Levitt v. Board of Certification of Office of Collective Bargaining

**What Happened** A group of Parking Violations Bureau (PVB) Hearing Officers who work for New York City wanted to form a union and bargain collectively with the city about their working conditions, wages, and benefits. They petitioned the Board of Certification to get official recognition as a bargaining unit, which would give them the legal right to negotiate as a group with their employer. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled against the hearing officers and upheld the dismissal of their petition. The court found that under New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law, PVB Hearing Officers are specifically excluded from being classified as "employees" for collective bargaining purposes. Since they don't legally qualify as employees under this law, they cannot form a union or engage in collective bargaining with the City of New York. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that not all government workers automatically have the right to unionize. Some positions may be excluded from collective bargaining rights by specific laws, even if the workers perform regular job duties. Workers in specialized government roles should check whether their positions are legally eligible for union representation before attempting to organize or petition for collective bargaining rights.