But during Wednesday's arguments, there was little reference made to mafia crime families and whether they would make inroads back to the ports should the Waterfront Commission be dissolved. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has wide jurisdiction over the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. Make descriptions so clear that persons unfamiliar with the work can understand exactly what is done.. Under statutory mandate, the mission of the commission is to investigate, deter, combat and remedy criminal activity and influence in the port district and also ensures fair hiring and employment practices. It is our responsibility to New Yorkers to stop New Jerseys unlawful actions and preserve the ongoing work of this law enforcement agency., Governor [Phil] Murphy continues to believe that New Jersey should have the right to withdraw from a nearly 70-year-old commission that does not meet todays needs or serve New Jerseys interests, said Bailey Lawrence, a spokesperson for the New Jersey governor, as reported by Law360 on October 24, 2022. He looks forward to the case being argued during the Supreme Courts upcoming term and remains optimistic that New Jersey will prevail.. The State Police, tasked with the role of taking over the enforcement role of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor on March 28, has asked some of agencys staff if they want to work for them. Yes, he said in an interview, there are still some signs of organized crime around the harbor, but hardly to the extent that it was controlling the waterfront and not to any greater extent than organized crime is involved in any other activity in the state of New Jersey.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. However, Chief Engineer Christos Tsiamis, who has been providing updates to the project almost every month for the past dozen years, diffused all, After advocacy from PS 676 students started three years ago, the new and improved Hamilton Avenue footbridge opened with a ribbon cutting on a rainy day in January. This applies to the appointment of commissioners and the approval of each state of the agencys operating budget. The Justice Department filed court documents in August that sided with New Jersey and argued that leaving the commission would allow the state to "exercise its full sovereign authority." All rights reserved (About Us). Media Inquiries-. Jackson and other justices seemed skeptical of New Yorks argument in the case. WASHINGTON U.S. Supreme Court justices spent nearly an hour poking holes in the points made by a lawyer representing New York during oral arguments Wednesday in a case spurred by New Jersey's bid to leave the bi-state Waterfront Commission. After being in limbo for nine months, New York v. New Jerseyalso known as the New York-New Jersey Waterfront Commission casewill soon be litigated in the U.S. Supreme Court, with oral arguments being made beginning February 27, 2023. The courts decision Monday was not unexpected. [5] The Police Division utilizes numerous vehicles in its vehicle fleet, including marked police cars and trucks. Phil Murphy. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor The language of the compact creating the commission does not specifically address whether either state can decide on its own to withdraw. Supporters of that plan including the shipping industry and the union representing port workers said the commission now makes doing things unnecessarily cumbersome and plodding. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In 1953, New York and New Jersey agreed to each delegate their own licensing and policing powers to the bistate agency. Upon assuming the position, current Governor Phil Murphywho previously promised members of the International Longshoremens Association that he would, as he declared in his campaign speech before the 2017 election, figure out the damn Waterfront Commission once and for allwas faced with a lawsuit on his first day of office. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Jackson challenged Vales argument that because of that silence, both states must agree on the Waterfront Commissions dissolution. It also argues that the industry today is not what it was in the 1950s and that this particular type of regulator (the compact) is not warranted. Your argument is that they surrendered their sovereign authority perpetually. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed, at one point saying it's "hard to unscramble the eggs" of the Port Authority but it's not so "disruptive" to dissolve a much smaller organization such as the Waterfront Commission, whose work is limited to performing background checks and investigations into suspected criminal port activity. [15][16], The report's existence was due, in part, to two whistleblowers, Kevin McGown and Brian Smith, who both resigned and have since filed a discrimination complaint against the agency. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar chided New York's case in those documents, calling its arguments "internally inconsistent.". It is harder for corruption and undue influence to take hold if it has to succeed in two states.. Acting Solicitor General Brian H. Fletcher, whose office argues the governments position for the Justice Department in cases before the Supreme Court, acknowledged in his brief last month that New York could still sue New Jersey state officials in federal court over the Waterfront Commission and seek an injunction. Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement applauding Feigenbaum and the attorneys for an "outstanding" job making the state's case. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. All rights reserved. The two-member commission with one commissioner from each state oversees licensing and inspections at the Port of New York and New Jersey and has its own police force. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. The unraveling of the Waterfront Commission will start now, and its duties will be taken over by the (New Jersey) State Police, he said. Over the years, the Waterfront Commission has documented how some union leaders in the ports have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay each year by submitting weekly reports in which they claim to work more hours than there are in a week. That territory includes the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn). Citizen Inquiries-. Gov. [20][1], The Supreme Court has paused New Jersey's withdrawal from the compact creating the commission until it has addressed the merits of an injunction filed by the State of New York.[21][22]. Kathy Hochul. The Waterfront Commission sued to save itself and, after years tied up in court, the case was turned away in 2021 on issues of standing. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In arguments before the court, New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale said while there was no expectation that the new commission created to clean up the port would be permanent, she told the justices there was an intention to prohibit unilateral withdrawal by either side. Phil Murphy has announced that New Jersey will withdraw from the commission in three weeks despite letters from the office of New York Gov. Chris Christie signed a law withdrawing from the commission and handing over law enforcement operations on the New Jersey side of the port to the New Jersey State Police. Paulins letter to Hochul seems to question the polices readiness by noting the commissions decades of institutional knowledge that cannot be replaced by another agency.. It argued that New Jersey could not simply decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. Others, though, say an even higher stakes battle might be at hand. Our journalism needs your support. We just dont know what the court is going to do., The new beautiful people who love to equate social justice with unconstrained real estate development love to say that everybody could get a great place to live whereever they want if only developers were allowed to build anyplace they wanted to, as tall as they like. Granting a motion by New York to stop the state from terminating the nearly 70-year-old compact ratified by Congress that created the Waterfront Commission, the high court in a brief written order also declared that the state could not simply walk away from its responsibilities to fund the commission. Peter Aseltine. All rights reserved (About Us). Phil Murphy said he is "thrilled" about the brief and is confident this will bolster the Garden State's case that it can withdraw from the bistate commission without consent from New York, according to a statement released Monday. Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. In essence they Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The commission was set up in August 1953 (a year before the movie On the Waterfront) to combat labor racketeering. If either state were to unilaterally withdraw from that agreement, the consequences would be far reaching. The Waterfront Commission was created in response to the significant influence of organized crime at the ports during the 20th century including having power over the International Longshoremen's Association, the union that hires workers at the ports and the prevalence of criminal behavior at the docks, such as cargo theft, gambling and loansharking. The next day, when Gov. The primary goals of the compact were to police local organized crime and end corruption at shipping terminals in the two states, ultimately replacing the daily shape-up (in which prospective workers forcibly competed against one another to secure work despite union membership status) with a state-run employment center. Its staff of 75 includes police officers, auditors, investigators, and lawyers. U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicated they might rule in favor of New Jersey leaving a bi-state agency with New York created to police ports, stem the influence of organized crime, and vet dockworkers. Waterfront Commission officials, who have pushed back on the states requests for information regarding the agencys operations, including its records, assets That case has been winding through courts ever since and the U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear the case essentially rested on procedural matters about who could sue whom. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Proponents charged that the agency had over-regulated business in an effort to justify its existence. Identification includes the WCPD patch on both sides of the upper garments and a WCPD shield (badge) on the left breast. New Yorkand the Waterfront Commission itselfbelieves that, without the compact, the industry could go backwards to what it once was. The Waterfront Commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has jurisdiction over all the regions piers and The Supreme Court docket has recorded the arguments being filed by both the defendant and plaintiff since March 2022. It is set up differently from other interstate agreements including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which was created in 1921. Theres this whole sort of structure to deal with political conflicts, [how] to avoid them, and [how to] reach compromises, and that doesnt exist right now at the Waterfront Commission, said Ry Rivard, a reporter who covers energy, the environment, and transportation in New Jersey for POLITICO, during the webinar. Download. New Jersey has the support of the Biden administration, which has told the court that the compact's text suggests either state can withdraw on its own. Last month, the Office of the Solicitor General in its own brief concluded the commission did not have the authority to file a petition seeking to overturn efforts by the New Jersey Legislature to withdraw from its interstate agreement. The agencys two commissioners and executive staff members were swept out and new leadership has since been installed. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port complex located on the East Coast of North America. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 2023 www.northjersey.com. The U.S. Supreme Court will not intervene in New Jerseys efforts to kill the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor a bi-state agency created more than 65 years ago to police the regions ports ending for now a years-long legal fight over the policing of the ports of New York and New Jersey. Container ships are docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. New York sued New Jersey over the Garden States unilateral effort to shut down the bistate agency, reports in which they claim to work more hours than there are in a week, handing over law enforcement operations on the New Jersey side of the port to the New Jersey State Police, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The 70 WebCertified Police Officer - Detective. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, told Vale her argument "doesn't make any sense" and that "once you said the compact did not intend this to be perpetual, I think you ended the game.". The US Supreme Court seemed likely to say that New Jersey can walk away from an interstate agreement over the objection of its neighbor New York. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. The commission was created in 1953 when organized crime had infiltrated the port and was demanding payments from workers and shippers through extortion and violence. The bi-state commission was formed in 1953 to combat widespread waterfront crime, including mob activity and the sort of corruption detailed in the movie On the Waterfront.. 2023 www.northjersey.com. And unlike in most cities, NYC residents have a unique opportunity to weigh in regularly on their neighborhoods actions and developments, thanks to, After the revelation last month about a provocative letter sent by some Gowanus Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG) to EPA heads, some thought that the next monthly meeting would be filled with fireworks (see our last issue). The commission was created in 1953 when organized crime had infiltrated the port and was demanding payments from workers and shippers through extortion and violence. The Waterfront Commission declined comment on Monday. Despite having once vetoed the measure as unconstitutional, then-Gov. The commission, which approves and denies those seeking port jobs like longshoreman, includes representation from both states. The Waterfront Commission declined to comment. filed to the Supreme Court through November, A look inside the negotiations to split federal transit funds, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. On Monday, the chair of the New York Assemblys Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, Amy Paulin (D-Westchester), sent a letter urging Gov. WebWaterfront Commission of New York Harbor 3.8 out of 5 stars.3.8 4 reviews Write a review Snapshot Why Join Us Jobs 4 Reviews 2 Salaries 3 Q&A Interviews Photos Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor Careers and Employment About the company Company size 51 to 200 Headquarters New York Link Waterfront How NJ lost $850M to NY:A look inside the negotiations to split federal transit funds. The Supreme Court appears willing to let New Jersey unilaterally exit the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, a bistate police agency created to crack [10], Officers wear a darkblue NYC-style police uniform, with:[11], It also includes a duty belt with equipment. We know here that the parties never intended for this to be perpetual, said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who grew up in New York. Other justices on the court focused on whether the 70-year-old agreement that created the bi-state agency to fight corruption and mob influence on the regions docks had ever been intended to be permanent. January 18, 2023. To put the workforce into context, about 40,000 to 50,000 workers were showing up at the docks in 1953 and about 8,000 registered workers were showing up by 1980, according to Catapano. The U.S. Gov. It maintained that New Jersey could not decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. 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