Patricia Stryker
Director of Political Action and Legislation and Recording Secretary on Local 237’s Executive Board

Patricia Stryker

During the 2016 legislative session, several pieces of legislation were enacted or passed that are beneficial to Teamsters Local 237 and organized labor.

A bill that would allow those who served in the military to buy pension credits was enacted. This bill was sponsored by Senator William Larkin (S.7160) and Assembly Member Amy Paulin (A.9531). Under this law, after five years of work for a municipality or the state, veterans are eligible to purchase up to three years’ pension credit. Veterans will be able to do this regardless of where or when they served. Previously, this option was only available if the veteran served in a combat role during specified conflicts.

Governor Cuomo recently signed a law that would provide New York City public employees up to four hours of paid leave each year for prostate cancer screening. This leave is currently available outside New York City. This leave time cannot be charged against any other leave that an employee is entitled to. This bill was sponsored by Senator Kemp Hannon (S.8107) and Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.409-B).

Under the enacted budget, the minimum hourly wage will be increased for workers in New York City employed by large businesses having 11 employees or more, to $11 at the end of 2016, then by $2 each year thereafter, to reach $15 by 2018. For workers in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, the enacted budget would raise the minimum wage to $10 by the end of 2016, then by an additional $1 each year until reaching $15 an hour by 2021.

The Paid Family Leave proposal in the enacted budget would gradually provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave benefits for workers who have been employed for at least six months, to care for a new child, a family member with a serious health condition or to ease the burden placed on families when earners are called into active military service. Benefits will begin in 2018 with eight weeks of leave payable at 50 percent of an employee’s average weekly wage, up to 50 percent of the statewide average weekly wage, and by 2021, provide up to 12 weeks of leave payable at 67 percent of the employee’s average weekly wage, up to 67 percent of the statewide average weekly wage.

This program is self-sustaining and will be funded entirely through a small payroll deduction from each employee. Public employees can be covered by this program if their employer or collective bargaining agreement opts into it.

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