1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I write first to thank you. As a former CWA Local 1123 President, you’ve delivered for workers in your first year. Your record speaks for itself. You passed S.5254, ensuring public employees aren’t docked pay for participating in workplace violence inspections. You cosponsored legislation increasing Temporary Disability Insurance benefits, expanding paid sick leave to domestic workers, and cracking down on wage theft. You’ve secured $1.75 million for MACNY apprenticeships. You’ve been endorsed by the NYS AFL‑CIO. You walk the walk. Now go further. Worker cooperatives—businesses democratically owned and controlled by employees—are more resilient to economic shocks, experience lower turnover, and have higher productivity than conventional firms. Pay ratios are typically 2:1, not 350:1. During COVID, 80% remained open. New York is home to over 110 worker co-ops—the most in the nation. You’ve already introduced S.648, which would add employee-owned enterprises to the list of preferred contractors for state contracts. You helped BreadHive navigate labor classification when the state didn’t know how to handle co-ops. We urge you to: · Pass S.648 – giving worker co-ops a critical revenue stream. · Establish a state Center for Employee Ownership – providing education and outreach to business owners. · Expand worker co-op technical assistance – ensuring Upstate NY isn’t left behind as NYC has been. Central New York is at a crossroads with Micron. Let’s build an economy where workers own their futures.