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new york city
'Biiiiiig Fundraising Numbers' for Socialist NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani in First 80 Days
"We knew there was a hunger for a different kind of politics but this is beyond even our highest expectations," said Mamdani.
Jan 14, 2025
Zohran Mamdani, the Queens state assemblymember and democratic socialist who is running for New York City mayor, announced the results of his latest fundraising haul Tuesday, reporting that he brought in more money than any other campaign has so far and from the largest pool of unique donors.
Mamdani (D-36) netted $642,339 from 6,502 unique donors in the 80 days since his bid launched, according to a statement released Tuesday.
"Biiiiiig fundraising numbers for Zohran Mamdani in his first 80 days," wrote New York City journalist Christopher Robbins, who also reported on Mamdani's fundraising totals.
Those running for mayor—a crowded field that includes a number of progressive candidates—face a January 15 fundraising deadline for the filing period from October 8, 2024 through January 11.
Of Mamdani's total haul, the campaign estimates that at least $300,000 will be matched by the city's 8-to-1 public financing program, meaning an additional $2.4 million to the campaign next month, for a total of more than $3 million, according to the statement.
"We knew there was a hunger for a different kind of politics but this is beyond even our highest expectations," said Mamdani in the statement. "Our thousands of donors have launched us and our vision for a more affordable city into the top tier of this race."
Other Democrats running to be elected mayor include current City Comptroller Brad Lander, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-13)—all of whom are to the left of current Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election while facing five federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. Adams has pleaded not guilty.Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also hinted that he will enter the race.
The candidates will face off in June primary in a ranked choice voting election.
Mamdani, who was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2021, has distinguished himself as a vocal figure on the left. The Ugandan-born, Manhattan-raised Mamdani was active in a successful effort to win New York City taxi drivers hundreds of millions in debt relief, including by participating in a hunger strike. He also helped spearhead the city's first free bus pilot.
Mamdani's campaign is focused on the city's affordability crisis. He has pledged to freeze rents for tenants who live in rent stabilized apartments; make city buses free; implement free childcare for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years; and create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low.
Speaking on WNYC last week, Mamdani said that one of the ways he intends to pay for these programs is by raising the corporate tax rate and increasing income taxes on people who make more than $5 million a year.
Mamdani was not considered a serious candidate when it was first reported that he was running, wroteCity & State publisher Tom Allon in an opinion piece last week, but he's since distinguished himself as a consistent and clear communicator and "captured the left's imagination with a number of simple ideas that he's clearly articulated."
Recent polling indicates that Mamdani's bid is still a long shot, though he's currently neck and neck with the incumbent mayor. Politico, citing numbers from a survey commissioned by the 501(c)4 Progressives for Democracy in America that was conducted December 16-22, reported that Cuomo led with 32% when likely Democratic voters were asked to pick a favorite candidate. Stringer came in second at 10%; Lander came in third with 8%; Ramos was at 7%; and Adams and Mamdani both earned 6%. Two other candidates, Michael Blake and state sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-20), earned 2% and 1%, respectively.
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'Tired of Amazon's Lies,' California Teamsters Join Strike Threat
"Amazon is responsible for our low pay and unsafe working conditions," said a driver at the City of Industry facility.
Dec 17, 2024
Amazon faces a growing threat of a major walkout in the United States, with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announcing Tuesday that workers at four of the online retail giant's Southern California facilities have "overwhelmingly" voted to authorize strikes, joining employees at sites in Illinois and New York City.
The announcement for DFX4, DAX5, KSBD, and DAX8 in California came after authorizations at the Amazon delivery station DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois on Monday as well as the Staten Island warehouse JFK8 and the DBK4 delivery station in Queens on Friday. Workers at all seven sites want Amazon to recognize their union and negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions.
"It's past time that we fight for the pay and benefits we deserve," Raymond Scarborough, a driver at DFX4 in Victorville, said in a Tuesday statement. "Amazon isn't going to bully us out of demanding our rights."
Fellow driver Alexis Ayala, who is based at DAX5 in the City of Industry, declared that "we're tired of Amazon's lies."
"Amazon is responsible for our low pay and unsafe working conditions," Ayala continued. "My co-workers and I are ready to stand with our brothers and sisters around the country and fight back against this abusive company."
Following the NYC votes, the Teamsters gave Amazon until Sunday to start talks. The union said Tuesday that "after ignoring a December 15 deadline from the Teamsters to come to the bargaining table, Amazon now faces potential large-scale labor actions at a critical time of year when the company should be putting workers and customers ahead of corporate profits."
Tobias Cheng, a worker at the KSBD air hub in San Bernardino, also highlighted the anticipated impact of a holiday season strike.
"We know how important our air hub is to Amazon's operations," Cheng said. "If Amazon forces a strike, it might have a serious impact on customers throughout the region and beyond."
Increasing pressure on Amazon to improve conditions, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday published a report detailing how, as he put it, "executives repeatedly chose to put profits ahead of the health and safety of its workers by ignoring recommendations that would substantially reduce injuries at its warehouses."
While Amazon—which was founded by Jeff Bezos, the second-richest man on Earth—released a lengthy statement decrying the report as "misleading," Teamsters leaders and unionized workers have echoed its conclusions in recent days.
"The corporate elitists who run Amazon are leaving workers with no choice," Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien said of the looming strikes on Tuesday. "Greedy executives are pushing thousands of hardworking Americans to the brink."
"Amazon rakes in more money than anybody, they subject workers to injury and abuse at every turn, and they illegally claim not to be the rightful employer of nearly half their workforce," he asserted. "This rigged system cannot continue. Amazon must be held accountable to workers and consumers alike. If workers are forced onto the picket line, Amazon will be striking itself."
Riley Holzworth, a worker at DIL7, similarly noted Monday that "Amazon is one of the biggest companies on Earth, but we are struggling to pay our bills."
"Other workers are seeing our example and joining our movement," Holzworth added, "because we are only going to get the treatment we deserve if we fight for it."
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Holiday Season Ultimatum From Amazon Workers: Bargain or We Strike!
"If Amazon chooses to ignore us, they’re the ones ruining Christmas for millions of families. We’re not just fighting for a contract; we’re fighting for the future of worker power at Amazon and beyond."
Dec 14, 2024
Workers at a Amazon warehouse and delivery center in New York announced approval of strike authorizations on Friday, giving the retail giant—who have refused to negotiate for months—until Sunday to come to the bargaining table or risk a major work stoppage at the height of the holiday shopping season.
The unions representing Amazon workers at two New York City facilities—the JFK8 warehouse on Staten Island and the DBK4 delivery center in Queens—cited the company's "illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract" to address low wages and dangerous working conditions as the reason for the strike authorization.
"We just want what everyone else in America wants—to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn't letting us do that."
"Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement. "We've been clear: Amazon has until December 15 to come to the table and bargain for a contract. If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight."
The workers are demanding:
- A living wage with fair pay increases.
- Safer working conditions to prevent injuries and fatalities.
- Job security and protection from arbitrary firings.
- Dignity and respect for all employees.
In June, over 5,500 workers at JFK8—who first voted in favor of creating a union in 2022—joined the Teamsters and chartered the Amazon Labor Union (ALU)-IBT Local 1. Despite consolidating their organizing strength with the backing of the Teamsters, Amazon management has dragged their feet on bargaining a first contract, hardly surprising given the company's long-standing hostility to organized labor.
"Amazon's refusal to negotiate is a direct attack on our rights," said Connor Spence, president of ALU-IBT Local 1, on Friday. "If Amazon chooses to ignore us, they’re the ones ruining Christmas for millions of families. We’re not just fighting for a contract; we’re fighting for the future of worker power at Amazon and beyond."
Rank-and-file members said their demands are reasonable, especially as the company—owned by the world's second-richest man, Jeff Bezos—continues to rake in massive profits year after year as one of the world's largest companies.
"We aren't asking for much," said James Saccardo, a worker at JFK8. "We just want what everyone else in America wants—to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn't letting us do that."
In Queens, Amazon workers at DBK4—the corporation's largest delivery station in the city—voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike of their own.
"Driving for Amazon is tough," said Luc Rene, a driver who works out of DBK4. "What's even tougher is fighting a mega-corporation that constantly breaks the law and games the system. But we won't give up."
"Every horror story you read about Amazon is true, but worse," said Justine, a warehouse worker in New York in a video produced by More Perfect Union.
BREAKING: Amazon workers in NYC are going on strike right before Christmas — the company's busiest time.
The first unionized Amazon warehouse is going to shut down in a historic walkout.
Workers plan to hit the company where it hurts to win their first union contract. pic.twitter.com/CwnrRWg4be
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) December 13, 2024
A strike at this time of year, the busiest for the retail giant, reports labor correspondent Jessica Burbank for Drop Site News, "would hit them where it hurts. The scale of the strike would be unprecedented, including the major hubs of New York and San Bernadino, California."
According to Burbank:
Amazon now has a workforce of over 700,000, making it the largest employer of warehouse workers in the nation. If a contract is won at these initial 20 bargaining units, it has the potential to impact working conditions for thousands of workers, and inspire union organizing efforts at Amazon facilities across the country.
For Amazon workers who voted to unionize their warehouses in March of 2022, this has been a long time coming. “Thousands of Amazon workers courageously cast their ballots to form a union at JFK8 in Staten Island,” Smalls said in a text. “We shocked the world, we had won against a corporate giant and hoped that step would propel us forward to help create a better workplace.” For years, Amazon stalled on recognizing the union, and has not yet met union representatives at the negotiating table.
Smalls said, “I’m excited to see workers take control, take the next step and move even further down the path to victory when they exercise their right to strike.” He continued, “We celebrated as we inspired thousands of others to hope for the same.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Saturday issued his support for the union workers.
"Amazon delivery drivers and warehouse workers deserve decent wages, benefits and working conditions—and the right to form a union," said Sanders. "I strongly support the thousands of Amazon workers who will go on strike tomorrow if Amazon doesn't end its illegal union busting."
The workers at JFK8 said people could support the union's effort in various ways "at this critical time," including:
- Donate to the Solidarity Fund: Help workers sustain their fight by contributing to the strike fund.
- Show Up on the Picket Line: Join workers at JFK8 to demonstrate solidarity and hold Amazon accountable for their illegal refusal to negotiate a union contract.
- Spread the Word: Use social media and local networks to raise awareness about the workers’ struggle and the importance of their fight for justice at Amazon.
- Contact Elected Officials: Urge representatives to publicly support JFK8 workers and pressure Amazon to negotiate in good faith.
- Sign the Petition: Stand with Amazon workers and demand that Amazon guarantee a safe return to work, free of harassment and retaliatory disciplinary action, to all workers participating in protected collective action.
For his part, former labor secretary and economist Robert Reich said he had no sympathy for the retail giant's refusal to bargain in good faith with the workers who make its business model possible.
"Amazon had $15 billion in profits last quarter," said Reich. "Don't tell me they can't afford to bargain a fair contract."
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