Labor & Employment (Collective Bargaining)

failed · New York · Assembly May 19, 2026

A 5494: Relates to leave time for certain employees to volunteer as a poll worker

This bill requires state, county, school district, and other public employers (including community colleges and public benefit corporations) to provide employees with up to 8 hours of paid leave annually to volunteer as poll workers during elections. The leave is excused (not deducted from other leave) and must be granted for election-related duties. Employers must establish simple guidelines for requesting and approving the leave, but the bill explicitly states it won't override existing collective bargaining agreements or employee benefits. The policy directly affects public employees who wish to serve as poll workers without losing pay or accrued leave time.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides paid leave for civic participation, expanding worker benefits and protecting rights to volunteer without pay loss.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Paid Leave

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 4387: Requires consideration of union made commodities and services in the awarding of certain procurement contracts

Requires consideration as a quantitative factor whether the commodities or services were manufactured or will be performed by a labor union with respect to the awarding of certain procurement contracts.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates union-made goods consideration in procurement, boosting demand for union labor and strengthening collective bargaining efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3979: Establishes a credit against income tax for union dues

This bill creates a dollar-for-dollar credit against New York State income tax for qualified union dues paid to recognized labor organizations starting January 1, 2026. Taxpayers who pay union dues to a bargaining representative (as defined by the bill) can reduce their tax bill by the exact amount of those dues. Any unused portion of the credit is treated as an overpayment and refunded without interest. The credit applies to dues, fees, or assessments paid directly by members to labor organizations representing them. It does not change tax rates or create new obligations beyond the credit mechanism.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates dollar-for-dollar tax credit for union dues, reducing taxable income for workers - direct tax relief for middle/lower income earners.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides tax credit for union dues, directly strengthening collective bargaining rights and reducing financial barriers for workers to join unions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2503: Relates to paid family leave benefits for certain public employees

S 2503 requires public employers to provide paid family leave benefits to employees who are not represented by a union or employee organization. This applies specifically to public sector workers without union representation, mandating that their employer offer these benefits under existing workers' compensation law provisions (sections 204 and 208). The bill does not require union negotiations for these employees, unlike provisions for union-represented staff. Public employers must implement this benefit without needing collective bargaining input for non-union employees. The law takes effect 180 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates paid family leave benefits for non-union public employees, expanding worker benefits and employment standards under existing law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Paid Leave Public Employees

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 8512: Secures collective bargaining agreement validity during a change in operator or ownership

Secures the continued validity of collective bargaining agreements during and after a change in operator or ownership of a property, facility, or company.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentSecures collective bargaining agreement validity during ownership changes, protecting workers' negotiated terms and strengthening labor rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jun 13, 2025

A 8590: Relates to disputes between employers and recognized employee organizations

This bill clarifies when New York's state labor law applies to employer-employee disputes. It specifies that New York's labor relations act does not cover employees already protected under federal laws (like the National Labor Relations Act) or when federal labor boards have jurisdiction. For all other employees, the state labor board must promptly certify existing union representatives as the official bargaining agent and maintain current work terms during the certification process. This ensures continuity for employees and employers not covered by federal labor rules.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnsures prompt union certification and maintains current work terms for non-federally-covered employees, strengthening collective bargaining rights under state law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Professional Licensing

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 5249: Relates to Medicaid eligibility for striking workers

This bill (S 5249) automatically grants Medicaid eligibility to workers participating in strikes or labor disputes, ensuring they maintain health coverage during the strike period. It directly affects striking employees who would otherwise lose Medicaid due to employment status, without requiring them to reapply. Key provisions include limiting coverage strictly to the duration of the strike, prohibiting the consideration of personal resources (like savings) when determining eligibility, and allowing temporary "presumptive eligibility" through health department processes. The bill requires the Health Commissioner to create implementing regulations for eligibility rules and covered services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAutomatically maintains Medicaid for striking workers, preventing coverage loss during labor disputes and expanding access without reapplication or resource assessment.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAutomatically maintains Medicaid for striking workers, protecting health coverage during labor disputes without requiring reapplication or considering personal resources.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Collective Bargaining

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3129: Relates to collective bargaining rights to farm laborers, repealing certain provisions of chapter 105 of the laws of 2019 and repealing certain provisions of the labor law and the workers' compensation law

This bill repeals specific exclusions that previously prevented farm laborers from being covered under New York's labor laws. It directly affects farmworkers by removing barriers to collective bargaining rights they were denied under prior law. Key provisions include amending the definition of "employees" to exclude farm laborers from the definition (Section 2), repealing Section 163-a (which previously excluded agricultural labor), and clarifying that agricultural labor is not automatically excluded from labor law coverage (Section 7). These changes align farm laborers with other workers under the state's labor protections.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRepeals exclusions denying farmworkers collective bargaining rights, expanding labor protections under NY law by removing prior barriers to coverage.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

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in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4629: Reduces the number of hours in a work week to thirty-two for employers with at least five hundred employees

Reduces the number of hours in a work week to thirty-two for employers with at least five hundred employees who are not part of a collective bargaining agreement.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentReduces workweek from 40 to 32 hours for large employers, directly advancing worker benefits and work-life balance without restrictions on collective bargaining.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

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in committee · New York · Senate Jun 11, 2025

S 50: Relates to paid family leave benefits

Extends paid family leave benefits to employees who perform construction, demolition, reconstruction, excavation, rehabilitation, repairs, renovations, alterations, or improvements for multiple employers pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement who shall be eligible for family leave benefits if they were employed for at least twenty-six of the last thirty-nine weeks by any covered employer which is signatory to a collective bargaining agreement.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends paid family leave benefits to construction workers under collective bargaining, expanding worker benefits and supporting collective bargaining agreements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Paid Leave

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