Chris Christie signed a bill allowing the state to pull out of the compact, charging the state lacks the authority to withdraw unilaterally. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. New York sued New Jersey in March over its withdrawal efforts, arguing that the two states would have to agree to the commission's disbanding, and said the work of the commission is not over, with organized crime still seeking to "exert influence" over port operations. The bi-state commission was formed in 1953 to combat widespread waterfront crime, including mob activity and the sort of corruption detailed in the movie On the Waterfront.. The US Supreme Court seemed likely to say that New Jersey can walk away from an interstate agreement over the objection of its neighbor New York. Subscribe at nj.com/supporter. We look forward to an orderly transition from the Commission to the New Jersey State Police.. January 18, 2023. For unlimited access to her work covering the regions transportation systems and how they affect your commute,please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Citizen Inquiries-. Some bi-state agencies outlive their usefulness, and this is one of them, Murphy said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. New Jersey, the justices questioned counsel for New York on whether New Jersey could be held to the 1953 Waterfront Commission Compact indefinitely. The Supreme Court appears willing to let New Jersey unilaterally exit the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, a bistate police agency created to crack Gov. Employees were specifically asked: Describe in detail the work required of this position. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Isnt that an extraordinary thing? he asked. Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court. "I am optimistic that New Jersey will prevail in this case and will finally be allowed to reclaim authority over its ports with a regulatory structure more suited for the 21stcentury," Murphy's statement said. Last month, the Office of the Solicitor General in its own brief concluded the commission did not have the authority to file a petition seeking to overturn efforts by the New Jersey Legislature to withdraw from its interstate agreement. Make descriptions so clear that persons unfamiliar with the work can understand exactly what is done.. It agreed with the state and found that the commissions lawsuit impinges on the State of New Jerseys sovereignty., In a final appeal, lawyers for the Waterfront Commission went to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that if the decision were to stand, it will signal to states that they can destroy compact commissions they find irksome simply by appropriating the commissions functions for themselves.. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has jurisdiction over all the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicated they might rule in favor of New Jersey leaving a bi-state agency with New York created to police ports, stem the If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department have sided with New Jersey in a dispute with New York over the future of the controversial Waterfront Commission, which monitors hiring and criminal activity at the ports, according to a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Its formation in 1953 came in the wake of series newspaper stories that exposed the racketeering and labor abuses then widespread on the piers which led to major reforms inspiring the Marlon Brando film classic On the Waterfront.. Now, in the era of container shipping, about 80 percent of cargo goes through New Jersey. Phil Murphy reiterated Wednesday that New Jersey would unilaterally leave the bi-state Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, calling it a completely The U.S. Supreme Court ordered an abrupt halt Thursday to New Jerseys planned exit from a bi-state watchdog agency that regulates the ports and piers of New York Harbor, just four days before the state was ready to call it quits. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. New Yorkand the Waterfront Commission itselfbelieves that, without the compact, the industry could go backwards to what it once was. Murphy, following the oral arguments, said he was optimistic that New Jersey would prevail in the case and will finally be allowed to reclaim authority over its ports with a regulatory structure more suited for the 21st century.. In separate letters sent to the U.S. Department of Justice this summer and obtained by POLITICO, the FBI, Department of Labor and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York also all argued the Waterfront Commissions role remains vital. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The commission was set up in August 1953 (a year before the movie On the Waterfront) to combat labor racketeering. Solicitor General, as well some states including Texas, have since sided with New Jersey. Justice Amy Coney Barrett told Vale that it seems very odd that New York wants to hang on to the commission when the majority of the port's business goes through its New Jersey side. The Port of New York and New Jersey is the largest port complex located on the East Coast of North America. The Staten Island Ferry crosses New York Harbor past the Manhattan skyline. Chris Christie in his final week in office, even though he had once vetoed it as unconstitutional. New Jersey lawmakers say changes in the industry, including the development of container shipping, have lessened the influence of organized crime at the port and reduced the need for the commission. New York argued that when the compact was written, the states intended to prohibit unilateral termination, not allow it.. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. But each state, she added, had agreed to give up an element of their sovereign powers in return for the benefits of shared regulation of the waterfront. 609-984-5828. The Waterfront Commission declined comment on Monday. Over the years, the Waterfront Commission has documented how some union leaders in the ports have raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay each year by submitting weekly reports in which they claim to work more hours than there are in a week. Murphy reiterated the state's belief that the commission, which was formed in 1953, is "outdated and inefficient" and "has become an impediment to economic growth. Granting a motion by New York to stop the state from terminating the nearly 70-year-old compact ratified by Congress that created the Waterfront Commission, the high court in a brief written order also declared that the state could not simply walk away from its responsibilities to fund the commission. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In light of current geopolitical uncertainty, the termination of the Waterfront Commission would cause immediate and irreparable harm to New York state, from increased crime to higher prices to employment inequities. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar said while the compact was silent on the matter of whether either state could unilaterally withdraw, she said the agreement was structured and funded in such a way that the continuing cooperation of each state was necessary for the Waterfront Commission to function effectively. During oral arguments, the justices grilled Judith Vale, New York's deputy solicitor general, who was trying to convince the Some academics and other states have expressed concern in their submitted amicus curiae briefs over whether a Supreme Court ruling could affect other interstate compacts. Justice Elena Kagan reiterated that point. WebWaterfront Commission of New York Harbor - Police News January 4, 2023 News Header: Warehouseman Application Denied Based on Felony Conviction, Fraud, Deceit The justices will decide the case in the coming months. New Jersey Gov. Noting that most of the port activities are now based in New Jersey, they claimed the Waterfront Commission had also hurt the states economic interests. On December 8, 2020, the Waterfront Commission attorneys filed their petition for a Writ of Certiorari in the Supreme Court. less than a year after New York sued New Jersey, filed court documents in August that sided, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. When New York and New Jersey formed the Waterfront Commission Compact in 1953, they intended to prohibit unilateral termination, argued Vale in her opening statement. The commission was created in 1953 when organized crime had infiltrated the port and was demanding payments from workers and shippers through extortion and violence. Chief Justice John Roberts disagreed, at one point saying it's "hard to unscramble the eggs" of the Port Authority but it's not so "disruptive" to dissolve a much smaller organization such as the Waterfront Commission, whose work is limited to performing background checks and investigations into suspected criminal port activity. The two-member commission with one commissioner from each state oversees licensing and inspections at the Port of New York and New Jersey and has its WebWaterfront Commission of New York Harbor (WCNYH) News. Colleen Wilson covers the Port Authority and NJ Transit for NorthJersey.com. Murphy nominated Jennifer Davenport to represent New Jersey on the commission earlier this month and is awaiting Senate confirmation. Justice Samuel Alito questioned her on that point. The Waterfront Commission sued to save itself and, after years tied up in court, the case was turned away in 2021 on issues of standing. New Jersey began the process of withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission in 2018 as some state lawmakers made the case that the commission was no longer necessary to police the ports and instead the New Jersey state police could take over that work, particularly with 80% of port activity taking place in New Jersey. Judith Vale, representing New York, argued that the agreements silence on unilateral withdrawal made the opposite point. But the high courts move doesnt end the commission if anything, it may intensify a simmering dispute between New Jersey and New York about the agencys future, adding to other state clashes between the two states over taxes and tolls. But New Jersey, in its own filings before the court, argued that the reasons for the commission no longer exist, adding that cargo is now moved in shipping containers, handled by far fewer longshoremen, and that most of the ports operations have shifted to New Jersey. Those supporters also showered state lawmakers with political contributions over the years. The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor has since 1953 cracked down on mob activity and unfair hiring practices at the sprawling ports. A host of regulations were ushered in, those with criminal records were barred from serving as union officials, and containerization later gained popularity in the 1960s. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has wide jurisdiction over the regions piers and terminals, including the ports in Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Staten Island and Brooklyn. 2023 www.northjersey.com. The commission has long outlived its original mission and, today, only stands as a roadblock to hiring and operations at our ports. Michael Murphy, the New Jersey representative on the commission whom Christie appointed, said that full divorce could happen early next year. After a federal judge struck down the New Jersey law ruling that the governor and the state Legislature could not simply walk away from its agreement with New York the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed the ruling. Ted Sherman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, unilateral withdrawal from the watchdog agency, has already become a presence in the port areas, pushed back on the states requests for information, ruling that the governor and the state Legislature, cannot simply decide on its own to end a nearly 70-year-old compac, it would no longer pay millions in annual charges. Kathy Hochul to sue New Jersey. New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, arguing the case for New Jersey in Washington on Wednesday, said there was nothing in the plain text of the compact that prohibited the state from leaving the Waterfront Commission. The two-member commission with one commissioner from each state oversees licensing and inspections at the Port of New York and New Jersey and has its own police force. The U.S. Supreme Court will not intervene in New Jerseys efforts to kill the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor a bi-state agency created more than 65 years ago to police the regions ports ending for now a years-long legal fight over the policing of the ports of New York and New Jersey. Under statutory mandate, the mission of the commission is to investigate, deter, combat and remedy criminal activity and influence in the port district and also ensures fair hiring and employment practices. In 1953, the states entered a compact to create a unique agency, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, with the express goal of stamping out organised crime at the port. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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