Public Employee Press

Domestic partners win equal rights victory

The Municipal Labor Committee achieved important progress toward full equality for domestic partnerships in June when the city Office of Labor Relations ended an onerous requirement for their health insurance coverage that did not apply to married couples.

A new ruling, agreed to by Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley and the MLC, is of great importance to same-sex couples. In the past, to cover their domestic partner under their health insurance, city employees had to prove their financial interdependence. There was no such requirement for married couples; being married was considered good enough. “The application of the law was inconsistent,” said Judith Arroyo, chair of the DC 37 Lesbian and Gay Issues Committee and president of Local 436.

The agreement confirms the city’s and the MLC’s understanding that, consistent with New York City Local Law 11 (2007), proof of financial interdependence is no longer required to qualify for health benefits. “That takes care of health insurance for your partner, but we still can’t get survivors benefits,” said Arroyo.

DC 37 has agreed to press the Legislature and the governor to enact three state laws to protect equality for all and ban discrimination based on gender identity and expression. The proposals were presented by LAGIC and endorsed June 26 by the DC 37 Delegates Council.

One would add gender identity and expression to the forms of discrimination banned by the state Human Rights Law, another would give same-sex couples the right to marry, and the third would prohibit bias-based harassment against students in school.

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