“Democratic socialist” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been fined by the State of New York for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance for a month during her congressional campaign last year.
The New York Daily News reported Thursday:
“The employer did not have the required workers’ compensation coverage from March 31, 2018, to April 30, 2018, and was issued a final penalty of $1,500, which was paid,” state Workers Compensation Board spokeswoman Melissa Stewart said. “This coverage is vital to ensuring workers are protected for on-the-job injuries.”
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Her spokesman said she had nothing to add.
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State Republicans were chortling over the fine.
“Hypocrisy at its finest,” said state GOP spokeswoman Jessica Proud. “The so-called champion of workers, when given her own responsibility, is not following the law. It’s unbelievable.”
Ocasio-Cortez has styled herself as a champion of workers’ rights — against greedy employers:
NYCers are upping the ante. Now Amazon workers, INCLUDING Whole Foods employees, are teaming up w/ @RWDSU to unionize + demand better pay and working conditions.
This is what an organized, grassroots effort to improve people’s lives look like.https://t.co/PiMXbj4dwn
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 12, 2018
Did you know that the airport workers operating heavy machinery for your next flight may not even be paid a living wage?
That’s unacceptable.
& that’s why we joined Delta ramp workers at LaGuardia airport this morning, who are fighting to unionize & secure healthcare for all.⬇️ https://t.co/dYjsHMX9Wt
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 20, 2018
This Black Friday, ask #VornadoRealty+others to pay Toys R Us employees the severance they were promised.#ToysRUs workers in NY-14 &across the country worked for decades w/ that promise.
Once private equity took over, they fired 38,000 workers w/ no pay. We can fight back. pic.twitter.com/7RcdJHP91C
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 23, 2018
Uber has taken in $12 billion in investment and had revenues of $1.7 billion in Q4 of 2016.
Yet their drivers only take home $3.37 an hour.
Does that sound right to you?
We must update our laws to stand up for workers in an increasingly exploitative tech-based economy. https://t.co/uhEjePLxgK
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 2, 2018
It is BRICK out but we are up & at ‘em organizing with @CWAUnion workers in the Bronx early this am
We started out greeting workers at the warehouse and then talked to voters by the 180th St stop on the 5 train! pic.twitter.com/JpmzDXCVOU
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 18, 2018
In recent days, she has been championing the cause of the 800,000 federal workers whose paychecks will be delayed because of the partial government shutdown — though the president has said they will be paid afterwards, and the Senate passed legislation unanimously on Thursday to ensure that.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.