Press Release - April 21st, 2023
Push for Green Jobs and Healthy Schools by the Democratic Committee of Richmond County Labor Committee

​Staten Island, NY - The Democratic Committee of Richmond County Executive Committee adopted a Green Jobs Healthy Schools Resolution.  They adopted the initiative as part of a “Just Transition” that would create good-paying union jobs, provide renewable energy sources and generate tax revenue for New York City.  The Labor committee proposed the resolution to encourage any candidate seeking
the democratic endorsement on Staten Island to advocate and adopt the carbon-free school
plan as part of their campaigns.

On March 16, 2023, Laura Sword, Chair of the Democratic County Committee, held an executive board meeting and took up the resolution as one of her first official acts as Chair. Working with committee members with ties to the IBEW, PEF, UFT, CWA, and ATU, Sword committed to bringing the resolution to the executive board at an earlier meeting with these labor leaders. After discussion, Democratic Committee Law Chair Andrew Poznanski called for a vote, and the Executive Board adopted the resolution unanimously.

Labor Committee Chair Mohammed Karim Chowdhury introduced the motion summarizing the resolution. Chairman Chowdhury concluded his presentation by saying, “Carbon-free and healthy school buildings will provide us with renewable energy, reduce energy costs, create good-paying union jobs, and generate tax revenues for years to come”. 

Richmond County Democratic Committee Chair Laura Sword stated, “This initiative is just the beginning of making a green future for Staten Island and NYC with organized labor at the forefront. We see what many Republicans do not - not only is climate change real, but proactive change to address it can have economic benefits.  And this initiative adds creating healthier environments for our children to learn in and our teachers to work in to that powerful mix. It should be a no-brainer.”

The Democratic Party of Richmond County understands that greenhouse gas emissions are a leading cause of climate change which will continue to affect Richmond County with increased frequency and severity if gone unchecked. In order to mitigate the impact this will have on our school system, retrofitting all NYC public schools by 2023 with sustainable infrastructure will be key.

Members of the labor committee say this is only the beginning of their efforts to push the party to adopt
sustainable solutions to economic insecurity, which they believe is the reason working-class voters are moving away from center politics with both parties, including the Democratic Party, which has long historic ties to organized labor.

For more information about the carbon-free healthy schools initiative, go to CarbonFreeHealthySchoolsNYC.org

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Official Statement - February 20th, 2023
The Democratic Committee of Richmond County's Response to Governor Ron DeSantis' Visit to Staten Island