WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Work papers for whistleblowers, veto showdown, hospital rallies

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Hundreds of immigrant workers in New York have received papers that let them get on-the-books jobs in return for aiding prosecutors.

Construction worker José Moncada, for instance, fractured his wrist while using a jackhammer on a demolition job in Manhattan six years ago — and got some unusual instructions from his site foreman, who promised he’d get his medical bills reimbursed.

One, take a cab to the hospital, rather than an ambulance. And two, tell doctors he hurt himself at the park, Moncada recounted.

Working for the same demolition company at another site, a welder named Alejo suffered a debilitating injury when sparks hit his eye, close to his retina.

His foreman paid for a cab to the hospital, instructed him not to disclose he was injured on the job, and told him that the company, Caledonia Carting Services, would pay his medical bills.

Both men relayed their experiences to law enforcement authorities investigating allegations of workers’ compensation fraud and retaliation against workers by Alba Services Inc., which uses laborers supplied by Caledonia Carting.

In return for acting as whistleblowers, they each received working papers after more than a decade in the U.S. as undocumented workers.

The two men’s work authorizations resulted from a little-known new federal program that protects immigrant workers from deportation if they cooperate with law enforcement investigations following complaints about alleged workplace violations.

Read more about the program here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday’s Weather Rating: 4/10. Hey, it's not raining! Partly cloudy skies are expected today, with high temperatures in the upper 30s. Still chilly though, with a cold breeze throughout the day. We'll take it! The vibes are...improving.

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Our Other Top Stories

In a high-profile showdown with Mayor Eric Adams, the City Council will vote today on whether to override the mayor’s vetoes of a pair of law enforcement bills. One measure proposes to ban solitary confinement in city jails. The second, known as the How Many Stops Act, would require NYPD officers to document all encounters with the public. The city’s police and corrections departments are vocally against the measures. The Council has the votes to override the vetoes from Adams on both bills — but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll do what they say. New York City Health + Hospitals’ 2,500 residents — doctors-in-training who are recent medical school graduates — have been working under an expired labor agreement since their most recent one lapsed more than two years ago. Today, residents at eight public hospitals including Bellevue in Manhattan, Jacobi in The Bronx and Kings County in Brooklyn will rally to call attention to their cause, and the fact that they are paid less than their peers at the city’s other safety-net hospitals. On the FAQ NYC podcast, the hosts discuss the brouhaha over a police officer pulling over Public Safety Chair Yusef Salaam in the middle of an online City Council hearing and much more. Plus, Craig Gurian of the Anti-Discrimination Center explains his group's settlement with the city that sharply cuts the share of affordable housing units that can be set aside for people inside of a given community district — and why that’s a good thing. Listen here.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, Feb. 1: The opening reception for The Ways of Langston Hughes: Griff Davis and Black Artists in the Making, an ongoing New York Public Library exhibition of photographs of Langston Hughes with students, writers, visual artists and performers. Free from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. Saturday, Feb. 3: Hands-on History: Victorian Valentines, an arts-and-crafts event for all ages that uses reproductions of historic patterns in Valentine’s Day card-making. Free from 1 to 4 p.m. at King Manor Museum in Rufus King Park in Queens. Saturday, Feb. 3: An in-person book giveaway for anyone over the age of 10. Free (pre-registration required) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brooklyn Book Bodega.

THE KICKER: Last Friday, a Palestinian-owned restaurant in Ditmas Park hosted a free Shabbat dinner that drew a huge crowd. The invitation came after a backlash to the new eatery following news stories about the “From the River to the Sea” seafood section of its menu. “The whole idea of the event is to bring people together,” owner Abdul Elenani told Gothamist. “Let's talk about life. Let's talk about each other.”

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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