New York Mayor Eric Adams blasts AOC for being 'word police' over 'low skilled worker' comments

New York Mayor Eric Adams had his first clash with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, where she lambasted him for a tweet in which he suggested that those who can work from home are not the city's "low skilled workers" who don't have the "academic skills to sit in the corner office."

AOC slapped back on Twitter, saying that "The suggestion that any job is 'low skill' is a myth perpetuated by wealthy interests." In response, Adams called AOC the "word police," and said "I know they’re perfect, and there’s not much I can do about that. I can only aspire one day to be as perfect as they are."

When asked about this social media altercation by The New York Times, Adams said that he should have used the term "low-wage workers," and listed some of the low-wage positions he'd held in the past. He called AOC the "word police," and admitted that he is capable of making mistakes.

"I would rather be authentic and make errors than be robotic and not be sincere in what they're doing," he said.

"I know they’re perfect, and there’s not much I can do about that. I can only aspire one day to be as perfect as they are," Adams quipped. He said he'd like to work with AOC on issues that matter to both of them, but that "you don't work with a group just by tweeting."

Adams' initial statement was in response to a reporter's question claiming that many workers don't feel safe coming back to work, and that employers want to delay bringing people back into their offices.

But for Adams, not bringing white-collar workers back into the offices presents a problem for blue-collar workers who depend on the workplace economy. When offices are empty, so too are the restaurants and shops that serve the office workers. Adams claimed that these are the workers who lose out when remote work is implemented.

If a person is still getting their salary while working remotely, Adams said, that is "not helping those New Yorkers that need us to come in. I want my businesses in this City to come up with a closer deadline, and say 'we're going to start placing our tow back in the water, come in for two days, three days, and then get this city back up and operating." April, he said, is too long to wait to bring people back to the office. "That is going to be devastating to this economy."

Adams had said "And I don't know if my businesses are sharing with their employees, you are part of the ecosystem of this city. My low skilled workers," he said, listing off a number of jobs from shoe shiners to Dunkin Donuts workers, "they don't have the academic skills to sit in a corner office. They need this, we are in this together," he said of the city staying open and not going back into further shutdowns.

In response to Adam's statement, AOC said that the concept of the low skilled worker is a "myth perpetuated by wealthy interests to justify inhumane working conditions, little/no healthcare, and low wages," and she leaned on her own experience of having been in foodservice.

Adams has said that his intention is to keep schools open despite pushback from the United Federation of Teachers, which runs the teachers in New York City schools. He has promised to get the city open and running again, and has extended vaccine mandates, much to the dismay of many New Yorkers.