Queens Lawmakers on the Move September 9, 2020

Queens County City Council News

BP Lee Hosts 8th Virtual Jobs Fair 

Acting Borough President Sharon Lee.

Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee is hosting the eighth installment of the “Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair” on September 16 to connect Queens job seekers to available employment opportunities. 

Featured employers and recruiters include: AAA Northeast, The Child Center of New York, Constructive Partnerships Unlimited, the Council for Airport Opportunity, Food Bazaar, Metro One Loss Prevention, MetroPlus Health Plan, the New York City Children’s Center, New York Life, Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC), Queens Centers for Progress, the United States Census Bureau, WATCH GUARD 24/7, Workforce1 and the Young Adult Institute (YAI). WABC-TV (Channel 7) has also joined the employment recruitment initiative as a media partner. 

The ongoing hiring push comes as Queens’ unemployment rate sits at 20.5 percent as of July 2020, down slightly from 21.6 percent in June but up more than 17 percentage points from February’s 3 percent unemployment rate. 

The prior Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fairs helped to directly connect 1,297 job seekers with prospective employers.

Held every third Wednesday, the next Virtual Queens Jobs Recruitment Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16 online from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Prospective applicants interested in participating in the live interactive Q&A via Zoom Webinar must RSVP by Tuesday, September 15 at www.queensbp.org/rsvp. The Jobs Recruitment Fair will also be livestreamed at www.queensbp.org/recruitmentfair.

To view the videos of the previous fairs, visit www.queensbp.org/recruitmentfair.

Addabbo, Pheffer Amato Tour Resorts World NYC Ahead of Reopening

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.

State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato toured the Resorts World NYC facility on the morning of September 3, to review the new health and safety measures the casino put in place, just before Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that casinos will be allowed to open starting September 9.

“I appreciate all of the changes Resorts World has made to their facility to protect their staff and guests in preparation of their reopening,” Addabbo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, said. “This is a big day for the casino, and I fully believe they will be able to face all the challenges ahead and keep their staff and customers safe as they begin to reopen. We look forward to the day when they can be at full capacity and offer all of their amazing amenities again.”

During the guided tour, Michelle Stoddart, the VP of Community Relations at Resorts World, and other Resorts World leaders showed the legislators all of the new procedures and protocols in their 21-point safety plan that will keep their staff and guests safe once they reopen to the public.

“I am very impressed by the lengths Resorts World went to make sure their future gamers and employees are entering a completely safe gaming environment,” Pheffer Amato said. “From innovative air filtration systems, to contactless thermal temperature readers and new cleaning protocols – they have truly gone above and beyond. I want to thank the entire Resorts World New York team for their tireless effort, and I can’t wait to visit after September 9.”

Schumer Demands Funds for Mass Transit

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced he and others from the New York congressional delegation will not support any COVID relief bill that simply acts as a ‘box-check’ for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic and fails to include critical funds for state and local aid along with mass transit, two now-suffering priorities important to the larger economy.

Schumer said the GOP-proposed relief bill does not include assistance for these priorities and that it won’t pass the House or Senate. Schumer warned that the GOP bill is “emaciated,” lacking critical priorities needed to truly beat back the pandemic, especially when it comes to New York’s plight.

“While the folks beside me today worked darn hard to pass the Heroes Act—more than three months ago—the Senate, under Leader McConnell and the White House under President Trump, has used that time to sit on their hands—doing absolutely nothing for the benefit of the American people in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus,” said Schumer. “Now, to add insult to injury, when forced to act because the American people are demanding they do, Leader McConnell and President Trump hand in an assignment that is incomplete, emaciated and unacceptable—it’s an “F.” And we are here today to make it very clear: this will not stand.”