NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: NY Leaders Rally Against Cuts to VA, New Investments for NYC’s Supportive Housing Initiative, Staten Islanders Vote to fill Council Seat and a Standoff Between Delivery Workers and DoorDash

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

Elected officials, veterans and union workers are blasting the White House for its proposal to cut staffing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Plus, Mayor Adams’ executive budget will invest another $46 million to revitalize New York City's supportive housing initiative. Also, residents of Staten Island's south shore head to the polls Tuesday to fill an open City Council seat. And finally, delivery workers in New York City are accusing DoorDash of a pattern of wage theft.

Elected leaders rally against cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. New investments for New York City's supportive housing initiative. Staten Islanders vote to fill an open council seat and a standoff between delivery workers and DoorDash. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jene Pierre. Really up to us to grab and wave the flag and to support our veterans and the outstanding men and women who serve them in a facility. like this one in VA programs throughout New York State and across the country. Assembly member Steve Stern and other elected officials, veterans, and union workers

are blasting the White House for its proposal to cut staffing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Assembly member Harvey Epstein says veterans would be the ones suffering the most. He hosted a rally in Manhattan Sunday. That awful impact that's going to have on veterans and veteran services, it's going to be traumatic. And we were here to say we are not going to stand for it. We're not going to take it lightly. And we're proud to be here to fight for our veterans every single day. Organizers say the layoffs could dramatically increase wait times for medical care and mental health services,

especially for the more than 138,000 veterans who live in New York City. The VA says the cuts aim to reduce bureaucracy and return staffing levels to what they were before the pandemic. Mayor Eric Adams says his executive budget is investing another 46, million dollars to revitalize New York City's supportive housing initiative. The money will help create and preserve more than 5,000 supportive congregate housing with on-site social services. George Griffin once lived in a city shelter, but he says supportive housing changed his life. Eventually, I got a spot in the city's supportive housing network. Five years later, I feel grounded. My supportive home is like a family. Everyone there is to help me.

Griffin was alongside the mayor when city officials announced the initiative. The mayor's plan is part of an overall strategy to invest more than $24 billion in housing over 10 years. Police say a second man is under arrest in connection with the shooting death of a Harlem woman. According to NYPD officials, 23-year-old Ricky Shelby turned himself in Monday. Another man was arrested last week. Shelby is accused of killing Exini and Mete. Community leaders say she was a beloved Harlem Bodhi. operator, known to many as Zini.

She was also a member of the National Action Network. Mette was shot when she stepped outside her building to check on her grandson after hearing a disturbance. Shelby's attorney information was not immediately available. Some voters on Staten Island will hit the polls this week. More on that after the break. This is NYC now. Residents of Staten Island's South Shore head to the polls Tuesday to fill an open

City Council seat. WMYC's Tiffany Hansen has more. Council member Joe Borrelli vacated the 51st district seat in January to take a job at a lobbying firm. Running to take his place are Republicans Griffin Fosella, son of Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella, and talk radio host Frank Morano. They joined Democrat middle school teacher Cliff Hagan in the race for the seat. Despite differing political affiliations, their views on many issues are remarkably similar. On a proposal to To build a mixed-use hotel, Focela says the South Shore is not the right place. A hotel in that area simply does not make sense.

It does not fit the character of the neighborhood. The traffic issues would probably explode. But it's not the potential traffic woes that Morano echoes. This is a development project that is dramatically out of step with the character and the quality of the neighborhood. For his part, Hagan agrees. I stand with them. I object to this as well. The trio also opposes the development of lithium. ion battery storage facilities on the island. Morano says it'll be his first order of business if

elected. The first piece of legislation that I'm going to introduce is to make it so that these battery energy storage sites can't be in residential communities. They have to be in industrial areas only. Where the candidates differ is on their backgrounds and their experience. Morano has spent years in Staten Island politics and works as a conservative talk radio host. 27-year-old Fasela leans on his family ties, citing his father Vito's experience as well as his uncle Frank Fasela, who was a giant in Staten Island politics in the 70s and 80s. And I hope to continue that tradition of fighting for the people of Staten Island. But for Hagen, it's not about politics. It's not necessarily about Republican or Democrat. It's about who's going to best deliver for Staten Island. Polls will be open on

Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Delivery workers. in New York City are accusing DoorDash of a pattern of wage theft. This comes just two months after the company agreed to a $17 million settlement over past allegations of wage theft, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James. That settlement was announced in February, and it addressed claims that DoorDash had pocketed tips specifically that customers had intended for, you know, thousands and thousands of delivery workers.

That's WMYC's in Roon, Vanacepal. But it was related to the period of 2017 to 2019, so pre-pamemic. And the company in its defense says it was related to an outdated pay structure that the company had in place and one which has since been retired. But workers say the settlement didn't end their struggle to get paid. Plus, they say DoorDash is using other ways to exploit its workers. Arun attended a protest last week outside of DoorDash's office in Midtown right across the street from the flat-arm building. Workers there said these practices have to do with how the DoorDash app operates. This is the app that essentially structures their entire working life.

Some said they'd be in the middle of a shift, and without warning, they'd be deactivated and just wouldn't get paid. They say this often happens right after they've made a delivery, and it deprives them of the pay for being on call. These workers, they don't just get paid for each delivery. They sign up for shifts, and they're supposed to be paid, while they're on those shifts, whether they're actively making a delivery or not. So the issue, Arun says, is that their shift is ending right after they make a delivery, instead of when it should end, perhaps, a bit later. And aside from that, Arun says some workers still haven't been paid for deliveries that have already been made.

And some said they've been waiting to be paid for months or even longer. And one worker said he hadn't been paid for $3,300 in work, another for $3,800 in work because of these practices. They say DoorDash is violating the city's minimum pay law for app-based delivery workers, something that was passed in 2023, which requires payment within one week. DoorDash commented on the complaints. A spokesperson for the company, Eli Scheinholz, told me the company's policies for paying delivery workers are based on the city's minimum pay rule is plain and simple, as he said.

He said there shouldn't be a problem issuing payments unless someone fails to provide the needed information. or provides the wrong information or as attempting, as they put it, to abuse the platform. He encouraged the workers to get in touch with a company and help resolve their problems. That's WMYC's Aroom Van Goghaw. Before we go, a big congratulations

to New York City pop icon Cindy Lopper. She'll be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of its 2025 class of inductees. Lopper rose to fame in the 1980s with songs like, True colors, time after time, and of course my personal fave, girls just want to have fun. Lopper was born and raised in Queens and used the city as a setting for her music videos. The Hall of Fame is also commemorating New York City rap duo Salton Pepper with its 2025 musical influence award.

Congratulations, ladies. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. I'm Jene Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.