If companies want to come to New York City, they must be willing to engage in a process that allows for input from impacted communities and gives local elected officials in those areas a voice in the approval process. This backroom deal did not allow for New Yorkers to voice serious concerns about Amazon’s anti-labor practices or collaboration with ICE on facial recognition technology, or the unprecedented subsidies given to the company to come to New York City in the first place.
The Progressive Caucus recognizes and celebrates the power of our communities to organize, and express our disappointment in Amazon’s unwillingness to work with City and State officials transparently, go through a public review process such as ULURP, or be accountable and responsive in ways that would actually benefit our communities.