Why Mamdani Enlisted Unions to Fix New York City’s Civil Service Hiring

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on October 5, 2026, a partnership with organized labor unions to modernize New York City’s civil service hiring system, marking a significant shift after unions had previously blocked similar reform efforts. The Civil Service Modernization Advisory Committee, chaired by DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei with District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido as vice chair, will identify ways to accelerate hiring and modernize technology systems that can be decades out of date.

The hiring bottleneck

New York City’s civil service process often takes about 15 months from exam to hire, according to New York Focus. At a 2024 hearing, Council Member Lincoln Restler said it “shouldn’t take more than 18 months” from exam to a start date or promotion, but that this happens “essentially every single time.” Candidates must apply to one of more than 100 different civil service exams, sometimes waiting years for their agency to schedule the test. After taking the exam, they wait months to about a year for the city to release eligible lists, and then agencies have to consider the top three scoring applicants per position before moving down the list—a restriction known as the “one in three” rule. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which administers the exams, had a 16 percent vacancy rate in New York Focus’s July 2026 report; Governing reported earlier in the year that it was nearly 17 percent vacant.

These delays come as the city’s vacancy rate has hovered around 4.5 percent since 2024. Some agencies report much higher vacancy rates: New York Focus reported in July that a 12 percent vacancy rate at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development had contributed to slower project reviews, and Governing put that agency’s rate at 13 percent earlier in the year. The prolonged hiring timeline exacerbates staffing shortages in critical agencies providing social services, health inspections, and other essential functions.

The numbers
New York City’s vacancy rate has hovered around 4.5 percent since 2024, according to New York Focus. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development had a 12 percent vacancy rate in New York Focus’s July report; Governing had reported 13 percent earlier in the year. The Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which administers civil service exams, had a 16 percent vacancy rate in July, and Governing had reported it nearly 17 percent vacant.

Labor’s changing position

Labor unions, particularly DC37, had previously blocked civil service reform attempts. In 2024, when Mayor Eric Adams’ administration tried to join NY HELPS, a state program that temporarily waives civil service exams to speed hiring, unions sued to stop it. DC37 Executive Director Henry Garrido has said that bypassing the exam process would unfairly disadvantage thousands of workers already on civil service eligible lists who had paid application fees and completed the examination process.

Now, Garrido and other union leaders have joined Mamdani’s modernization effort as partners rather than opponents. Staffing shortages have forced mandatory overtime at some understaffed agencies, such as the Department of Social Services. “I look forward to working with the task force to help identify meaningful changes that make civil service more responsive, equitable and effective while protecting the merit-based system that public employees depend on,” said Gloria Middleton, president of CWA Local 1180. The advisory committee includes representatives from CWA Local 1180, SEIU Local 246, SSEU Local 371, and COBA, alongside six top city officials, including the deputy mayor.

“I look forward to working with the task force to help identify meaningful changes that make civil service more responsive, equitable and effective while protecting the merit-based system that public employees depend on,” said Gloria Middleton, president of CWA Local 1180.

Timeline and next steps

The committee will make initial recommendations in December 2026, with the goal of passing legislative changes during New York State’s 2027 session. A second set of proposals will be released in December 2027. As of October 7, the group is already at work identifying both immediate improvements the city can implement without legislative approval and longer-term changes that require state action.

Potential changes could include modernizing outdated job titles and updating technology systems. For New Yorkers seeking city jobs, faster hiring timelines could make positions more accessible. The announcement marks a change from past attempts to revamp the system, which sputtered in the face of opposition from labor unions; unions now have seats on the committee.