(NEW YORK CITY) – Hundreds of Workers flocked to Albany last week for the latest step in an effort to convince State Lawmakers, particularly Governor Kathy Hochul, to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers.
The Tax The Rich Campaign is backed by a number of Unions, and of the over 1,500 who attended the rally and march in Albany, many were Union Members.
Ryan Bruckenthal, a Manhattan teacher and United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Member who traveled to Albany, said the campaign could be successful if Working-Class New Yorkers “keep pressure on the Governor and the State Government.”
“It’s very clear we have a lot of people in our state who are more than capable of paying their fair share to make sure that everyone who lives here can have a beautiful and dignified life,” said Bruckenthal, a UFT Chapter Leader. “We need to find the revenue to get our people the things they need.”
The Tax The Rich Campaign, backed by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the Professional Staff Congress (PSC), United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance – and more, focuses on lobbying Lawmakers to pass three Taxation Bills.
The Fair Share Act would grant City Lawmakers the ability to impose an additional 2% income tax on New Yorkers earning more than $1 million.
A second Bill would increase the tax rate on large corporations – and a third, which has the most State Senate and State Assembly Co-Sponsors of the three, would create new State Income Tax Brackets for New Yorkers earning more than $1 million.
Taken together, these initiatives could raise around $30 billion for the state each year.
That revenue could be crucial for the ambitious plans New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn up to create a Universal Childcare Program citywide, make buses in the City fast and free and increase funding to many City Agencies.
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