New York City's Corporate Crackdown: Zohran Mamdani and Julie Menin Take Aim at Big Business.
In a surprising shift, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the likely City Council Speaker, Julie Menin, are signaling a new era of stricter corporate regulation in New York City. Both politicians have been making waves by supporting labor unions, particularly Starbucks workers who are on strike over stalled contract negotiations.
Mamdani has joined workers on a picket line, vowing to "hold these kinds of corporations accountable" for their actions. Meanwhile, Menin is set to use the Council's subpoena powers to go after what she calls "bad actor corporations." This stance marks a significant departure from previous speakers, who were more likely to be seen as check on Mamdani's agenda.
Mamdani has been vocal about criticizing the billionaire class during his election night victory speech. The next day he appointed Lina Khan, the former Federal Trade Commission chair, as co-chair of his transition team, who is known for her work in taking down big corporations.
Menin previewed her speakership by vowing to enforce laws protecting workers, saying "We pass some laws and then oftentimes are completely ignored." Menin also stated that suing "bad actor corporations" will be part of her agenda.
While business leaders are becoming uneasy about the new dynamic, Kathy Wylde from the Partnership for New York City said, "This is a bad message to business because they seem like sweeping gestures."
Mamdani has proposed raising the maximum corporate tax rate to 11.5% to fund his affordability agenda. Mitchell Moss, an urban policy professor at NYU, described this rhetoric as more confrontational and likened it to Washington D.C. lawmakers.
Just look at Starbucks, where a nearly $35 million settlement was reached three years after the city began investigating worker complaints. Menin celebrated the deal, saying "Today's victory serves as a message to corporations: NYC will protect workers and hold violators accountable."
In a surprising shift, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the likely City Council Speaker, Julie Menin, are signaling a new era of stricter corporate regulation in New York City. Both politicians have been making waves by supporting labor unions, particularly Starbucks workers who are on strike over stalled contract negotiations.
Mamdani has joined workers on a picket line, vowing to "hold these kinds of corporations accountable" for their actions. Meanwhile, Menin is set to use the Council's subpoena powers to go after what she calls "bad actor corporations." This stance marks a significant departure from previous speakers, who were more likely to be seen as check on Mamdani's agenda.
Mamdani has been vocal about criticizing the billionaire class during his election night victory speech. The next day he appointed Lina Khan, the former Federal Trade Commission chair, as co-chair of his transition team, who is known for her work in taking down big corporations.
Menin previewed her speakership by vowing to enforce laws protecting workers, saying "We pass some laws and then oftentimes are completely ignored." Menin also stated that suing "bad actor corporations" will be part of her agenda.
While business leaders are becoming uneasy about the new dynamic, Kathy Wylde from the Partnership for New York City said, "This is a bad message to business because they seem like sweeping gestures."
Mamdani has proposed raising the maximum corporate tax rate to 11.5% to fund his affordability agenda. Mitchell Moss, an urban policy professor at NYU, described this rhetoric as more confrontational and likened it to Washington D.C. lawmakers.
Just look at Starbucks, where a nearly $35 million settlement was reached three years after the city began investigating worker complaints. Menin celebrated the deal, saying "Today's victory serves as a message to corporations: NYC will protect workers and hold violators accountable."
. It's about time someone stood up for the little guy (or girl). I love how Zohran Mamdani is holding those big corps accountable, especially after his election night speech was all about taking down the billionaire class 
. And Julie Menin seems like a total boss too - suing bad actor corporations sounds like just what we need 
.
. It'll be interesting to see how business leaders react to this new vibe 
. Either way, I'm all for it - more corporate accountability can only be a good thing! 
They're already getting these new regulations slapped on 'em from both Mamdani & Menin. Like, what's next? A boycott on all the fancy restaurants? I don't get why people are saying this is a bad message to business... I mean, they've been screwing over workers for years and now they gotta pay up? 
i mean i get why they wanna crack down on big corps but 11.5% tax rate seems kinda steep 
what happens if it doesnt fund affordability agenda tho? and btw did they mention anything about impact on local businesses like mine 
. I mean, who needs billionaires when you've got people looking out for workers? 
It's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out, especially with Lina Khan on board – she's like a corporate ninja 
meanwhile the city is trying to make ends meet 
I'm loving the fact that Lina Khan is on board, she's like a superhero for workers! 
Their plan to raise corporate tax rates sounds like a solid move to fund affordability initiatives. 
It's gonna be interesting to see how business leaders react, but honestly, corporations need to step up their game if they wanna thrive in NYC #NYC CorporateCrackdown #BigBusinessBeware
. Zohran Mamdani and Julie Menin are literally putting their foot down against those big corps that think they can just do whatever and get away with it. It's so refreshing to see them take a stand for the workers. 
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. Like, what's the worst that can happen? Corporations might have to pay up a bit more taxes or be held accountable for their actions? That's a good thing in my book 