As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, the Appellate Division recently issued an opinion in the case Policemen’s Benevolent Association v. Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders, which addressed a challenge to a labor arbitration decision revolving around “bonus vacation days.” In the case, the Union appealed from an Order which dismissed its complaint and confirmed a labor arbitration decision. The Union claimed that the arbitrator’s award should have been vacated because it was contrary to public policy. The Union further argued that the trial court’s decision ratified the arbitrator’s failure to render a decision on an issue of substantive law and that the trial court’s decision approved the rewriting to the collective negotiations agreement at issue.

The Appellate Division found that the County’s policy regarding bonus vacation days did not violate public policy and the decision was not the product of undue means. The Court reasoned that nothing that the Union suggested fell within the narrow scope of a clear public policy exception that would have allowed for an arbitration award to be vacated. Finally, the Court found that the arbitrator used a reasonable and pragmatic means of addressing the past practice of awarding bonus vacation days and did not, in effect, rewrite the contract.  As such, the Court affirmed the trial court and, thus, confirmed the arbitration award.

This case illustrates the standard of review utilized by Courts in reviewing labor arbitration decisions.  Typically, an arbitration award will be confirmed so long as it is “reasonably debatable” and is not contrary to public policy.  Moreover, the decision cannot be premised upon mistakes of fact or law.  Therefore, the standard of review is somewhat high as Courts will normally give deference to an arbitrator’s decision.

Nevertheless, each and every arbitration decision is based upon a different set of facts and circumstances.  As a result, should you seek to overturn a labor arbitration decision imposed against you, you should seek the counsel of an experienced labor attorney to determine whether such a challenge is viable. In all instances, however, you must be mindful as to the standard of review employed by Courts in reviewing labor arbitration decisions.

Print:
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn
Photo of Donald C. Barbati Donald C. Barbati

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues…

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues litigated before the courts and administrative tribunals throughout the State of New Jersey. In addition, Mr. Barbati also routinely represents individuals in various types of public pension appeals, real estate transactions, and general litigation matters. He is a frequent contributor to the New Jersey Public Safety Officers Law Blog, a free legal publication designed to keep New Jersey public safety officers up-to-date and informed about legal issues pertinent to their profession. During his years of practice, Mr. Barbati has established a reputation for achieving favorable results for his clients in a cost-efficient manner.

Mr. Barbati has also handled numerous novel legal issues while representing New Jersey Public Safety Officers. Most notably, he served as lead counsel for the Appellants in the published case In re Rodriguez, 423 N.J. Super. 440 (App. Div. 2011). In that case, Mr. Barbati successfully argued on behalf of the Appellants, thereby overturning the Attorney General’s denial of counsel to two prison guards in a civil rights suit arising from an inmate assault. In the process, the Court clarified the standard to be utilized by the Attorney General in assessing whether a public employee is entitled to legal representation and mandated that reliance must be placed on up-to-date information.

Prior to becoming a practicing attorney, Mr. Barbati served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Linda R. Feinberg, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer Vicinage. During his clerkship Mr. Barbati handled numerous complex and novel substantive and procedural issues arising from complaints in lieu of prerogative writs, orders to show cause, and motion practice. These include appeals from decisions by planning and zoning boards and local government bodies, bidding challenges under the Local Public Contract Law, Open Public Records Act requests, the taking of private property under the eminent domain statute, and election law disputes. In addition, Mr. Barbati, as a certified mediator, mediated many small claims disputes in the Special Civil Part.

Mr. Barbati received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, magna cum laude, from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Upon graduating, Mr. Barbati attended Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2007, he received his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, graduating in the top five percent of his class. During law school, Mr. Barbati interned for the Honorable Joseph E. Irenas, Senior United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey, assisting on various constitutional, employment, and Third Circuit Court of Appeals litigation, including numerous civil rights, social security, and immigration cases.