Assistant Director

The Office of Labor Relations (OLR) represents the Mayor in the conduct of all labor relations between the City of New York and labor unions representing employees of the City. The Commissioner serves on behalf of the Mayor as the City’s liaison with both labor and management in the private sector. The office is authorized by Executive Order 38 (February 7, 1967), amended by Executive Order 13 (July 24, 1990).

Additionally, OLR administers the Health Benefits Program, Management Benefits Fund, Employee Assistance Program, Work Well NYC, Medicare Part B Reimbursement Program, and Pre-Tax Benefits & Citywide Programs, including the Deferred Compensation Plan and NYCE IRA. In addition to negotiating collective bargaining agreements, OLR serves as a resource to agencies regarding labor issues and works with the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) to pursue innovations in a variety of areas, particularly regarding City health insurance programs.

OLR staff assist their fellow agencies in handling personnel and payroll issues, conducting labor-management meetings, representing the City at representation hearings, and handling all employee grievances and arbitration matters, while also negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the City's 149 bargaining units.

The Health Insurance Payments & Receivables Division is responsible for making payments to all 11 City health plans within the Health Benefits Program. Total payments exceed $10.8 billion annually. In addition, this position is responsible for processing and reconciling Medicare Part B/IRMAA payments made to City retirees in the amount of approximately $650,000 annually and reconciling monthly banking statements, including Positive Pay Exceptions on a daily basis.

The unit audits the financial accounts of the Health Benefits Program, which includes accounts receivable, cash disbursements and receipts. Furthermore, the Assistant Director reviews records of cash flow transactions and account balances, prepares monthly and quarterly cash budgets, performs bank reconciliations for checking accounts, and analyzes reconciliation reports for all other cash accounts from accounting systems. This position is also responsible for generating financial reports to the Executive Division, Comptroller’s Office, and OMB.

The Assistant Director is also responsible for overseeing 4 staff members, whose responsibilities include:

• processing and payment of premiums to the City’s health insurance carriers. Payments must be accurate and timely and require coordination with the City Comptroller and the FISA payroll system as well as with all participant City and City-covered agencies.
• processing and payment of all expenditures for all self-funded programs, including the Management Benefits Fund, VDT, and the Flexible Spending Accounts, which includes DeCAP and the Health Care Flexible Spending Account.
• maintenance of accurate membership counts by program and continual maintenance of Trust and Agency accounts and reserve accounts with the Office of the Comptroller.
• administering an eligibility system for City vested retiree groups for purposes of providing these groups with City health insurance coverage. It is responsible for the administration of membership records and billing mechanisms to group members for collection of optional benefit premiums.
• Reviewing Health Insurance Carrier spending using appropriate FMS Info Advantage reports to analyze balances remaining on encumbrances and projecting MBF needs for the fiscal year to determine if funding is adequate.

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university plus one year of full-time paid experience within the last six years in fire, casualty or surety insurance as a corporate insurance manager, insurance agent, insurance underwriter or insurance broker; or
• High school graduation or evidence of having passed an examination for the high school equivalency diploma or the U.S. Armed Forces G.E.D. certificate with a score of at least 35…