Stephen Crivillaro - Labor History

Stephan Crivillaro majored in Labor Studies as a student at Queens College, and learned a great deal about the role of organized labor in American industry, and the of the dynamics of between and management relations.

He also learned a great deal about the history of organized labor. Before enrolling in the Labor Studies curriculum, Stephen Crivillaro always thought that labor unions had their origins in the twentieth century. But it was really in the mid- to late-1800s that the initial efforts to organize workers into units of collective bargaining began to make headway. Prior to that, most American workers worked ten hour shifts for six days at week, and that was the original goal of most organized labor: winning an eight hour day, five days a week, and at a reasonable wage.

During the early days of labor and its attempts to organize, there was disagreement on what the common goals should be. But the length of the work day and week were generally agreed upon. After some success with shorter days and work weeks, some workers, Stephen Crivillaro learned, adopted extreme ideas such as Marxism. Others were content to bargain collectively for small increases in their hourly wage, and a few benefits. But he saw that organized labor had, as a group, brought tremendous change to the workforce in America, and most of it for the better. Today most Americans enjoy higher wages, better hours, and improved working conditions, and in many instances employers pay for medical coverage and a couple of weeks of vacation each year. 

Visit here - https://soundcloud.com/stephen-crivillaro for more details.

Stephen Crivillaro – Superstorm Sandy

Stephen Crivillaro is a native New Yorker who was among the first to swing into action after Superstorm Sandy devastated much of his hometown, as well as the Eastern Seaboard and beyond, in the fall of 2012.

He recalls how badly New York was affected by the late-season hurricane, which began in Jamaica before working its way up the Atlantic toward New Jersey and New York. The costs of the storm have been estimated as high as fifty billion dollars, says Stephen Crivillaro. More than one hundred homes were destroyed in the Breezy Point area of Queens, when the storm touched off an overnight fire. Thousands of flights were cancelled at the three main airports serving New York, which were closed for two days.

Superstorm Sandy produced a record storm surge of water in New York, as Stephen Crivillaro remembers all too well. The surge surpassed 13.8 feet in Battery Park, more than four feet higher than the previous record water level caused by Hurricane Donna in 1960. New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials says the Sandy caused the worst damage in the 108 year history of the city's subway system. Flood waters also damaged the city's electrical systems, including the one that powers Wall Street. Millions of people were left without power.

The storm even had an impact on the 2008 presidential campaign. President Barack Obama joined New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to inspect the storm's impact and declared states of emergency in New York and New Jersey, and Republican candidate Mitt Romney cancelled his own political rallies and turned one appearance into a "storm relief" fundraising event.

All told, 285 people lost their lives to Superstorm Sandy, including 125 people in the United States.

Stephen Crivillaro - The Bronx Organization for the Learning Disabled

Stephen Crivillaro is a graduate of Queens College in New York, where he majored in Labor Studies and earned himself a Bachelor's degree.

As a native New Yorker and a successful green energy consultant, he is committed to giving back to his community. He has been a supporter of BOLD, the Bronx Organization for the Learning Disabled. He has been active in BOLD programs that provide assistance to people who are coping with a range of disabilities. 

As he knows, BOLD is approved by the New York State Department of Education to provide special education services to preschoolers in the three to five age range. It is also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a voluntary system that sets professional standards for early childhood education programs.

Stephen Crivillaro has always known of the importance of charitable giving and supporting worthy causes. He understands that such activity is not only a benefit to those who are in need, but also because it can provide people with a chance to develop a better understanding of the community in which they live.

He says that we all have a choice when it comes to giving back to the community. There are organizations that focus on the needs of homeless people, and organizations that raise funds to fight diseases such as breast cancer. And there are those organizations that are especially close to his heart, because they raise funds in support of environmental issues like clean water and renewable energy. They all have a place, and Stephen Crivillaro urges his friends and colleagues to support those causes that mean the most to them.