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De Blasio Moves on Paid Parental Leave


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De Blasio and his family at a recent event (photo: Mike Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


In a somewhat surprising Christmas-week move, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that he will soon issue an executive order mandating paid parental leave for non-union city employees, while opening the door for municipal unions to return to the bargaining table to add the benefit to their contracts.

As Democratic presidential candidates have been blazing the trail decrying that the United States is woefully behind other developed nations on paid family leave and a major push has been underway for a statewide policy in New York, de Blasio is taking action and setting the city as a model. It is a development quickly garnering national attention, and it puts pressure on Albany lawmakers ahead of their January return to legislative session and budget negotiations.

"New York City is leading by example," de Blasio said in a news release, "putting us at the forefront of paid parental leave policies around the country. This is a common sense policy that will make for healthier and more financially stable working families – making it good for employees and employers."

In framing the need for such a policy, de Blasio invoked his own family experience and the choice faced by his wife, Chirlane McCray, when they were new parents. In his statement, the mayor said, "Too many new parents face an impossible choice: taking care of their child or getting their paycheck."

In the news release, the administration says that the new policy will provide a "national benchmark of six weeks at 100 percent salary for maternity, paternity, adoption, or foster care leave" and that it "puts the City at the forefront of city and state policies around the country."

De Blasio and his team have often worked to establish the mayor and the city as a progressive leader nationally, including around policies such as universal pre-kindergarten, affordable housing, and protections for immigrants.

About 20,000 city employees will be covered by the initial parental leave policy starting in 2016, once de Blasio signs the order. In combination with other vacation and personal time accrued it could mean up to twelve weeks for some new parents, the administration said. Significantly, the administration also explained Tuesday that "the new benefit will come at no new cost to New York City taxpayers, as the City will be repurposing the existing managerial raise of 0.47 percent scheduled for July 2017 and two days of existing vacation leave policy" of some long-term employees.

Providing this coverage to 20,000 city employees is a significant first step that could lead to hundreds of thousands of city workers having the option of paid parental leave.

The administration has publicly said it is ready to reopen collective bargaining with unionized workers to include the benefit in their contracts. Several unions have quickly indicated that they plan to sit down with the administration to alter their recently-bargained deals (de Blasio entered office with all municipal union contracts expired and has brought 92 percent of city workers under contract since).

In an interview with WNYC to first announce the policy, de Blasio said that his administration wants to give parents the choice to spend more time with a new child. "We want to give them that opportunity at that precious moment to spend time with their child in the way that makes sense for them," de Blasio said.

The administration opted not to hold a public event on the announcement, though when questions arose on social media about that decision, mayoral aides noting that there will soon be a signing ceremony for the executive order. Still, de Blasio certainly turned down even more attention for the announcement that could have come with a press conference, especially in terms of TV coverage.

Nevertheless, de Blasio is clearly fortifying what has already been two years of policies aimed at reducing inequality and creating new opportunities for workers and families, especially those at the margins.

On Monday, de Blasio spoke at length with reporters about the first half of his four-year term, reviewing top accomplishments and taking questions about missteps and the path ahead. Unsurprisingly, de Blasio cited the rollout of universal pre-kindergarten, the initial phase of his affordable housing plan, the city's new municipal identification program, among other achievements.

The paid parental leave policy - and its potential expansion to union workers - gives de Blasio more to claim in what he calls his ongoing pursuit of a more fair city.

The move was quickly met with praise from a wide variety of elected officials and advocates, some of whom noted that the New York state and federal governments can and should act on paid family leave. The United States is reported to be one of only two developed nations without a mandatory paid family leave policy - through the Family and Medical Leave Act, the U.S. currently mandates unpaid leave so that workers can care for a new child or sick family member, an option that many cannot afford.

Representatives of some businesses and governments argue that paid family leave can be disruptive to organizations and, depending on funding mechanisms, a potentially untenable mandate.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said that de Blasio's policy is "an important step forward and starts to bring city policies into line with those of the Fortune 500 and governments around the world."

In praising de Blasio's move, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said that the push for a national policy must continue: "We need a national paid-leave program that covers all working Americans," she said in a statement.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated he supports paid family leave, but wants the two chambers of the state legislature to help figure out how a statewide policy will be crafted, and how the new benefit would be paid for. Cuomo's office did not immediately return a request for comment on de Blasio's announcement. The governor is set to give his combination State of the State and budget address January 13 in Albany.

The New York Paid Family Leave Insurance Campaign, which includes advocacy, labor, and community organizations, has been advocating for a paid leave policy in New York, and issued a statement in response to de Blasio's announcement calling on state lawmakers to enact "The Paid Family Leave Insurance Act," which passed the Assembly in March.

The release says that "the legislation would create a paid family leave insurance benefit that is employee-paid, through small payroll deductions that start at just 45 cents and rise to roughly 88 cents a week over four years" and "modernize New York's Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) program, the critical support system for new mothers physically recovering from childbirth, which is currently frozen at the 1989 rate of $170 per week."

In a nod toward debate to come in the state capital next year, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie offered comment in de Blasio's announcement, saying, "New Yorkers should not have to choose between keeping their jobs and spending time with a new family member. As longstanding supporters of paid family leave, the Assembly Majority applauds New York City for taking this critical step to strengthen family leave benefits for city employees."

***
by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
@tweetBenMax

Rift Between De Blasio and Diaz Jr Grows, with Implications for the Bronx


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Mayor de Blasio & Bronx BP Diaz Jr. at a groundbeaking


The feud between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio has added a new dynamic in Bronx politics as Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has stepped up his attacks against the mayor's policies and increasingly places himself in lock step with the governor, his ally.

A number of Bronx electeds and political observers tell Gotham Gazette they've been treading carefully so not to step on any political landmines that might earn them the wrath of any of the three powerful Democrats. Diaz Jr.'s increasing outspokenness against de Blasio's affordable housing-related zoning plans has also flamed more speculation that Diaz may be preparing to challenge de Blasio in 2017. Some have begun to fear, though, that Diaz Jr.'s attacks may jeopardize important Bronx projects and deals involving the borough and City Hall.

"There is an obvious feud between Cuomo-Diaz and the mayor," said media and political consultant Bob Kappstatter, a former Daily News reporter with years on the Bronx beat. "The people I talk to say the mayor has tried to cut Ruben's legs off at the knees. Bloomberg and Ruben didn't get along but in that case the city commissioners still worked with them. These days de Blasio's commissioners don't work with Ruben's people."

As the de Blasio administration seeks to meet its ambitious affordable housing goals and, in that effort, pass significant changes to the city's zoning rules, Diaz Jr. has emerged as the loudest opponent of the plans, further ruffling feathers at City Hall after several previous high-profile disagreements this year.

On Dec. 16, Diaz Jr. testified against de Blasio's zoning plans at a City Planning Commission public hearing, complaining that the administration rushed the process, not allowing community boards to consider the voluminous plans, that the plans are not tailored for individual neighborhoods, and that the new zoning won't create truly mixed-income neighborhoods.

"The submission of over 500 pages of text amendments at the same time is an unreasonable burden on most community boards to adequately review and evaluate their local neighborhood impact," Diaz Jr. said. "These text amendments will govern land use development for our city for decades to come and should not be adopted in such a short period of time. Something so profound as the future development of this city cannot be rushed."

He put it a bit more bluntly on NY1's Inside City Hall with Errol Louis the next day. "Sixty days for 500 pages of documents is something that is disrespectful, that does not embody the spirit of having transparent, progressive, inclusionary government."

The de Blasio administration has argued that its proposals set an important new framework across the city, so that when there is rezoning for a piece of land, new rules will make sure affordable housing is required. They also say that if the city doesn't move quickly, development will take place without required affordable housing. They further point out that there is a separate billion-dollar fund set aside to address services growing neighborhoods will need when the new housing projects are built and that there are additional city subsidies that will be used to build additional affordable housing.

Asked by Louis whether he'd spoken to de Blasio about his concerns, Diaz Jr. replied, "Not currently, no." Diaz Jr. has indicated in the past that he and de Blasio have not met one-on-one since the mayor took office, a trend that continues as the gulf between the two widens.

"There's a real cold-war chill there," said Douglas Muzzio professor of political science at Baruch. "Clearly Ruben made the choice to go all in after de Blasio. He is an active agent for the governor and I'm sure he would expect the governor's support in any conflict he had with the mayor, whether it is about policy or in a 2017 mayoral campaign, or after when de Blasio gets term limited out in 2021."

Diaz Jr.'s office says the borough president is simply working in the best interest of his borough and the people he represents. "Every single day our office advocates for the 1.4 million people who are proud to call The Bronx home, and who we are proud to call our constituents. We owe them nothing less," said John DeSio, communications director for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

While DeSio and Diaz Jr. say the borough president is willing to compliment or criticize the mayor based on the merits of any given situation or policy, Diaz Jr. and de Blasio have repeatedly clashed this year. In August, Diaz Jr. reportedly phoned Cuomo, with whom he has had a long-standing relationship, asking him to help with a Legionnaires' Disease outbreak that claimed more than ten lives because he felt the de Blasio administration's response was not effective.

Whether or not he was spurred by Diaz Jr., Cuomo inserted himself and further exacerbated his rift with de Blasio. Diaz Jr. heaped praise upon the state, while he and Cuomo criticized the city.

In October, Diaz Jr. took a page from Cuomo's playbook, positioning himself as an ardent charter school advocate, addressing a rally on the steps of City Hall as charter advocates continued their assault on de Blasio's education policies. While Diaz Jr. has been a longtime charter school supporter, he was the only elected official who decided to participate in the rally.

The New York Post noted at the time that many saw the move as a way for Diaz to create space for himself ahead of other possible Democratic mayoral hopefuls. "People will view him from a different perspective," George Arzt, a political consultant, told The Post. "It definitely shows Ruben as a person who disagrees with the incumbent mayor. It show him as independent."

For Diaz Jr., it is likely not a question of if, but when he runs for mayor - in 2017 against de Blasio, or in 2021, as part of what is likely to be an open, crowded field. Whenever he runs, it is likely that Cuomo will steer a good deal of support, especially through his prolific campaign donors, toward the Bronx borough president.

Cuomo appeared to go out of his way to acknowledge both Diaz Jr. and his father, Ruben Diaz Sr., in his 2015 State of the State address. Both men have returned the favor. In August, Diaz Sr. penned a public message gushing about how his son has been able to "achieve the unachievable" thanks to his "great relationship" with Cuomo.

Diaz Sr. went on to credit the relationship for winning the Bronx "over a billion dollars in housing," tens of millions of dollars for the new Hunts Point Market facility, Cuomo's support of four new Metro North stations in the Bronx and cash dedicated to them, a reduced unemployment rate thanks to Cuomo's strikeforce, the opening of a New York State Department of Labor Office in the Bronx, and the allocation of "tens of millions of dollars to the Bronx County for the restoration of our waterfronts" after Hurricane Sandy.

"My dear reader, you might be surprised to hear this praise for Governor Andrew Cuomo coming from me," Diaz Sr. wrote. "I have been one of the worst critics of this Governor – but because of my religious beliefs, I now have to recognize Governor Andrew Cuomo's intervention in helping us all in Bronx County." Diaz Sr. is furiously opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage and even threatened to join the Republican Party to stop the latter (his son, Diaz Jr., has expressed differing views on these subjects). Diaz Sr. still makes public appearances in the Bronx with the State Republican Chair Ed Cox despite his allegiance with Cuomo.

That laundry list, as well as Diaz Jr.'s increasing role as a de Blasio critic, has many Bronx politicos speculating about whether 2017 is the year Diaz tries to make his dream come true and runs for mayor. While a number of consultants dismiss Diaz Jr. as a fourth or fifth place candidate in a 2021 Democratic primary field that is likely to include the current comptroller, public advocate, and Brooklyn borough president, among others, they admit his circumstances have improved. Diaz Jr.'s friend and frequent collaborator, Carl Heastie, is now in a very powerful position as Assembly Speaker, Diaz Jr. enjoys a close relationship with the governor, and the current mayor continues to do himself harm.

One Bronx legislator who considers himself allies to both Diaz Jr. and de Blasio told Gotham Gazette, "The mayor just keeps making it harder to be his friend."

It is a fairly popular sentiment around the city that de Blasio's team has clearly defined allies and non-allies, some of which relate to the 2013 Democratic mayoral primary, in which Diaz Jr. backed Bill Thompson, who finished second to de Blasio.

De Blasio spokesperson Karen Hinton responded to a Gotham Gazette inquiry about the relationship between the mayor and Borough President Diaz Jr., by stating that "Mayor de Blasio works with elected officials from across the City to address urgent issues, as he does with Bronx President Diaz. From public safety to housing to schools, Mayor de Blasio will partner with all elected leaders to move the Bronx, and New York City, forward."

Some look toward Bronx economic development projects as essential tests of the de Blasio-Diaz Jr. relationship. The two have continued to be at odds over the FreshDirect site opening in the Bronx, a deal reached before de Blasio became mayor that he has criticized and Diaz Jr. has touted. While he has not met one-on-one with the Bronx borough president, de Blasio has met with South Bronx Unite, an advocacy group that frequently criticizes Diaz Jr. over the FreshDirect deal.

Diaz Jr. has positioned himself as a job-creating, pro-development leader. De Blasio's approach to subsidies may be at odds with the borough president's when it comes to future projects, which worries some in the borough.

"A lot of Bronx legislators are really trying to figure out how to walk the tightrope so they don't piss off Cuomo, Diaz, or de Blasio," said Kappstatter. Indications so far, though, are that de Blasio and Heastie have had a good relationship since Heastie became de Blasio's most-needed Albany ally.

To be sure, Diaz Jr. has said nice things about the mayor on several occasions and they have made a number of joint appearances to celebrate achievements in the Bronx. Diaz Jr.'s office gave no indication that they feel administration officials or agencies are giving them short shrift.

Currently, Diaz Jr. is flying high while de Blasio is largely excited to close the book on a tough, up-and-down 2015. The mayor has been contending with the impression that he is struggling to handle quality-of-life issues, like crime and homelessness, and a mediocre relationship with the press, all while some of his progressive allies have become irked by what they see as a retreat on his support of policing reform and a housing plan they feel doesn't take their individual communities into account. De Blasio's failures in Albany and never-ending feud with Cuomo aren't helping the appearance that he is weak.

For now, common wisdom in the Bronx is that Diaz will easily take another term as borough president and defer his dreams for Gracie Mansion until he doesn't have to face an incumbent. Some speculate he could build his brand with a congressional run but others believe that if de Blasio continues his current trajectory that Diaz may well be the governor's choice to challenge him.

"Ruben and Cuomo are very close, there's no denying that," said Kappstatter. "How that figures into Ruben's political future, well maybe he will go for it. If you're going to challenge a sitting mayor, you want the governor on your side."

***
by David King, Albany editor, Gotham Gazette
@DavidHowardKing

Pay Commission Recommends Raises, Reforms for Elected Compensation


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The mayor & City Council members (photo: William Alatriste)

 


 

A commission tasked with reviewing the compensation levels of New York City’s elected officials released its report Monday recommending at least a 12 percent salary increase for all elected officials, with a 15 percent increase for the Mayor. Taking multiple factors into account, a 23 percent salary increase was recommended for City Council members, yet that increase should be contingent upon reforms to the position, according to the panel.

The report has been submitted to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who now has 30 days to submit to the City Council his recommendations to approve, disapprove, or modify the findings of the commission. Then, the City Council will vote on any new salaries before they head back to the mayor to be approved into law. The city’s elected officials have not received a pay raise since 2006 - this includes the citywide offices of mayor, public advocate, and comptroller; the five borough presidents, five district attorneys, and 51 City Council members.

“Regardless of the report's recommendation,” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement, “I will not accept a raise this term.” The mayor commended the three-member commission, which he established as called for by law, for its dedication and “extraordinary effort,” and added, “I look forward to carefully reviewing the report, and providing my full response by January 13th, as required.”

The commission recommended to raise the mayor’s salary from $225,000 to $258,750; comptroller from $185,000 to $209,050; public advocate from $165,000 to $184,800; borough presidents from $160,000 to $179,200; and district attorneys from $190,000 to $212,800.

Pay raises were also recommended for City Council members - up to $138,315 from $112,500 - yet the commission’s report declares “our proposed raises for the office of City Council member are conditioned upon, and inseparable from, our proposal to eliminate lulus and to formally classify the job of City Council members as full time.”

“Our recommendations are that 1) Council membership should be classified as a full-time job as it is for all other City elected officials; and 2) Extra pay for doing part of the job (i.e., lulus) should be eliminated,” the commission stated in its report, using “lulus” as parlance for payments for chairing Council committees. “The two recommendations are logically linked. Being a Council member already is, and should be formally recognized as, a full-time job. Because it is a full-time job it is anomalous to pay extra for doing part of the job...Eliminating lulus and formally classifying the job of Council member as full time would both also enhance the reputation and status of the Council.”

Dick Dadey, executive director of Citizens Union and one of a small number of people to testify in front of the pay commission at its two public hearings, said in a statement to Gotham Gazette, "The commission's report is a commendable treatise on city official compensation and we support its recommendation to make any pay raise for the Council tied to the elimination of committee stipends.”

The commission proposed that the “$447,000 now budgeted each year for all lulus” should be folded “evenly into the salary for each non-Speaker seat on the City Council,” which “would result in each non-Speaker seat receiving an additional $8,940 on top of the 12 percent base increase for all elected officials,” and the three percent increase to account for the growth of Council members’ responsibilities.

The commission recommended increasing the salary of the City Council Speaker to $154,375, reflecting the inclusion of the $25,000 lulu the speaker position comes with into the base salary.

In a statement, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said, "The Council will be reviewing the recommendations. We thank the commission for its work."

“Today,” the commission’s report reads, “47 of the 50 Council members are entitled to receive lulus. (Of the 47, 11 decline the payment)...Today, only a few Council members have an outside job such as practicing law. The overwhelming majority already work full time.”

Regarding the recommendation that the position of Council member be classified as full time, Citizens Union said in a statement, “this would not establish a specific cap on outside earned income. This change, however, could have the effect of limiting such outside income.”

Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY, issued a statement praising the commission’s work, saying, “Common Cause/NY supports the Quadrennial Advisory Commission's recommendations to fully professionalize the City Council. Making pay raises a condition of eliminating outside income and most importantly, lulus, is a key measure to make the Council more efficient. With 37 committees and 6 subcommittees nearly everyone in the 51-member body is eligible for some kind of cash bonus, which seems principally designed to boost their base pay.”

The 2015 Quadrennial Advisory Commission was appointed by Mayor de Blasio in a move required by law in September (still, de Blasio took his time doing so, which came on the heels of Mayor Bloomberg refusing to do so, thus the lack of raises since 2006). The three-member body was chaired by Frederick A.O. Schwarz Jr. and included Commissioners Jill Bright and Paul Quintero.

According to the commission, its exhaustive 169-page report took a data-driven approach to its process and issued recommendations that took into account “the current role of each office, relevant changes in elected offices, changes in indices of New York City’s affordability, and the relationship between pay of elected officials and the economic condition of their constituents.”

Though good government groups have expressed approval of the commission’s recommendations, given that the City Council will ultimately vote on these salary increases, an ethical issue remains. Dadey wants to see the Council follow Mayor de Blasio’s lead, saying, “Citizens Union urges the Council to avoid the conflict of interest that exists if they raise their salaries during this current term. We ask the Council to delay all raises until the start of the following term, beginning in 2018.”

“Currently serving council members should not vote themselves a raise. This position is supported by 37 current council members, as well as Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to Citizens Union’s candidate questionnaires,” Citizens Union said in a statement.

Another item Citizens Union is calling for added action on is that the City Council “increase transparency around council members’ earned outside income by requiring that financial disclosure forms be available online for independent analysis.”

Overall, the raises were generally lower than what some city officials had asked for. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer - the only elected official who appeared to testify in front of the commission (something noted by the commission in its report) - argued for a 15 percent increase for all offices in her testimony. Brewer, a former Council member, also supports eliminating lulus and making salary increases prospective. In November, the city’s five district attorneys sent a letter to the commission requesting a 32 percent salary increase. The Daily News reported that a handful of Council members had discreetly supported a 71 percent increase in November - something Speaker Mark-Viverito called “ridiculous."

Mark-Viverito did submit a letter to the commission saying Council members deserved a raise, though she did not specify an amount.

In the interest of giving greater transparency to the process, the 2015 commission has made the research and public testimony it evaluated to arrive at its recommendations publically available. This included looking at how elected officials are compensated in other big cities.

“Citizens Union will do a full review of the report's recommendations and issue its full analysis when the Council holds its public hearing,” Dadey said, looking ahead to the new year and continuation of the process.

***
by Meg O’Connor, Gotham Gazette
@GothamGazette, @MegOConnor13

Note: Gotham Gazette is an independent publication of Citizens Union Foundation, sister organization of Citizens Union.



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