New national gig for Padernacht

Steven Padernacht has gone national, joining the sports and entertainment division at Keller Williams Realty NYC Group.

The division is described as a “high-octane’ community of real estate agents with a collective focus on a sports and entertainment client base that, last year, closed more than $13 billion in transactions across more than 250 markets in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The founder of SMP Realty Group, Padernacht has been a licensed associate real estate broker with Keller Williams since 2019.

Raise coming for Uber, Lyft drivers

A new year sometimes means a fresh raise for many in the work force. But often overlooked are those in the so-called “gig” workers.

But some drivers licensed through the city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission have just picked up a raise of more than 5 percent.

“Drivers have served on the front lines and have been there for their neighbors — driving them around the city, and delivering food to those in need,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “This is about respect and paying each one of these individuals a fair and decent wage.”

The pay increase is effective March 1, and will hit what the TLC describes as “high-volume, for-hire” drivers — which comes from bases dispatching more than 10,000 trips each day. Right now, the only two companies that qualify for that distinction are the ride-hail companies Uber and Lyft.

Pay rates for those drivers will increase to $1.16 per mile, and 53 cents per minute.

Empire City scores perfect LGBTQ rating

MGM Resorts — the company behind Empire City Casino in Yonkers — received a perfect score from the Human Rights Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, which measures how companies create and maintain workplaces promoting LGBTQ equality.

MGM has a long history with the LGBTQ community as a founding partner of the Human Rights Campaign’s Las Vegas chapter in 2004, and its venue offerings for same-sex commitment ceremonies and weddings.