Ashley Chen
2:06:55
you, Chair Menon and members of the Consumer and Worker Protection Committee for the opportunity to testify today.
2:07:01
My name is Ashley Chen.
2:07:02
I'm the policy analyst at the Chinese American Planning Council, CPC.
2:07:06
We're the nation's largest Asian American social service organization.
2:07:09
In New York City, approximately one in seven workers have been fired or disciplined for simply speaking out about workplace concerns.
2:07:16
On top of this, many immigrant workers in our community live in constant fear of going to work due to the threat of ICE enforcement and deportations, which have been openly threatened by the federal administration.
2:07:27
At CPC, we have been conducting Know Your Rights trainings to empower our community, especially immigrant workers, with the knowledge to protect themselves from ICE rays in their workplaces.
2:07:35
However, despite our efforts, more is needed to address this pressing issue.
2:07:39
That's why I'm here today to strongly urge for $77,000,000 in funding for the Department of Consumer and Worker Protections in the fiscal year twenty six budget, an increase of $2,000,000 over the preliminary proposal.
2:07:50
We are requesting that the 2,000,000 allocation be used to hire seven attorneys, five data scientists, four investigators, and one outreach person.
2:07:58
Given the ongoing attack on worker protections by the federal government, our city has become the first line of defense against harmful policies.
2:08:04
The Trump administration's unlawful and unprecedented assaults on workers, as well as the systematic undermining of agencies meant to safeguard them have created a significant vacuum.
2:08:13
This makes state and local enforcement more critical than ever.
2:08:17
DCW play plays a pivotal role investigating, adjudicating, and prosecuting labor and employment violations, including issues like wage theft, unpaid sick leave, and discrimination.
2:08:27
However, with federal agencies such as the NRB and EEOC either underfunded or actively obstructed, the current funding levels for facility agencies are simply insufficient to safeguard the rights of New York City Workers.
2:08:40
Now more than ever, our workers deserve strong agencies that will protect the rights against federal neglect and hostility.
2:08:46
To ensure that every worker in our city has the support that they need, it is absolutely essential that the city appropriates $7,070,000,000 dollars for DCWTP to expand capacity and resources for the agency.
2:08:56
Thank you for your time.
