Paul Tonko

For our first story, we head to this year's annual Capital District Labor Day picnic, which was held at Joe Bruno Stadium.

In part one, Mark talks with Congress member Paul Tonko and several area labor activists.

Labor Day is a national holiday to recognize the contributions of working men and women.

This Labor Day finds that 71% of Americans approve of unions, the highest since 1957.

The political and economic power of unions remain low, constrained by low membership, political opposition, and economic pressures.

Wage growth has continued to lag behind inflation, which has hit workers hard s- since 2021.

For our Labor Day coverage, in part one, we hear from Congressman Paul Tonko, Steve Madarasz of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, labor activists Candace Lyden and Doug Bullock.

So at the, uh, Capital District Labor Day picnic, we catch up with Congressman Paul Tonko.

Wage growth has continued to lag behind inflation, which has hit workers hard since 2021.

For our Labor Day coverage, we hear from Congressman Paul Tonko, Steve Medeiros of the New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, Labor activists Candace Lydon and Doug Bullock, Sean Collins of the Detroit Area Labor Council, Melissa Pearson of the New York State United Teachers, Natasha Pernicka of the Food Pantries for the Capital District, and Greg Giorgio of the Industrial Workers of the World.

So at the Capital District Labor Day picnic, we catch up with Congressman Paul Tonko.

Paul, what does Labor Day mean to you?

Well, Labor Day is a tribute to workers and honoring the efforts made by unions to make certain that people get fair pay, you know, a living wage, and that there be benefits and that there be good work conditions.

Trahan? Okay.

From Georgia, we have McBeth, Rivas from California, Dean from Pennsylvania, Goldlander from New Hampshire, Veazey from Texas, Kaptur from Ohio, Perez from Washington, Strickland from Washington, Dilsoliner from California, Pocan from Wisconsin, Takano from California, scanton from pennsylvania dexter from oregon and from california we have tran to get titus from nevada davis from north carolina and across from new jersey bear from virginia matsul from california uh neil from massachusetts is on here i feel like i skipped a few Kishamurati from Illinois, Taleb from Michigan, Ruiz from California, Tonko from New York, Ryan from New York, Vasquez from New York.

Here we go.

Scott from Virginia, Garcia from California, Mendez from New Jersey, Kelly from Illinois, Delotto.

In today's consumer ecosystem, most of the stuff that needs to be recycled comes from big e-commerce companies and their packaging.

Today on the show, you'll meet representatives from an organization that is successfully challenging the status quo here in Oregon of who pays for recycling.

And so far, they're winning in an effort to have producers of packaging pay to recycle their boxes, wrappings, and containers.

That's next on Oregon on the Record.

I can say that there have been proposals that have been put forward at the federal level, including a current proposal from a representative in New York, Representative Tonko.

But we sort of see that for now as being a North Star and a guide to states as they think through what their EPR framework might look like.

And we'll continue to have conversations at the federal level to keep educating representatives and senators about the importance of smart recycling policy.

We do have other federal policies, including a fairly comprehensive recycling tax credit that we think may have more near term success, the Circle Act at the federal level.

Okay, good start.

Tonko, also here, such a Tonko fellow chatroom streamer.

Hello.

Hello.

Lots of updates to the game.

Lots of events wrapping up before the new update comes out, too, which we'll talk about.

But before we get into all of that, what have you been up to this week? Tonko, you go first.

So, you know how I said I was playing a bunch of real games? Yeah.

So far left and far right opinions and voices are going to be amplified.

You know, A- AOC and Marjorie Taylor Greene are always gonna go viral than my congressman where I grew up in Albany, New York, Paul Tonko.

No offense.

He's, he's kind of boring.

So let's get on to, uh, talk about the Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act.

Following a weekend of dangerously poor air quality across the Washington region, Congressman James R. Walkinshaw of Virginia, joined by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania, Paul Tonko of New York, Don Beyer of Virginia, and Eleanor Holmes Norton in DC, introduced the bipartisan Federal Facilities Indoor Air Quality Assessment Act to identify and address air quality and ventilation problems across federal buildings.

Recently, wildfire smoke pushed the region into Code Purple conditions, meaning the air was considered very unhealthy for everyone.

In response, ASHRAE Society President Sarah Mastin said that, and I quote, "Ensuring that federal buildings provide healthy indoor environments is essential to protecting occupant health and supporting productivity." She continued, saying, "A comprehensive review of indoor air quality across the federal building portfolio will provide valuable information about how these p- facilities perform against nationally recognized indoor air quality standards and where improvements may be needed.

And as I said to Mike, when I get done out here at the track training these horses, I'm going right to her office and I'm going to sit down and I'm gonna ask her, "Do you, do you agree with this, uh, with this, with this policy by this Gallagher, this nut job, uh, um, Assembly, uh, yeah, Assemblywoman Gallagher, uh, to be able to, uh, to, to, to, uh, you know, try and pass this law of make it, make it legal for, for theft in here, in New York and across the country?" So I, that's, you know, I ...

And Paul F- Paul Tonko, he's another, uh, Democrat, uh, representative in my district.

You know, who do I have? I don't have anybody really to, uh, to, uh, to, to, to more or less speak with other than these Democrats and, and the libtards that live, that live in my neighborhood.

You know, I, I, I would have to say [laughs] that 85% of them will, will go along with this, with this, with this policy.