. Bus contractors no longer had an incentive to keep existing bus drivers who were likely to request fair wages and benefits for their labor. The actions of the administration, and their enabling of bus companies, effectively dismantled union power and hurt workers. The wage cuts implemented following the illegal impasse resulted in a 7.5 percent loss for drivers and 3.5 percent for matrons. The companies also reduced overtime, and made major cuts in health insurance contributions.

The NLRB’s ruling found that the employers violated the law by declaring impasse on March 19, 2013, and unlawfully walked away from the bargaining table to impose drastic wage cuts. The ruling comes on the heels of a Federal Court ruling earlier this month which also agreed the companies had improperly issued an impasse, and ordered all wage reductions overturned moving forward.

“The administration failed to act in good faith in these negotiations from the beginning, and it was the workers who were hurt. I hope that as we move forward the bus companies and the City can work together to finalize a fair agreement,” said Council Member Letitia James.

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ATTENTION: STAR Tax Exemption

The Basic School Tax Relief (STAR) registration program is administered by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and provides homeowners with partial exemptions from school property taxes. If you earn less than $500,000 and own and live in your home, you are probably eligible for the STAR exemption.

New York State legislation requires all homeowners receiving a Basic STAR exemption to register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in order to receive the exemption in 2014 and subsequent years. Homeowners may register: http://tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star13/default.htm.

Homeowners receiving Enhanced STAR do not have to register for this program.