Legislative Alert: February 28, 2025

President's Message

SUPPORT TEMPORARY DISABILITY IMPROVEMENTS

The NYS AFL-CIO supports increasing the benefit and enacting improvements in the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance Program (TDI). The current TDI benefit applies to all private sector employers in the state. It provides income for up to 26 weeks if a worker suffers a non-work-related injury or illness and cannot perform their duties and is capped at $170.00 per week. This benefit has been static since 1989 and is long overdue for an increase.

S172 Ramos/A84 Solages will phase-in increases beginning in 2027 to the weekly benefit and reach 2/3 of an employee’s wages, with a weekly cap of 2/3 of the state’s average weekly wage (AWW) by 2029. This will apply to the first 12 weeks. The benefit will increase to 30% of the state’s AWW for weeks 13-26 and could be increased at a later date after considering the adequacy of the benefit, employee/employer cost, utilization, and other factors.

The bill includes a waiver process for employers and unions to agree to postpone the changes through 2030, where collective bargaining agreements are in place. For the first time, the bill will allow workers to take leave intermittently, require employers to allow workers to return to their positions, and modernize other aspects of TDI. The cost will continue to be shared by employers and employees; by 2030 employers will be authorized to charge .05% of an employee’s wages up to a cap of 40% of the average statewide cost of the insurance plan.

No worker should lose their livelihood due to a non-work-related diagnosis of a disease or as the result of a non-work injury, and this bill will help prevent families from slipping into poverty if such an event occurs.

Mario Cilento, President

Upcoming Meetings

PEF Legislative Reception 
Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
Albany Hilton, 40 Lodge St., Albany

AFSCME Legislative Reception 
Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
The Albany Room, Empire State Plaza Concourse

IUOE Legislative Reception 
Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 6-8 p.m. 
DeWitt Room, Renaissance Albany Hotel 
144 State St., Albany