NYC CLC Stands with Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to Denounce Proposed Executive Order Targeting Non-Profits

On Tuesday, the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO joined Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, NY House Representatives, environmental advocates, civil rights organizations, community groups and more to denounce reports of a looming Executive Order from the Trump Administration that would threaten the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations that the Administration disagrees with. This kind of political attack—reportedly targeting environmental groups first—would be an assault on free speech and the essential role that nonprofits play in building a fairer, healthier, and more democratic society.

"Threatening a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status just because you disagree with its mission is un-American and dangerous," said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. "Tax-exempt status isn’t supposed to be used as a weapon of partisan revenge. All nonprofits need stability to serve the public good. You can’t yank their status one day and restore it the next depending on who’s in the White House. That’s not governance—it’s chaos. This unprecedented expansion of control over our tax policy to punish perceived political enemies is a threat to the very foundations of our society. Today it’s an attack on environmental advocates, but tomorrow it could be any other movement fighting for a better, fairer future for our families and communities, including the Labor Movement." Read more here.