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February 12, 2015 – In her State of the City speech, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said the Council will “expand protections to New Yorkers with poor credit.” And today, a coalition of 76 labor, civil rights, community and student groups called on the NYC Council to pass Intro. 261, the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act, which would ban credit checks by employers in NYC. |
Coalition urges Mayor and Council to “Show Some Love for NYC Workers” this Valentine’s Day by Ending Widespread, Discriminatory Credit Checks
Show Some Love
Join community, labor, and student groups, members of the NYC Council, and many others on the steps of City Hall to call on the Mayor and the City Council to pass the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act (Intro 261), which would prohibit the use of credit history in hiring and other employment related decisions throughout NYC. We’ll be using a theme of Valentine’s Day to send the message that NYC can’t wait for this important civil rights legislation.
Broad Community-Labor-Clergy Coalition Calls on NYC Mayor, Council to End Employment Discrimination Based on Credit
January 16, 2015 – A coalition of elected officials and prominent civic leaders representing more than 60 civil rights, labor, community service, and advocacy groups delivered a letter to Mayor de Blasio and members of the New York City Council, calling on the city to enact the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act. The bill would ban the use of credit checks for employment purposes throughout the five boroughs. With a veto-proof majority of City Council sponsors, the bill would be the strongest such law in the country. The coalition is urging the Mayor and Council to act now and pass the bill quickly to protect thousands of New Yorkers from unfair, discriminatory, and illegitimate barriers to employment, and to block special interests from weakening the bill with loopholes and exemptions. Read the letter here.
The Credit Check Carolers – Live at City Hall
December 17, 2014 – Members of the NYC Coalition to Stop Credit Checks in Employment sang carols today in front of City Hall to encourage the passage of Intro. 261, the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act. Carolers sang customized renditions of several traditional carols to shine light on the unfair barrier posed by employment credit checks, and received some vocal assistance from Council Member Brad Lander and Public Advocate Letitia James! Check out footage here.
An Unfair Way to Decide Whom to Hire
November 14, 2014 – An op-ed in today’s A.M. New York by New York City Public Advocate Letitia James and Dēmos President Heather McGhee explains that “poor credit is often the result of health problems and economic misfortune, rather than a sign that potential employees are irresponsible” – and that New York City can end this discriminatory barrier to employment and advancement by passing the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act without specious exemptions. Read the op-ed here.
Bad Credit? Big Problem.
October 5, 2014 – The New York Times penned an editorial this morning urging the City Council and Mayor de Blasio to sign the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act into law. The Times argues that employment credit checks are not justified by evidence and that New Yorkers should be protected from “stereotypes and misinformation” that unfairly exclude applicants from the job market. Read the editorial here.
