News Coverage of NYC Bridge Shutdown

To dramatize the need for the Unemployment Bridge Program in New York, advocates shut down the Manhattan Bridge during rush hour on Monday morning, March 6. The march was led by a broad coalition the people who are currently left out of unemployment insurance and would be included by the Unemployment Bridge Program: immigrants who are undocumented, freelancers, cash earners, people re-entering the labor force after a period of incarceration, and more.

The news coverage was stunning.

Reports ran on ABC TV, CBS TV, Long Island’s leading television news station News 12, Univision, Univision’s Última Hora. The only major television station that missed it was NBC news. This was a made-for-TV action, but print media covered it too, including AM New York and a great, long story in El Diario.

Every one of these reports used the Immigration Research Initiative data to show how many people would be affected. They typically didn’t cite IRI, but that’s OK—we like to get credit, but sometimes it’s just as good for our estimates to be reported as simply the accepted answer!

For those who want to look, though, here is the IRI report: 750,000 people will gain the security of knowing they could be covered if they lose work, 30,000 would receive the payment at any given time. And we can give data by region of New York State and show how the Unemployment Bridge Program would address racial inequities in existing unemployment insurance.

Among the groups at the rally were:

African Communities Together

Cabrini Immigrant Services

Caribbean Equality Project

Carroll Gardens Association

Chinese-American Planning Council

Community Resource Center

Don Bosco Workers Center

DRUM, Desis Rising Up and Moving

DSI, Diligently Serving Immigrants

El Centro del Inmigrante

La Red De Pueblos Transnacionales

Laundry Workers Center

LIUNA LOCAL 79

Make the Road NY

Mixteca

Movement for Justice in El Barrio

NATIONAL WRITERS UNION & Freelance Solidarity Project!

NDLON, National Day Laborer Organizing Network

Neighbors Link

New York Taxi Workers Alliance

NICE, New Immigrant Community Empowerment

NYCC, New York Communities for Change

Obreros Unidos of Yonkers

RAPP, Releasing Aging People in Prison!

Street Vendor Project

Sunnyside Community Services

United Community Center of Westchester

Yonkers Sanctuary Movement