Albany Agenda
Personality
Harry Bronson is ‘home again’ as new Assembly Labor Committee chair
He’s the first upstater to chair the influential committee in over a decade.
Heard Around Town
Politics
NYC lifeguards to get another raise, retention bonus
In a bid to avert another shortage, the city Parks Department will fork over $22 per hour.
Labor
Policy
Staff shortages slow, hinder work at some city agencies
Amid an ongoing hiring freeze, a report card on city agency performance released this week shows that some agencies still don’t have the staff they need.
Opinion
Opinion
Opinion: Hochul, meet with the grieving families before you act
The governor has an opportunity to put patient safety above special interests.
Labor
Politics
NYC teachers sue Eric Adams over school budget cuts
The United Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit Thursday to block planned spending reductions.
Politics
Politics
Council staff union stages silent protest during stated meeting to push for fair contract
The union wants the pace of negotiating a brand-new contract to pick up after roughly 18 months of bargaining.
Events
Policy
NYC Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer and School Chancellor David Banks on strengthening workforce development post COVID-19
The members of the Adams administration highlighted public-private partnerships as an answer at the 2023 NYCETC Conference at Civic Hall.
Immigration
Politics
Mayor Adams: Requiring pre-approval of migrant contracts ‘defies logic’
The Adams administration lashed out at Brad Lander after the city comptroller stripped City Hall of its power to enter into emergency contracts.
Kathy Hochul
Policy
DC 37 to Hochul: Sign the Grieving Families Act
In a new letter, the state’s largest public sector union is calling on the governor to approve changes to the state’s nearly 180-year-old wrongful death law
Criminal Justice
Opinion
Opinion: It’s time to reinvest the savings from the Less is More Act
Five communities impacted by New York’s historic parole rules said investments in housing and mental health treatment services should be a priority.
Labor
Policy
Thousands more vacant positions eliminated in latest New York City budget cuts
“Without the significant and timely support we need from Washington, D.C., today’s budget will be only the beginning,” Mayor Eric Adams said of a plan that cuts 2,100 vacancies.
Technology
Policy
Tech start-up incubator heralded as sign of things to come
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the new Civic Hall in Manhattan’s Union Square, a “laboratory for the entire country."
Campaigns & Elections
Politics
Labor to spend big on Brannan in contested southern Brooklyn race against Kagan
With labor support and volunteers, Council Member Justin Brannan brushes off rift with Brooklyn Democratic Party leadership.
Technology
Policy
Experts to lawmakers: AI threatens low wage work in New York
The Assembly held a hearing on AI in the workplace, and concerns abounded.
Opinion
Opinion
Opinion: It’s time to pay construction workers what they deserve
The Fair Share Act is the way to get there.
Albany Agenda
Policy
Ready to hire: Hochul announces 18,000 potential job openings for migrants in New York
Hospitality and food service companies were the biggest group of employers to enroll in the state program.
News & Politics
Politics
The UAW strike has spread to New York
Workers at a parts distribution center in Rockland County have walked off the job, and assembly plants near Rochester and Buffalo could soon join the strike.
Heard Around Town
Policy
Cruz still plans to push for state-level work permits for asylum-seekers
The Queens Assembly member said the law is needed for people from places other than Venezuela.
Immigration
Policy
Hochul doesn’t talk state work permits with Biden
But state Senate lawyers are currently analyzing new legislation that would supersede the federal government
Labor
Policy