In the News: District 1 Lawyer Appointed to NYC Bargaining Board

Gay Semel, a veteran labor lawyer who has served as District 1 counsel in New York City for 21 years, has been confirmed as regular member of the city's Board of Collective Bargaining. Semel has served as an alternate member of board for four years.

"This is an important position and represents a strong vote of confidence for one of CWA's top attorneys," CWA General Counsel Mary O'Melveny said.

Semel is one of two labor lawyers on the seven-member board, which also includes two city attorneys and three arbitrators. The board meets monthly to review "improper practice" cases, which are the New York public sector's equivalent of unfair labor practice complaints.

She was chosen for the post by the Municipal Labor Board and formally appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Before going to law school, Semel was a telephone operator who worked with CWA to organize 22,000 operators at New York Telephone, a campaign that was later successful.