JOBS, THE ECONOMY, AND ORGANIZED LABOR

Julie has been a champion of creating jobs and protecting workers for decades.

She is a former small business owner who knows firsthand the challenges of owning and operating a small business in New York City. Post-9/11 her business struggled to survive and ultimately closed. It’s that institutional memory that she’ll bring to the City Council to help those struggling in a post-COVID environment.

But post-9/11, it wasn’t just about helping her own business, Julie went to work to help small businesses across downtown recover when recovery seemed unimaginable. And she continued that work by reducing fines on small businesses as Commissioner of Consumer Affairs even as she enforced the city’s groundbreaking paid sick leave law.

Additionally, Julie led the implementation effort on the historic living wage executive order that allowed hardworking men and women to earn a living wage for their work. This was a huge win for organized labor in New York City that had been made a target by the federal government. 

As Commissioner of Media and Entertainment, Julie launched dozens of new programs to create more jobs, particularly for women and people of color. She launched a $5 million dollar fund to promote the success of women in the film and theater industries and was part of a five-part initiative to promote equity in front of and behind the camera.  Julie spearheaded the launch of the nation's first Freelancers Hub, the first of its kind initiative to help independent workers in the gig economy and a new VR/AR tech center to make New York City a leader in these fields.   

And she negotiated the historic deal to bring the Grammy’s back to Madison Square Garden after a ten-year hiatus that resulted in the creation of more than $200 million in economic benefit to the city.

In the City Council, Julie will continue to champion organized labor and she’ll fight for small businesses to survive under the most difficult of circumstances.