Sen. Jessica Ramos

She praised the bill for leveling the playing field and holding bad businesses accountable, arguing that enforcement of misclassification is necessary to protect workers and ensure they receive proper benefits and recourse.

The bill makes intentional investments in working families to reduce poverty and instability. When government supports working people, poverty goes down in real terms, strengthening New York's economy and communities.

Expressed gratitude for Red Cross assistance during fires and Hurricane Ida in his district. Advocated for increased state budget support to extend the current three-day hotel assistance limit, noting it is insufficient for working-class families to recover.

The bill establishes that while disagreement and debate are healthy in workplaces, they must not devolve into personal attacks, intimidation, or efforts to undermine dignity. Professional conduct and respect are necessary standards for institutions to function effectively.

The bill clarifies ambiguous language that has been misconstrued by state courts, ensuring workers can recover full wages in class-action suits just as they would individually. The bill does not establish new grounds for lawsuits and aligns state law with federal standards; innocent administrative mistakes rarely reach litigation and the 40-employee minimum for class actions protects small businesses.

The bill prevents employers from hiding clauses that force workers to waive legal protections they may not realize they're signing away. It protects existing rights, restores workplace balance, ensures accountability, and supports employers who play by the rules.

The bill will allow workers to provide feedback on improving public services and will aid in recruitment and retention of talent, complementing efforts for tier equity for public service employees.

The bill creates a public review process for climate projects in frontline communities like hers in Queens, ensuring disadvantaged communities can have a say in projects affecting them and either improve or stop bad projects. She framed it as an equity measure that will strengthen the state's climate goals.

Noted that historical land use review processes favored the real estate industry and argued the bill ensures environmental justice communities have a say in what companies enter their areas and can hold them accountable while supporting climate action and job creation.

The bill mandates state agencies and the State of New York to develop training programs and workplace violence prevention plans that include abusive conduct and bullying. Ramos noted that a state employee died by suicide in December after being bullied by a supervisor, underscoring the need for such protections.

Ramos sponsored the bill and explained it as necessary to combat rampant wage theft affecting New York workers, particularly immigrants. She cited the case of Sandra Mejia and noted that workers lose at least $3 billion annually, with employers using various tactics to evade payment even after court judgments.

Argued the TDI increase is necessary because benefits have remained at $170 per week since 1989 and are inadequate for modern living costs. Cited support from Small Business Majority and noted the system's deficiencies in supporting veterans, women, people with disabilities, and those with Long COVID.

Ramos argued the bill corrects a historical injustice by granting domestic workers paid sick leave. She highlighted how domestic workers, like farmworkers, were explicitly excluded from federal labor protections and are predominantly Black and immigrant women whose care work enables the broader economy.

Explained her vote in favor, emphasizing that eliminating the minimum earnings requirement will make childcare assistance available to 10,000 more families and prevent low-income families from having to choose between food and childcare. She connected the bill to the body's commitment to cutting child poverty in half by 2030.

Sponsor emphasized the bill was inspired by Tops shooting survivors who lacked emergency exit training. Argued the bill provides workers with peace of mind through planning, training on deescalation tactics, and panic buttons, and noted the Department of Labor will provide model plans for employers to customize.

Sponsor explained the bill modernizes TDI to match paid family leave benefits, phases in increases by January 1, 2026, and adds stillbirth coverage. Noted that insurance companies support the increase and will help businesses prepare.

The bill protects actors from unauthorized AI replication of their likeness and voice. It resulted from negotiations between SAG and studios and represents a commonsense approach to keeping workers safe as AI technology advances.

Argued the bill provides DOL with modernized tools to streamline certified payroll collection and maintenance, improving efficiency in wage theft and misclassification enforcement. Emphasized the system will pay for itself through increased collections and help workers recover wages they have earned.

Ramos praised temporary liquor licenses as an economic development tool that has helped small businesses open faster, fill vacant storefronts, and generate tax revenue without compromising community engagement. She noted the SLA's significant backlog for permanent licenses and called the measure a necessary pressure valve.

Warehouse workers face dangerous conditions with injury rates 54 percent higher than the national average. Employers have shown they will not self-regulate, and this bill advances protections established in 2022 to address hazards in the e-commerce industry.

Ramos expressed strong support for the bill as a necessary measure against wage theft and kickback schemes. She emphasized that the bill provides meaningful relief to low-wage workers by allowing courts to award liquidated damages, interest, and attorney's fees, making it possible for workers to pursue justice.

Ramos voted aye, stating the bill protects consumers in her district by aligning New York's lead restrictions on imported spices with European Union standards, ensuring safe food production while supporting small businesses that rely on spice sales.

The bill expands workers' compensation coverage to include occupational therapy and physical therapy assistants, who are fully licensed by New York and work under supervision. This addresses a severe care shortage, particularly in rural regions where injured workers may live hours away from available providers. The bill was originally crafted by former State Senator Tim Kennedy, now Congressman, who used his expertise as an occupational therapist.

Ramos explained that the bill makes a necessary fix to allow attorneys for injured workers to communicate directly with their clients' doctors, which is currently prohibited. She cited testimony from injured workers and their families, particularly Barbara Miller, whose husband's traumatic brain injury case was complicated by inability to navigate the workers' compensation system and communicate with medical providers.

Ramos explained that the bill represents the culmination of a collective bargaining agreement for minor league players that nearly doubled base pay, added spring training compensation, and provided just-cause protections. She credited the players' courage in organizing and noted the agreement lifted 5,500 players out of extreme poverty.

Ramos cited eight child deaths from cars in NYC in five months, with three in Queens, and highlighted the case of eight-year-old Bayron Palomino Arroyo killed by a reckless driver. She noted the bill addresses community demands for Sammy's Law and scramble crosswalks, and dedicated it to the children of her district.

Framed mental health as a personal and public safety issue, calling for funding beyond the $30 million allocated in the last budget to expand mental health courts and provide necessary mental health care beds and services.

Supported climate provisions and union labor standards in the budget, emphasizing protection of workers and children in the clean energy transition.

Ramos explained the bill requires comprehensive cost-of-living analysis disaggregated by multiple demographic factors to provide the Legislature with accurate data on wage adequacy. She argued this addresses the scale of wage theft ($3.2 billion annually) and poverty driving families from the state, and noted that previous minimum wage increases correlated with crime reduction.

Expressed hope that colleagues voting against the bill would not experience having their own family members incarcerated.

As sponsor, explained the bill's purpose based on her experience as a former community board member in Queens. Cited the example of NRG's proposed peaker plant in Astoria (dubbed Asthma Alley) that was stopped through community outcry, and noted the bill now allows prospective tenants to request 50-year rental histories from HCR before entering leases.

Argued that the current $3,400 annual cap on the loan forgiveness program has not kept pace with law school tuition increases and that student debt is driving attrition in the public defender workforce, particularly affecting attorneys of color and first-generation borrowers with private student loans.

Argued that domestic workers have been historically excluded from labor protections due to Jim Crow-era discrimination and that extending paid sick leave to the 328,000 domestic workers statewide is essential. She emphasized these workers perform critical services, earn poverty wages, and cannot afford to lose income when ill.

Applauded Sen. Jackson's bill for informing students about Civil Service exam opportunities and public service careers. Noted that college students increasingly work while studying due to affordability challenges, and emphasized the importance of workplace readiness education including financial literacy and union organizing knowledge for entry-level workers.

Framed the bill within broader reproductive justice efforts beyond abortion access, emphasizing safe pregnancies and births for women of color. Referenced complementary legislation (MILC bill) to address economic factors contributing to maternal depression.

Highlighted the vulnerability of asylum seekers and women of color in her Jackson Heights district to human trafficking. Called for law enforcement action against trafficking rings and economic opportunities through employment authorization to prevent exploitation.

Wage theft is rampant in New York, with $25 million in stolen wages recovered in 2022 for 18,000 workers. The bill provides workers a rightful course of action to recover lost wages when settlements aren't paid, and judges retain discretion to determine undertaking requirements based on case merits.

Noncompetes deprive workers of freedom to leverage talent and seek opportunity, keeping bad employers in business by forcing employees to remain in abusive environments. Workers need mobility to respond to economic recovery post-pandemic, and true capitalism should work for everyone, not just employers.

As a parent of young children, supported the bill and criticized opponents for prioritizing guns over children's mental health. Praised the Democratic Majority for passing red flag laws.

She reported losing 12 constituents to vehicular violence in the past year, many of them children. She called for drivers to slow down and yield to pedestrians, citing specific victims including 5-year-old Jonathan Martinez.

As chair of the Labor Committee, she emphasized workplace safety and noted New York leads the nation in construction deaths. She cited specific victims including a 27-year-old construction worker and argued the current law discriminates based on income, systematically underpaying women and people of color. She called the bill common-sense legislation that values emotional loss to families rather than income.

Argued the bill extends critical paid sick leave protections to domestic workers statewide beyond current NYC and Westchester coverage. Stated domestic workers deserve paid sick leave to protect their health and family income.

Provided context on delivery workers (deliveristas) who purchase second-use batteries to offset costs not covered by companies like Grubhub and DoorDash. Noted second-use lithium-ion batteries are banned in nearly all other electronics and expressed hope the bill provides families peace of mind.

Ramos praised public defenders for choosing to represent the poorest and most vulnerable citizens rather than pursuing lucrative private practice, and characterized the bill as a token of appreciation for their sacrifice and hard work in ensuring legal representation.

Praised labor-led initiatives including apprenticeship programs, building trades childcare pilot program, and Cornell Climate Jobs Institute funding.

Voted affirmatively while declaring it wrong that home care workers were pitted against minimum wage workers, emphasizing care work is not minimum-wage work and is performed mostly by women of color.

Highlighted that Native women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average and that homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native girls and women aged 10-24. Noted the pay gap for Native American women and connected poverty to vulnerability to violence.

Supported the bill and argued that e-bike fires result from second-use lithium-ion batteries purchased by underpaid delivery workers, not the bikes themselves. Called for banning second-use batteries instead and criticized corporate subsidies while opposing income thresholds for rebates.

Ramos, the bill sponsor, spoke passionately about the need to protect children from traffic violence, citing 18 child deaths in NYC in 2022 and naming many of the victims. She explained the bill would create scramble crosswalks to keep children and school crossing guards safe during school commutes.

The amendment represents historic progress by ensuring all women, including women of color and Indigenous women, are explicitly protected in the state constitution, completing what the 19th Amendment failed to do by excluding Black, Asian, Latina and Indigenous women.