Platform

Labor

  1. Just Cause Employment: Under Just Cause, employers must employ progressive discipline and cannot fire workers arbitrarily. We must enshrine these protections in law for Ithaca and create the Workers Rights Committee—which can hear cases of wrongful termination and make legally binding rulings—ensuring that it’s not dominated by business owners.
  2. City-Specific Minimum Wage: Ithaca workers need to be paid a wage on which they can survive and support themselves and their families. The cost of living in Ithaca is considerably higher than in most of Upstate New York, and the current state minimum wage is not sufficient to survive in the city. Creating an Ithaca minimum wage (at the living wage, according to ILR's living wage calculation of $24.82 is vital.
  3. Protections for Outdoor Workers: Enact legislation protecting workers in high temperatures, such as regular breaks, allowing workers to adjust to temperatures, and restrictions for dangerous weather/temperature conditions.

Housing

Housing-first, people-first policies. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live and Tenants need to be empowered 

  1. ETPA: Opt-into the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) for rent stabilization and work with state partners to expand the ETPA to newer properties.
  2. Zoning: Adjust zoning code to increase housing supply by removing parking requirements and single-family zoning, allowing ADUs (accessory dwelling units) and eliminating other unnecessary restrictions that do not actually benefit Ithacans.
  3. Inspections: Increase fees for health and safety regulation non-compliance to better fund code enforcement and incentivize landlords to maintain their property to health and safety standards.
  4. Cherry Street Shelter: Collaborate with the County to ensure a homeless shelter is built with the necessary space and facilities, and less barriers to entry. Encourage the county to ease sobriety requirements and create a “no-questions asked” system. 

Infrastructure

  1. Support TCAT Drivers: Fair pay and safe working conditions for TCAT drivers is good for both workers and riders. By supporting TCAT drivers we help maintain quality personnel, make service more reliable, and reduce recruitment and training costs associated with high turnover.
  2. Workforce development: The Energy Warriors: Green Career Pathways program provides job opportunities for historically marginalized people in our community and sets up Ithaca to be a leader in the green economy of the future but it only works if we invest the funding it needs. We need to work with our state legislators and other sources of funding to make programs like this possible.
  3. Community Owned Renewable Energy: The community choice aggregation pilot program created in collaboration between the city and town of Ithaca has immense potential to further our decarbonization goals, bring energy costs down, and reduce our reliance on the central grid in case of blackouts. The city and county should cooperate to fully implement and expand this program to all parts of Tompkins County.
  4. Make Cornell Pay: Pressure Cornell to increase their contribution to TCAT to ensure consistent service and expand routes, including to local grocery stores and natural recreation areas.
  5. Ithaca Green New Deal: Getting back on track and supporting policies that benefit Ithaca communities who have been disproportionately affected by climate change. This includes Introducing home energy ratings and required disclosure for residential properties, rapid deployment of battery storage, and more
  6. Keep clean energy local: Work with city and county government to commit to sourcing labor for clean energy projects from entities with offices within Tompkins county in an effort to increase economic opportunity, build community wealth, and increase the number of good-paying jobs available to Ithacans.
     

Justice
 


    1. Community Accountability Board: This board must have the power to investigate the police department and hold them accountable

    2. Reparations: Black Ithacans deserve reparations from the City, both through direct payments and through additional support for community organizations which serve these communities, like Southside and GIAC.

3. Sanctuary City Status: Ithaca must maintain its commitment to Sanctuary City status for immigrants, those seeking gender-affirming care, and reproductive care. City officials should not cooperate with federal law enforcement seeking to detain people for their immigration status or care they’re seeking, under any circumstances.