PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Cristobal Gutierrez, Attorney at Make the Road New York
2:22:03
·
157 sec
Cristobal Gutierrez, an attorney at Make the Road New York, expressed general support for the proposed bills advancing workers' rights but emphasized the critical need for increased budget to ensure effective enforcement. He highlighted the challenges faced by undocumented workers and the current limitations of the NYC Commission on Human Rights in addressing discrimination cases.
- Warned that without significant budget increase, the proposed bills would be unenforceable and ineffective
- Highlighted the increased vulnerability of undocumented workers to workplace discrimination, particularly sexual harassment
- Pointed out the current backlog and delays in case investigations at the NYC Commission on Human Rights, with some cases pending since 2016
Cristobal Gutierrez
2:22:03
Good afternoon, Chairperson Williams.
2:22:05
Thank you for staying.
2:22:08
My name is Cristobal Gutierrez, and I'm an attorney at Make the Road New York.
2:22:12
Make the Road is a worker center, with over 28,000 low income members, and you can read more about us in my testimony.
2:22:25
We are generally supportive of the bills under consideration and advance that advance the rights of workers such as the one presented and analyzed in this hearing.
2:22:35
However, we wanna make sure that this committee and this city council understands that if these bills are not supported by a significant increase in budget, they will be dead letter since they will be under unenforceable for those they are meant to protect.
2:22:55
We protect we, organize mainly undocumented workers.
2:22:59
We saw in the first Trump administration how employers were embolden.
2:23:06
We are seeing, Mayor Adams' commentaries on sanctuary laws.
2:23:12
We'll we know that workers will fear retaliation.
2:23:17
The commission, as it is, has delayed investigations.
2:23:23
Last we heard, it it took 6 months for an intake.
2:23:28
We have sexual assault cases that have been at the commission since 2016 and still have not been adjudicated.
2:23:40
Sexual harassment, is increased in people who have fear of deportation.
2:23:47
That is a fact.
2:23:48
It's been well studied, undocumented.
2:23:51
Undocumented workers can't go to the EEOC or DHR.
2:23:57
The EEOC, the federal anti discrimination agency, because they could share information with ICE.
2:24:05
DHR as a state agency does not function.
2:24:10
So in conclusion, we urge you to if if you're going to move these bills along, we urge you that the budget needs to be significantly increased.
2:24:22
It we are nowhere near the, the staff numbers that we had pre pandemic, and since then, there have been 3 additions to protect to the law and still no staff.
2:24:38
So thank you.
