Judge Requires NYC to Enforce Same-Sex Benefits with Contractors

A New York State judge ruled on Monday that New York City must require companies with contracts valued over $100,000 to offer the same benefits to the domestic partners of employees as they do to their spouses. Judge Faviola Soto ruled that the Equal Benefits Law must be enforced in spite of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s fight against it, according to the New York Times. The law was originally passed last spring by New York City’s Council, and was vetoed by Mayor Bloomberg, who maintained that the law would be costly if the city could not always select the lowest-bidding company to provide services for city projects, the Associated Press reports. The Council overrode the veto, and the Equal Benefits Law technically went into effect on October 26, Newsday reports. Democratic Councilwoman Christine Quinn, sponsor of the bill, argues that the law will not increase the prices of contracts, as companies that comply with the law experience less employee turnover, according to the New York Times. New York City will join San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle in requiring companies that conduct business with the city to require domestic partner benefits, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. JOIN the Feminist Majority