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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Anh-Thu Nguyen, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Democracy at Work Institute
5:56:34
ยท
3 min
Anh-Thu Nguyen testified on behalf of the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI), highlighting its achievements in supporting immigrant-led businesses and urging the City Council to increase funding for worker cooperatives in New York City.
- WCBDI has created over 1,000 jobs, 200 new worker co-op businesses, and reached more than 10,000 entrepreneurs since its inception in FY2015.
- The initiative has been particularly impactful in providing services to newer migrant workers and supporting immigrant women in industries like janitorial services, home health care, and child care.
- Nguyen requested an increase in WCBDI funding to $5,090,000 for FY2026 to support the creation of new worker co-op businesses and provide technical assistance to cooperative entrepreneurs.
Anh-Thu Nguyen
5:56:34
Good afternoon chair avulis and distinguished members of the New York City Council Committee on Immigration.
5:56:40
My name is Antoon Wing and I am the director of strategic partnerships at Democracy at Work Institute, a member of the worker cooperative business development initiative.
5:56:49
Thanks to city council's investment over the last ten years, WCBI has provided significant benefit to aspiring business owners and cooperative small businesses, many of which are led by immigrants.
5:57:00
Our initiative creates and supports resilient employment and business ownership opportunities unlike any other in New York City offering critical support to especially low income, low wage workers and recent migrants connecting them to business ownership and employment opportunities especially when alternative routes to employment and ownership are unavailable.
5:57:21
Some key achievements in the past few years have included the successful launch of Afrolingual, an interpretation and translation cooperative providing language support in over 10 African languages.
5:57:31
Radiate Consulting which is based in Sunset Park, a professional services consulting cooperative that builds capacity for immigrant services organizations and small businesses led by professionals with deep experience in these spaces and who come from these communities themselves.
5:57:47
And also the development of a rapid response cooperative toolkit in English and Spanish for community based organizations that makes entrepreneurship more accessible and inclusive.
5:57:56
Since its inception in fiscal year twenty fifteen, WCBDI has helped create more than a thousand jobs and pathways to business ownership, created more than 200 new worker co op businesses offering higher hourly wages, better working conditions, and importantly building wealth and equity for workers, and reached more than 10,000 entrepreneurs with education and technical assistance services.
5:58:17
Amidst ongoing economic volatility, low income and immigrant New Yorkers are in need of support more than ever and we're familiar with navigating and thriving in times of crisis as our small business support has helped scale and strengthen the cooperative ecosystem in New York City inclusive of all workers, especially immigrant workers.
5:58:35
During COVID, we expanded our services, grew our membership, and moved more than $20,000,000 in emergency funding to help small businesses thrive.
5:58:43
Over the past year, services have been in high demand and especially impactful as a tool for providing services to the city's newer migrant workers.
5:58:50
Worker co op businesses are unique in their ability to establish, grow, and retain community wealth and making entrepreneurship accessible.
5:58:57
Here in New York City, the majority of worker owners are immigrant women in industries like janitorial services, home health care, and child care.
5:59:04
Through worker ownership, these individuals are bringing home living wages, building assets that contribute to financial stability, and transforming industry standards for better over time.
5:59:14
It's critical to continue this work to improve worker protections and offer a means to build and root wealth in local communities as well as growing the diversity of small businesses in New York City for the next generation.
5:59:26
I know that the budget's tight, but we urge City Council to continue investing in worker cooperatives in New York City by enhancing WCBI funding to 5,090,000.00 for fiscal year twenty six.
5:59:36
We've been flatlined for the last four years in the wake of inflation.
5:59:40
In real terms, our funding has decreased.
5:59:43
This funding will provide for the startup of 31 new worker co op small businesses across all boroughs and over 100 new jobs as well as offer technical assistance and education reaching over 2,000 existing startup and aspiring cooperative entrepreneurs, the vast majority of them being immigrants.
5:59:59
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.