What you should know
- Respected labor attorney and advocate has dedicated her career to fighting for workers
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today appointed Liz Vladeck as Commissioner of the New York City Office of Labor Relations (OLR). A respected labor attorney and advocate, Vladeck has dedicated her career to fighting for workers and will help advance the Mamdani’s administration’s commitment to supporting the public servants who keep New York City running.
As OLR Commissioner, Vladeck will oversee labor negotiations, the implementation and enforcement of labor contracts with the City’s 150 collective bargaining units, representing 360,000 employees, as well as the City’s employee health insurance plans and benefits programs.
“Liz Vladeck has dedicated her career to fighting for workers, and she will bring that commitment to the Office of Labor Relations. Public servants keep our city running and they deserve respect, support, and a City government that takes its responsibilities to them seriously. I look forward to working closely with Liz and our city’s unions to deliver real results for New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” said Mayor Mamdani. “I also want to thank Renee Campion for her decades of service to our city and wish her all the best in her retirement.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue serving the city and its employees, and it is with deep respect for our workforce that I approach being a steward of the city’s labor relations,” said incoming OLR Commissioner Liz Vladeck. “I want to thank Mayor Mamdani for the faith he has placed in me. I am excited to work on behalf of this Administration and with our city unions on issues that are vital to the workforce and city residents, as well as advance a broad economic justice agenda for all New Yorkers.”
"Liz Vladeck has dedicated her career to fighting for working people. I applaud the Mamdani Administration for selecting her to lead the Office of Labor Relations (OLR). Her experience across the spectrum of union organizing, legal counsel, and policy work makes her well positioned to take on this crucial role. I look forward to working together with Liz and OLR to ensure our City workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve." said NYC Council Labor Committee Chair Shirley Aldebol. “I also want to thank Renee Campion for her service and dedication to our City workforce and wish her a beautiful and well-earned retirement.”
“CSA welcomes Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of Liz Vladeck, whose experience representing workers as a labor attorney and serving as the Department of Education’s chief legal officer gives her an important perspective on this vital role,” said CSA President Henry D. Rubio. “Her record gives us confidence that she will approach negotiations with fairness, listen to our union’s concerns, and work collaboratively to provide schools what they need to succeed. We look forward to building a productive relationship with Commissioner Vladeck focused on supporting New York City’s school leaders and the families they serve.”
“CWA District 1 congratulates Liz Vladeck on her appointment as Commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations. From her years in public service to her work representing union members, including at CWA, Liz has a proven record of fighting for working people. We are confident she will bargain in good faith and ensure workers’ voices are heard throughout City Hall. We applaud Mayor Mamdani for this outstanding choice, and we look forward to a long and productive partnership with Commissioner Vladeck,” said Dennis G. Trainor, CWA District 1 Vice President.
“PSC/CUNY commends Mayor Mamdani’s appointment of Liz Vladeck as Commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations,” said President James Davis. “Vladeck has spent her career fighting for working people. We look forward to a productive partnership at the bargaining table and beyond with someone who not only understands public-sector unions, but why public education matters.”
“Liz Vladeck will make an excellent Commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations,” said Bob Linn, former OLR Commissioner. “I have known Liz for several years and have appreciated her ability to balance fiscal concerns with an understanding and appreciation for the men and women who work to make New York the greatest city on earth. I know she will deliver meaningful results for New Yorkers in her new role."
“Liz Vladeck started the City’s Office of Labor Policy and Standards which has become a powerhouse of worker protection,” said Richard Blum, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society’s Employment Law Unit.
"Liz Vladeck is exactly the kind of leader New York City needs at the Office of Labor Relations. I saw her skill and commitment firsthand when we worked together to implement the Earned Sick Time Law and to pass and implement the first-of-its-kind Fair Workweek legislation for fast food workers. She brings a deep dedication to workers' rights and a clear-eyed understanding of what it takes to keep this city running. I can't think of a better choice for this important role,” said Alison Hirsh, Former Vice President and Political Director, SEIU 32BJ.
About Liz Vladeck:
Liz Vladeck is a third-generation New Yorker with deep roots in the city’s labor movement. She most recently served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of New York City Public Schools. Prior to joining NYCPS in 2021, Liz served as Senior Labor Policy Advisor in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Policy and Planning and as Deputy Commissioner and founding Director of the Office of Labor Policy and Standards in the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
Before working for the City, Liz represented workers and unions in the private sector for over 15 years. She represented union and members on legal matters at Workers United, SEIU (UNITE HERE), served as lead counsel for strategic worker-organizing campaigns raising retail and consumer workplace standards, and was union counsel at Cary Kane LLP. She served for a number of years on the Board and Executive Committee of Jobs with Justice – a coalition of labor and community groups. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and her law degree from Columbia Law School and teaches labor law at New York Law School.
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