Jennie Encalada-Malinowski
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Thank you for this opportunity.
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My name is Jenny and Kalata Malinowski.
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I'm providing testimony today on behalf of Lowell Barton, who's the vice president and organized organizing director of Libri's Local 1010.
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Libri's Local 1010 is a premier paving and road building union of New York City.
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Our members work together to build streets bridges and highways throughout the Five boroughs of New York City.
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Were an affiliate of the New York State laborers representing over 40,000 men and women across the state and a proud affiliate of the laborers International Union of North America.
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It is of the utmost importance for the laborers union that our members and the communities they live in are at the center of our advocacy.
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Today, I'm providing testimony to state Labor's level 10 10 support of the 970 Franklin Avenue Project, and the proposal to rezone 962 972 Franklin Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.
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To create a mixed income residential development dedicated to workforce and affordable housing.
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Important to note, this project will be built by members of the New York City building and construction trades and will be financed by the AFLCIO Housing Investment Trust and that itself should be sufficient reason to support it.
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At a time when inequality is at an all time high, unions play a critical role in ensuring family sustaining wages and benefits for workers and their families, and by that standard, building the middle class.
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Unionized careers in the building trades not only support individual workers and their families, but also stimulate the local economy.
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When union workers earn decent pay, they spend those earnings in their community on housing, groceries, healthcare, and education, creating a positive ripple effect that benefits us all.
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I'll skip this little section since I already said it.
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This project being built Union, union financed, and union operated, would ensure high standards, and accountability throughout the process.
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Residents, some of whom are our union members, were engaged in this process to have their needs and concerns, heard, and addressed.
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The project will create, as was mentioned, affordable housing options for residents and essential workers, as well as generate almost 1000 union jobs providing stable employment opportunities and an opportunity for more residents to earn a family sustaining wage and career in the building and construction trades, all while contributing to the economic vitality of crown heights.
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In conclusion, the impact of union construction labor extends far beyond this job site.
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This project has the opportunity to expand the pathway to the middle class to more New York City residents and ensure safer working conditions.
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By investing in and supporting union labor, we invest in a more equitable and prosperous future for our communities.
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Thank you for this opportunity.
