News in New York – LaSalle Rejected, DC37 Agreement, City Legislation

Senate Rejects LaSalle

The New York State Senate voted 39-20 against Hon. Hector LaSalle, Governor Hochul’s nominee for Chief Judge. The vote, which was primarily along party lines, ended the tension between the Governor and state Senate over the LaSalle’s nomination. In a statement, Governor Hochul noted, “I remain committed to selectin a qualified candidate to lead the court and deliver justice.” She is expected to put out a new shortlist of candidates in the coming weeks, since the court has now been without a judge for six months and has a 3-3 partisan deadlock.

DC37 and Mayor Adams Announce Tentative Contract Agreement

Mayor Adams announced that a contract agreement has been reached with NYC’s largest municipal workers’ union, District Council 37. The 5+ year contract will cover nearly 90,000 municipal employees, and includes wage increases of 3% for the first four years of the contract, and 3.25% in the final year. The tentative agreement will begin retroactively on May 26, 2021 and expire on November 6, 2026. This annual increase is more than double the 1.25% annually that Adams listed in his preliminary budget. As the largest public sector union, DC37 typically sets a pattern for wages and other benefits followed by other unions.

NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. City Council passed legislation fast-tracking the phasing out of oil grade No. 4 for boilers. They also passed a bill recognizing economic abuse as a form of domestic violence, and extending protections for victims of economic abuse. The Council introduced two bills requiring the Department of Transportation to conduct a street design study to limit the use of commercial vehicles on residential streets, and an annual study on bicycle activity. You can find all of the bills that were passed and introduced here.