Senate Finance Committee questions four nominees to New York Workers' Compensation Board, moves them to full Senate

Senator Liz Krueger, chair of the State Senate Finance Committee, convened a June 9 committee hearing to question four nominees to the New York State Workers' Compensation Board and then moved all four nominations to the full Senate for consideration.

The nominees — Gina Saliti (nominee to the Workers' Compensation Board), Maria Matos (nominee to the Workers' Compensation Board), Peter DeJesus Jr. (nominee to the Workers' Compensation Board) and Robert Bergen (nominee to the Workers' Compensation Board) — each delivered brief statements about their backgrounds and answered questions from committee members before the panel voted to discharge the nominations to the Senate floor for final action.

Why it matters: The Workers' Compensation Board reviews appeals and decisions in workplace injury cases and oversees benefit delivery for injured workers across New York. Committee members said they are focused on clearing backlogs and increasing written decisions to build case law.

Gina Saliti, a former Assembly member who said she has more than 20 years in government and experience handling personnel and workers' compensation issues in Nassau County, told the committee, “It would be my honor to continue to serve them, as I have these past few decades.” Saliti described prior work in local government and human-resources roles and said she is “eager to learn every facet of the board.”

Maria Matos emphasized her 30-year legal career and experience as counsel in New York City government and state agencies. “I am committed to making a positive contribution and believe that I can make a difference,” Matos said, and described work on reducing backlogs while chief counsel to a committee on character and fitness.

Peter DeJesus Jr. described a background in labor organizing and community service and said, “If confirmed, I will bring these values into my role every day as a public servant committed to ensuring that the workers compensation system remains fair, efficient, respectful to all New Yorkers.” Committee members praised his work connecting employers, workers and community partners.

Robert Bergen, a Rochester lawyer and former municipal counsel, said his experience representing small employers, utilities and municipalities gives him perspective on workforce and workplace risks. Bergen told the committee, “I think I could be a competent member of the Workers' Compensation Board.”

Committee members repeatedly raised the backlog of cases before the board and the need for more written decisions to clarify precedent. A committee member noted that some claimants have trouble locating providers who accept workers' compensation; nominees said appeals before the board focus on applying law to the facts of individual cases.

After questioning, the committee voted to discharge all four nominees to the Senate floor. Senator Cunardis moved the motion and Senator Hinchey seconded it; members voiced approval and the chair announced the nominations would be moved to the floor in the coming days.

The committee also noted the meeting agenda included a separate, longer list of nonpaid nominations that would be read into the record later in the session.

What was not decided: The committee’s action was to discharge the nominees to the full Senate; the committee did not confirm the nominees on the spot. Final confirmation rests with the full Senate vote.

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