Crusading for equitable, fair wages and retirement, for all New Yorkers

State Sen. Robert Jackson represents New York’s 31st Senate District, which includes parts of Manhattan’s West Side as well as Washington Heights and Inwood, and has been working for more than three decades protecting workers rights as a civil servant and union leader. He chairs the Civil Service and Pensions Committee and is on the Labor Committee. He also had a history of advocating for unions, fair wages, and job security, going back to before he became a state senator. He's now pushing for laws that would increase the minimum wage for food service workers, prevent wage theft, ensure workers get paid for losses, and require a good reason for firing private-sector employees. 

Jackson, who is to deliver a keynote speech at City & State’s Labor Power 100 event on Thursday, also wants to protect public employees' collective bargaining rights from being overridden by existing civil service laws. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

First, Senator, please introduce yourself to our readers as if you're meeting us for the first time in an elevator. Pretend that we don't know who you are.

I'm state Senator Robert Jackson. I represent this entire [uptown] area, for the New York State Senate, and I live right down the block, so I see you all the time, in the community, going shopping, on the elevator coming up or going down. I’m always saying, “hello, how are you?” That's what it's about. 

You sit on several labor-related committees. You're chair of the Civil Service and Pensions Committee, and a member of the Labor Committee. What are your legislative priorities going into the new year?

Well, you know, we have so many bills that are in the pot. We try to move them forward. Last year one of the biggest things was reducing the time for vesting in the pension system from ten years of vesting to five years. And I've said to people when we've had discussions about this, this was a huge step forward on behalf of the people that depend on the system in order to make sure that whenever they retire, they will have something there. When it was ten years, some people would work for eight or nine years, leave for whatever reason and they got a big fat zero. Now, they only have to put in five years to make the minimum investment for a pension, which is a great aspect that was achieved overall. Also, the final, average salary, moving it from five years to three years, which is always very, very important. This is why I’ve always said “you work together for the benefit of the whole.”

That's what I try to do, and my staff tries to do. We have staff up in Albany full-time, who work on the civil service and pension committee. But also, you had mentioned the other committees I’m involved with, such as the Labor Committee, but there are others where the priorities of labor are emphasized. like the Education Committee. I'm on all three education committees: the New York City Education Committee… Statewide Education and Higher Education. These are big, big committees. I keep fighting and making sure that we're working together for the deeper reforms of Tier 6, such as prioritizing things like stronger apprenticeship pipelines, and especially for youth, and underserved communities. I'm on the Housing and Buildings Committee. The number one issue …that, people are asking for, people are involved with is … affordable housing for everyone. For labor standards and climate infrastructure projects, it's extremely important for labor to have a standardized quality of work as well.

What are your priorities addressing low-wage workers who aren't necessarily unionized?

Well, as you know, there's been a reduction in activities in that area because of the fear resulting from the president of the United States in Washington, D.C. But the most important aspect for me is to communicate with low-wage workers that there are jobs available. If you are a citizen, or if you have a green card, you can work, and all you have to do is register and look at the jobs that are available. In New York City, we're going to have two centers in the next two years where people can go and just look up and see what type of jobs are available. So that's very important. All of these jobs will have prevailing wages that give people the opportunity to earn a living wage. So, those will come online in ‘26-’27. 

As you know, the Trump administration's budget proposal would eliminate federal income taxes on tips for workers through 2028. It's a temporary elimination of just the federal tax, not state and local. Is there anything murmuring about that, that you might be able to discuss? Is anyone talking about that?

The workers that are missing out on tips are the ones that are hurting right now. In fact, when we look at who they are, most of them are women and women of color, and so we're trying to fight to ensure that they get a salary plus tips on top … I have a bill that my staff has been working on, the One Fair Wage bill.Obviously, it's important that you have a salary with tips on top, and that brings about a fair living wage.

Please, provide a preview of your key note for City and State’s Labor Power 100 event.

I'm going to talk about what brought me to where I am today, from the Parents Association, where my kids went to school, to my involvement in the Education Committee in the district that I live in. I will discuss what's important to me as a member of the Civil Service and Pensions Committee, but also when I was in the City Council. I chaired the Education Committee, and I was co-chair of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. As a state senator, I worked hard in order to make sure that Tier 6 reform continues. That's what I've been fighting for.Labor has built this city. And so we pay respects to all of those that are working in unity making sure that everyone has the opportunity to have a living wage, whatever work they do.I will be talking about that. I worked 23 years for a labor union, and had to fight the good fight in order to make sure to be seen and to carry out some of the things that were necessary for all of us to survive such as the opportunity for a sound, basic education for all of our children. These are things that as far as achievements some people thought we would never achieve. But when you stand together and you work together you achieve.For example next year, our governor's up for re-election, along with the state legislature, and so working together is going to be extremely important in the process, and I look forward to further positive achievements for all of us. And I think that's the message, loud and clear.