BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN DEATH OF FDNY EMT YADIRA ARROYO

Defendant Ran Over Victim With Her Own Ambulance

   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for first-degree Murder and other crimes for killing FDNY Emergency Medical Technician Yadira Arroyo by running her over as he fled with her ambulance. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant horrifically ended the life of someone who exemplified bravery, compassion and caring. Yadira Arroyo died a hero on the streets of the Bronx. We will seek justice for her, her family, and her extended family of the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services.” 

  District Attorney Clark said that Jose Gonzalez, 25, of Creston Avenue, was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. He is due back in court on August 25, 2017. 

  Gonzalez was indicted on three counts of first-degree Murder, four counts of second degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, two counts of first-degree Robbery, two counts of second-degree Robbery, second-degree Assault, second-degree Vehicular Manslaughter and three counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs. If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to life in prison. 

  According to the investigation, on the evening of March 16, 2017, Gonzalez, who was riding on the back of Arroyo’s ambulance, jumped off and seized a backpack from a young man in the area of Watson Avenue and White Plains Road. The robbery victim, seeking help, flagged down Arroyo’s passing ambulance. Arroyo exited the vehicle and briefly spoke with Gonzalez.

  He jumped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance and, as Arroyo stood at the door trying to stop him from stealing the vehicle, Gonzalez geared the ambulance in reverse, striking Arroyo. He proceeded to drive the ambulance forward, again hitting Arroyo, causing her death. 

   Toxicology tests on Gonzalez were positive for PCP and Marijuana.

  District Attorney Clark thanked MTA Police Officer Daniel McDade, who tackled the defendant after the incident and detained him with the help of several Bronx citizens; the 43rd Precinct, specifically Detective Robert Rentas, and Detective Christopher Skulsky from Bronx Homicide. 

  An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON THE NEW YORK STATE EXTENDER BUDGET BILLS

   "While I fully understand and recognize the critical importance of keeping our State's government adequately funded, I could not stand by and vote for budget extender bills that not only excluded important measures, but that were also drafted without the participation of the Senate Democratic Conference. We cannot allow important issues like Raise The Age, an adequate college affordability plan, the DREAM Act, adequate funding for public education, and voting, campaign finance and ethics reform, to be victims of political interest. We have an obligation to use the time provided by this extender to include critical measures in this year's budget that the millions of New Yorkers we proudly represent need and deserve."

USED BUT NO LONGER ABUSED: MAYOR, DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ANNOUNCE NEW LEGISLATION TO COMBAT PREDATORY SALES AND FINANCING PRACTICES IN THE USED CAR INDUSTRY

Department of Consumer Affairs release report on their public hearing on predatory lending in the used car industry

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Consumer Affairs Commissioner Lorelei Salas, Council Members today announced a package of legislation to combat predatory practices in the used car industry. The legislation would require used car dealerships, which DCA licenses, to post a Consumer Bill of Rights and disclose information about financing and pricing, provide all required notices to the consumer be in whatever language used to negotiate the contract, and provide consumers with the option to cancel their contract within two days of the sale. The legislation comes as a result of the public hearing hosted by Commissioner Salas and Council Member Espinal last October to explore predatory lending in the used car industry. DCA and Council Member Espinal also issued a report on the public hearing that includes findings and recommendations.

“Predatory business practices that take advantage of immigrants and other hard-working New Yorkers have no place in our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “When buying a used car, consumers will now have the information they need to avoid loan products that border on usury. We’re fighting to prevent unscrupulous dealers from peddling deceptive loan products, which too often target families that are already economically vulnerable. I fully support these bills that reinforce consumers’ rights and create transparency where it is badly needed.”

“For many New Yorkers having access to a car is a vital part of their economic stability,” said DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas. “This legislation creates an additional layer of protection for these consumers, specifically those in low-income neighborhoods who have been disproportionally affected by these predatory practices. By requiring that used car dealerships must offer additional disclosures such as a consumer bill of rights, we can better ensure that hard-working New Yorkers are operating within a fair and transparent marketplace when it comes to purchasing a car.”

The proposed legislation would require used car dealerships to disclose the following to consumers:

·         The lowest annual percentage rate offered by a finance company to the consumer;

·         Any charge imposed by the dealership for arranging financing, including mark-up charges and processing fees;

·         A statement that the consumer is not required to obtain financing through the dealership;

·         The price of each additional good, accessory, service, product, or insurance offered for sale with the automobile; and

·         The total cost and monthly payments, including financing, to purchase the car with each additional item included, without any items included, and with all items included.

The proposed legislation would also require used car dealerships to post and distribute a Consumer Bill of Rights to consumers. Dealerships will be required to retain a copy of the bill of rights signed and initialed by the customer for six years following the sale. The Bill of Rights would inform consumers that used car dealerships must:

·         Offer a contract cancellation option agreement;

·         Inform consumers that they are not required to finance their purchase through the dealership, they have the right to pay in cash or seek a loan from another lender;

·         Sell cars at the price advertised, quoted or posted on the automobile;

·         Inform consumers that they can file a complaint;

·         Inform consumers that they are entitled to a “Used Car Buyer Guide,” as well as various warranties and rights under NY state laws;

·         Inform consumers of the lowest annual percentage rate offered by the financing company and any fees being charged by the secondhand auto dealer for such financing purchases; and

·         Disclose in writing the itemized cost of each additional good or service being offered, including the monthly and total cost of financing with and without each additional good or service.

The bills aim to tackle common deceptive and predatory practices engaged in by used car dealers, including:

·         Deceiving consumers into loans with longer-than-necessary repayment terms, making the car much more expensive for the consumer;

·         Deceiving consumers into agreeing to purchase a car with expensive “add-on” products that are often misrepresented as “mandatory” for obtaining financing;

·         Misstating disclosed monthly payment amounts to make the car appear cheaper; and

·         Failing to disclose dealer markups of lender financing rates, total interest rate, and the total amount a consumer will pay for a car over the life of a loan.

Dealers have an obvious financial incentive to sell as many cars as possible and trends suggest that systemic abuses ensure larger profit margins for dealers at the expense of consumers. As a result of these tactics, consumers are being pressured into loans they cannot afford. As with other forms of predatory lending, the tactics in the used car industry disproportionately affect people of color or those with low incomes, and have already been the subject of inquiry by federal agencies including the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

From October 2013 through March 2017, DCA received 826 complaints from consumers related to purchase or payment issues in connection with used cars. The complaints range from instances of forgery on contracts to a lack of material disclosures by dealership staff and are concentrated in boroughs outside of Manhattan where most of DCA’s licensees are located and customers are more likely to rely on automobiles for transportation.

The top five ZIP codes by number of complaints received are all in Brooklyn with the exception of Ridgewood in Queens. The characteristics of these neighborhoods suggest that used car financing issues are concentrated in areas that are traditionally unbanked or underbanked, have populations that are largely New Yorkers of color, or have sizeable communities of individuals with limited English proficiency.

American Community Survey data, aggregated by the City between 2010 and 2014, also shows that that our top complainant neighborhoods have significant populations of individuals without a high school diploma and living in poverty. In Cypress Hills, for example, approximately 22 percent of the neighborhood does not have a high school degree and nearly 30 percent live in poverty.

Although many aspects of financing, such as the way loans are structured or how high interest rates can be, are regulated at state and federal levels, New York City’s used car licensing law gives DCA oversight of used car dealers and the way in which dealers advertise and sell cars. The requirements in these bills would further strengthen the City’s ability to protect New York City consumers when they are buying a used car. The hearing for the bills is scheduled for April 26, 2017.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, auto loan debt is one of the fastest-growing household debt levels, with an increase of nine percent from 2015 to 2016, and 13 percent since 2005. At the end of 2016, Americans had nearly $1.2 trillion in outstanding auto loan debt. Consumer reporting agencies report that more than 25 percent of auto loans are classified as subprime and that the number jumps above 30 percent for used car loans.

DCA currently licenses 775 used car dealerships citywide, and it has received more than 5,500 complaints about the industry since mid-2013, including more than 1,050 since July 2016, the start of the current fiscal year. Since July 2013, DCA has conducted nearly 2,500 inspections of used car dealerships and issued more than 650 violations, most of which are for unlicensed activity, failing to post required signage, and parking vehicles on the sidewalk or roadway. As a result of the mediation of consumer complaints, investigations and settlements, DCA has secured nearly $913,000 in consumer restitution and assessed $1.6 million in fines against used car dealerships over the past three years.

Last month, DCA announced charges against Major World, one of the largest local used car dealerships with multiple locations, for using deceptive financing and sales practices that resulted in predatory lending targeting immigrants and New Yorkers with low incomes. DCA alleges that Major World has been submitting false information on consumers’ credit applications and failing to inform consumers of the precise terms of the financing agreement, such as interest rates, finance charges, and number of required payments.

ENGEL STATEMENT ON REMOVAL OF STEPHEN K. BANNON FROM NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL PRINCIPALS COMMITTEE

  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“Steve Bannon should never have been on the National Security Council in the first place. There's no place for someone with his record and associations in a leading national-security role. His removal today was long overdue.”

NYC SALARY HISTORY BAN LEAVES HALF OF NYS WITHOU PROTECTION

Assemblyman Crespo calls for action on his 2013 legislation which will make the ban a statewide law that is needed to address wage discrimination

    Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Chair of the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force congratulated the New York City Council on their bold step to use a pragmatic approach to solving the wage discrimination faced by woman and ethnic minorities in the private labor market.  Crespo also used this opportunity to call on the New York State Legislature to pass similar legislation he has introduced since 2013.

“I congratulate the New York City Council and Public Advocate Letitia James for attacking the problem of wage discrimination at its root cause; salary history requirements by prospective employers.  It has been obvious to me for a long time that requiring a salary history from a job applicant only serves to suppress that candidates’ wages due to generations of an unequal starting point for labor force participants who are female and ethnic minorities,” stated Crespo.

He added, “The New York State Legislature must now follow the example set in New York City and pass my legislation (Assembly Bill 2040-A).  We cannot have parts of our state making it a crime to engage in wage discrimination when half of our fellow New Yorkers are denied the same protections.”

Crespo continued, “In order to achieve fair pay, policymakers must enact laws that prevent gender based wage discrimination from the point when women and minorities enter the labor force.  Asking prospective employees for wage history as a requirement for a job interview or job application or as condition for accepting a job is a discriminatory practice that must be banned.”

Crespo has reintroduced his legislation for each of the past five years which will prohibit employers from seeking salary history from prospective employees and only allows for verification of wages via written consent by prospective employee in instances where the verification can lead to higher wages than are being offered by employer.  The legislation charges the NYS Department of Labor and Division of Human Rights with monitoring the problem and violations of the proposed law.

Requiring a salary history is a tactic used by employers to justify their lower pay rate and/or marginal pay increase for women and minority employees. This practice is a root cause of continued wage gap and wage inequalities between female and male employees and between white and nonwhite employees.

“Banning this practice should be the first step in enforcing equal pay laws like those passed by the federal government almost 53 years ago,” Crespo asserted. “Without such a ban, women and minorities start any new job having their salary based on previous salary, which to begin with was unequal to their male and Caucasian counterparts.”

According to Crespo, “It's a revolving cycle that brings us to today's persistent wage gap which ranges from 21% for white women to as much as 46% for minority women for every dollar their male counterparts earn.”

“The 1963 Equal Pay Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act in the United States established the legal right for equal pay for equal work and equal opportunity. Yet more than half a century later, women and minorities are still subjected to wage gaps and paid less than men,” declared Crespo.

STRONG AND FAIR ECONOMY: THREE YEARS AFTER PAID SICK LEAVE EXPANSION, UNEMPLOYMENT AT HISTORIC LOWS

Department of Consumer Affairs’ Nearly Triples Paid Sick Leave Restitution for Nearly 16,000 New Yorkers

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Commissioner Lorelei Salas and New Yorkers celebrated the third anniversary of New York’s Paid Sick Leave Law, which created the legal right to sick leave for 3.4 million private and nonprofit sector workers, nearly 1.2 million of whom did not previously have access to this vital workplace benefit. Last month, New York City recorded its lowest unemployment rate since 1976, continuing a strong expansion of new jobs that has coincided with new protections for employees. Over the past three years, DCA secured restitution for nearly 16,000 New Yorkers, and this past weekend the agency filed charges on behalf of nine JetBlue ground crew and flight attendants against JetBlue for violating the law.

“In New York, we’ve shown that protecting working families and growing our economy go hand-in-hand,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “For the last three years, businesses can no longer punish employees for taking time off to care for themselves or a sick child, a benefit to families and to public health. At the same time, New York’s economy is booming, with unemployment reaching lows not seen for over forty years. I thank the City Council for taking leadership and passing this law, as well as the Department of Consumer Affairs for protecting and supporting workers, especially the most vulnerable among them, including immigrants, women, people of color, or those with low incomes.”

“The Council is thrilled to mark the third anniversary of its expansion of the Paid Sick Leave Law, which has helped ensure that no New Yorker has to choose between a day's pay or caring for a sick loved one," said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “This important measure has expanded protections to over a million residents, and represents the commitment we hold to working for policies and legislation that make New York City a more fair and just place for its workers. I thank Mayor de Blasio and Council Member Margaret Chin, along with the staff at the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Labor Policy and Standards for their diligent work on this essential initiative.”

“Three years ago, thanks to Mayor de Blasio who significantly expanded the law, our city took a step towards building an even stronger—and healthier—workforce with its Paid Sick Leave Law,” said DCA Commissioner Lorelei Salas. “But there’s much more to do to fully protect our workforce and communities, especially as we anxiously face changes at the federal level. I want New Yorkers to know that our local workplace laws apply to all workers, regardless of status and no stroke of a pen in Washington will change that.”

In the three years since the Paid Sick Leave Law went into effect, the agency has closed more than 900 cases, securing more restitution for close to 16,000 employees. Many of these New Yorkers work for low wages as security guards, home health aides, restaurant workers, and retail workers, and many are immigrants, people of color, or women.

DCA’s Office of Labor Policy and Standards (OLPS), which is charged with enforcing the Paid Sick Leave Law, as well as others, was formally established in 2016 under the leadership of Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. While DCA OLPS has investigated many different industries and employers for non-compliance with the Paid Sick Leave Law, the airline industry is one industry in New York City where OLPS has repeatedly found merit to charges against employers of violations of the law. DCA OLPS filed charges against JetBlue on Friday, March 31, 2017, which follows a case filed against Delta Airlines in February. DCA OLPS has received nine complaints from current and former JetBlue employees with various job titles (six flight attendants, two ground crew members, one customer service representative), all of whom have alleged violations of the Paid Sick Leave Law. Three of the complainants were ultimately fired as a result of JetBlue’s disciplinary policy. DCA OLPS’ charges against JetBlue include failing to properly accrue and allow employees to use sick leave, retaliation for the use of accrued leave (issuance of disciplinary “points” and termination), failing to provide pay for sick leave, and failing to provide employees with the Notice of Employee Rights as required by the law. In addition to the suits against Delta and JetBlue, DCA OLPS has an open investigation involving a third airline and a subcontracting company for the industry.

“Given the absence of any indication from the new administration in Washington that prior federal aggressive labor enforcement will continue, the City’s commitment to protecting the rights of workers is now more important than ever,” said DCA Deputy Commissioner for OLPS Liz Vladeck. “As the enforcement numbers show, DCA OLPS’ mission is to help drive a culture of compliance with respect to workplace laws, and we are working to ensure all workers in New York City are able to access the rights that our laws provide.”

Prior to the passage of the Paid Sick Leave Law, businesses raised concerns about the feasibility of implementing the law.  However, these concerns have not been realized. The New York City Economic Development Corporation recently announced that the citywide unemployment has dropped to the lowest rate since 1976—4.5 percent in January 2017, which is the earliest available unemployment data from the New York State Department of Labor. New York City has added 329,800 new jobs since Mayor de Blasio took office. Additionally, research by the Murphy Institute and Center for Economic and Policy Research has shown that the City’s Paid Sick Leave Law has not had a negative impact on businesses. In fact, the overwhelming majority of employers surveyed (more than 85 percent) reported the law did not increase costs, while more than 94 percent reported that the paid sick days law had no effect on productivity, and two percent reported that productivity increased. Similarly, 96 percent of employers reported no change in customer service as a result of the new law, and more than three percent saw an increase; less than one percent reported a decrease in customer service. Virtually no employers reported any change in turnover.

Several million New Yorkers are covered under the City’s Paid Sick Leave Law. When it went into effect in 2014, New York City became the seventh jurisdiction in the country to enact such a law, and more than two dozen additional jurisdictions have enacted laws giving workers access to paid sick leave since then. DCA continues to be a leader in the nation on advocacy around the importance of paid sick leave and, with the creation of OLPS, it is New York City’s central resource for workers and employers.

DCA’s OLPS enforces, implements, and works on the development of a new generation of minimum labor standards for a stronger city. It focuses on ensuring all workers can realize these rights, regardless of immigration status. In addition to the Paid Sick Leave Law, OLPS is implementing and/or enforcing a number of municipal workplace laws, including the Commuter Benefits Law, the City’s Living and Prevailing Wage Laws, and the Grocery Workers Retention Act. DCA OLPS also houses two new first-of-their-kind initiatives: the City’s new Paid Care Division, which is dedicated to defending the rights of paid care workers, improving the quality of paid care jobs, and strengthening the paid care system, and implementation of the Freelance isn’t Free Act, which is the very first law in the country that establishes a robust ability for freelance workers to recover unpaid or delayed wages. DCA OLPS is also charged with conducting original data collection and research, policy development, education and outreach on key workplace issues, fostering relationships with community partner, and advocating for new protections to help New York City’s working families and communities thrive.

DCA’s approach to implementation of these new and future workplace municipal laws begins with extensive education and outreach to ensure that businesses and workers know and understand their rights and responsibilities under the law. For example, the Paid Sick Leave public education campaign included a multi-year education campaign that has reached more than six million New Yorkers in 26 languages through extensive advertisements in subways, buses, and local and foreign-language print media, radio, and on television. DCA also participated in almost 1,500 events where staff distributed more than 2 million brochures about paid sick leave.

Under the NYC Paid Sick Leave Law, employers with five or more employees who are hired to work more than 80 hours per calendar year in New York City must provide paid sick leave. Employees with fewer than five employees must provide unpaid sick leave. Accrual begins on employee’s first day of employment and employees can begin using accrued leave 120 days after. On the first day of employment, employers must provide the Notice of Employee Rights in English and, if available on the DCA website, their primary language. Domestic workers who have worked for their employer for more than one year must be provided two days of paid sick leave, which is in addition to the three days of paid rest under the New York State Labor Law.

Employers and employees can visit nyc.gov/PaidSickLeave or call 311 (212-NEW-YORK outside NYC) for more information, the required Notice of Employee Rights, one-page overviews for employers and employees, FAQs, DCA’s paid sick leave training presentation, and the complaint form. DCA also developed tools to help employers keep track of employees’ hours worked and sick leave used as well as model forms for verification of authorized sick time used, intention to use sick time and request to make up missed work as an alternative to using sick time.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO NOMINATES ERIC LANDAU TO LEAD BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

   Mayor Bill de Blasio today nominated Eric Landau to serve as President of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. Landau will lead the 85-acre park’s continued expansion, oversee its daily operations and foster its long-term stability. Landau brings a wealth of experience supporting the City’s parks, having served as a Vice President at the Prospect Park Alliance and most recently as Deputy Commissioner overseeing public affairs and communications at New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection.

“Parks are among New York’s greatest treasures, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is a jewel like no other. Eric Landau has advocated for green space and sustainability for over a decade for our city, and has demonstrated impressive leadership serving the City. My administration looks forward to working with the park board to continue the critical work of developing, maintaining and protecting Brooklyn Bridge Park as one of New York City most vital public spaces,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

“I’m honored to be nominated as the next President of Brooklyn Bridge Park and look forward to working with the Park’s board of directors, community residents and elected officials to build upon the already massive success of the Park,” Eric Landau said. 

“Eric knows and loves Brooklyn’s parks well, and he will be an incredible leader for Brooklyn Bridge Park. I saw his commitment to engagement and community-driven planning firsthand at Prospect Park, and I know he’ll bring that same commitment to service to this iconic waterfront park,” said Tupper Thomas, former President of the Prospect Park Alliance.  

    An advocate of environmental issues, open space and community voices, Landau brings a wealth of experience in government and urban park planning.

Landau is currently Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs and Communications at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees management of the City’s water supply and sewer system, including providing drinking water for New York City, maintaining pressure to fire hydrants, managing storm water, and treating wastewater. The agency also regulates air quality, hazardous waste, and critical quality of life issues, including noise. In his role, Landau oversees the department’s external affairs and public relations, specifically consisting of the departments of Intergovernmental Affairs, Communications, Environmental Compliance Outreach, Education, and Special Project and Initiatives.

Prior to his appointment at DEP, Landau served as Vice President of Government and External Affairs and Special Assistant to the President for the Prospect Park Alliance, where he was responsible for building and strengthening Prospect Park’s relationships and base of support with City, State, and Federal elected and government officials, as well as local Community Boards and leaders. In addition, he oversaw the Alliance’s Marketing and Communications Department, as well as the Volunteer and Education Programs.

Landau previously served as the Senior Legislative Liaison for the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC, and was an intern for the late United States Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN).  He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelors of Arts from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Landau, 37, lives in Brooklyn with his wife Kimberlee and their two children, Beckett and Harper.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation is a not-for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park, a sustainable waterfront park stretching 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. The corporation’s mission is to create and maintain a world class park that is a recreational, environmental and cultural destination. The corporation operates under a mandate to be financially self-sustaining, which includes certain development sites within the project’s footprint.

After Outreach from Comptroller Stringer and NYC Pension Funds, Six Major Companies Agree to Gender Pay Equity Transparency

   New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer and the New York City Pension Funds today announced agreements with six major healthcare and insurance companies — two industries which have the highest adjusted gender pay gaps in the nation – to disclose information on how they address gender pay equity.

“Now more than ever, we need to publicly commit to ending the gender pay gap – and these companies are leading the way. When women succeed, our economy succeeds. When shareowners stand up and companies take action, our investments perform better. Transparency is critical to eliminating these gaps,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “If companies refuse to be open and honest — if they ignore investors’ concerns — we have to take a stand. This is not just about fairness — it’s about good management. There’s no excuse for companies to hide this information.”

Nationwide, women earn about 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. Further, studies have shown that the healthcare and insurance industries have some of the largest gender pay gaps — even when controlling for age, education, and years of experience, they are 33% higher than the average across the country. These discrepancies can affect women throughout their entire career — other findings regarding corporate diversity include:

• While women make up 78% of the healthcare workforce, they represent just 20% of the executive leadership at Fortune 500 healthcare companies. Nearly two-thirds of those companies have corporate boards that are over 75% male.

• Further, women make up more than 60% of the insurance industry, but hold just 10% of executive positions at insurance companies. More than 80% of board seats in the insurance industry are male.

• Yet, companies with greater gender diversity are 15% more likely to have better financial returns than male-dominated firms.

The six companies that have agreed to disclose meaningful information on gender pay equity include:

• AIG and Prudential Financial, which have for the first time released information on how they review employee salaries and work to ensure women and men are compensated equally. Both are confident they do not have a statistically significant gender pay gap;

• Aflac, which will disclose its female to male salary ratio, opportunities for advancement, and details on board oversight of compensation and benefits in its next Corporate Social Responsibility report;

• Allstate, which will publish a diversity report later this year discussing its annual compensation review process, gender pay equity adjustment policies, opportunities for advancement, and details on board oversight of diversity efforts; and

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• Anthem and UnitedHealth Group, which have agreed to conduct additional analyses.

The NYC Pension Funds’ shareowner proposal requesting disclosure of whether a company has a gender pay gap will go to a vote at upcoming annual meetings of at least three companies — Aetna, Express Scripts, and The Travelers Company — all of which refused to disclose meaningful gender pay information. The Comptroller’s Office is still in discussions with a fourth company, McKesson Corporation.

“Gender pay equity disclosures should be a market standard — and we applaud these companies for embracing transparency and fairness. But at the firms that aren’t releasing this information, investors have an opportunity to make a stand. This is simply too important for companies to ignore,” Comptroller Stringer added.