The report is being released in advance of a Civic Conversation being held today, Wednesday, January 29th at New York Law School by Citizens Union: “ Civil Service Reform: Tensions, Trends and Trade-offs,” which is co-sponsored by New York Law School and RBC Capital Markets. The Civic Conversation will be a jumping off point for Citizens Union’s consideration of the issues at which CU members and the public will hear from stakeholders about the fiscal challenges facing the city and possible civil service reform options. Citizens Union was formed in 1897 in part to fight political patronage and push for merit-based hiring, leading to the development of the city’s civil service system.
The NYU Capstone Report was developed in 2011-2012, in the context of recommendations made by Mayor Bloomberg’s Workforce Reform Task Force, and provides an important primer on the following issues:
the history and origins of the New York City Civil Service System;
the governance framework for current civil service rules; and
reform recommendations in the following areas, which are presented as options for Citizens Union to consider, in seeking to advance common ground solutions:
civil service governance;
hiring and exams;
job classifications;
workforce management; and
teacher performance evaluations and layoffs.
Following the forum, Citizens Union will consider how different measures might produce a stronger, better supported and fairly compensated workforce that is managed well by the city, and meets the needs of taxpayers.
The Civic Conversation details are below. The event will be livestreamed on Gotham Gazette, a publication of Citizens Union Foundation, at http://gothamgazette.com/civicconversation/
WHAT: Public Forum Examining City Government Workforce Needs and Possible Reforms
WHEN: Wednesday, January 29, 2014, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Reception at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: New York Law School 185 West Broadway, 2nd Floor Events Center Corner of Leonard Street
WHO: Arthur Cheliotes, President, Local 1180, Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO Henry Garrido, Associate Director, DC 37 Michael Jacobson, Director, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance Carol Kellermann, President, Citizens Budget Commission Ronnie Lowenstein, Director, New York City Independent Budget Office
