News & Press

MFY Objects to Proposed Work Search Regulations

MFY submitted comments regarding work search regulations proposed by the New York State Department of Labor that would render ineligible otherwise eligible low-wage workers because they are unable to comply with bureaucratic requirements. We oppose these punitive regulations and propose that the focus be on assisting people with their job searches and the barriers they …

MFY Files Suit Against Bronx Restaurant Owner

MFY filed suit in Bronx Supreme Court on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, on behalf of a former worker of Rio Cobre Restaurant & Lounge, charging that the restaurant’s owner violated minimum wage and overtime laws, and violated the New York City Human Rights Law by firing the worker because of his sexual orientation. 

MFY Warns Proposed Court Forms May Harm Debt Litigants

MFY submitted comments strongly opposing the Office of Court Administration’s (OCA) proposal to create statewide forms for debt collectors to use when seeking default judgments in consumer credit actions. Although MFY recognizes OCA’s initiative in addressing the meager amount of proof required to obtain default judgments in these cases, the proposed forms actually serve to …

MFY Files Suit Against Foreclosure Scammer

MFY filed a groundbreaking lawsuit on behalf of a Queens homeowner who paid thousands of dollars in fees to a company that promised a loan modification and legal services but provided nothing. The New York Post describes the suit, the first of its kind filed in the city under the distressed property consultant law.

Essex St. Market Vendor Sues City Charging Discrimination

MFY filed suit in state Supreme Court on Thursday, November 21, 2013, on behalf of Carmen Salvador, a vendor at the city-administered Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side, charging that the city’s refusal to renew the permit for her small clothing business violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and was arbitrary and capricious.

MFY Testimony: Kinship Caregivers Face Enormous Legal Challenges

Barbara Graves-Poller, Supervising Attorney of MFY Legal Services’ Kinship Caregiver Law Project, testified before a joint hearing of the New York City Council’s General Welfare and Aging committees on the legal challenges facing grandparents and others who care for related children outside of the foster care system.

Data Shows Weak Enforcement by NYS Department of Labor

The Coalition for a Real Minimum Wage Increase, of which MFY is a member, obtained Freedom of Information Law data showing that the New York State Department of Labor is not keeping up with the need for enforcement of wage laws.  A press conference to publicize the data was held on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, …

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