According to an article by the Associated Press dated September 28, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy recently signed three bills into law directed at increasing racial diversity among law enforcement officers which will facilitate underrepresented populations to pursue law enforcement careers. Murphy also signed an executive order creating the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and
Frank Crivelli
Wayne Township Vaccine Mandate Upheld By Court Following a Challenge Lodged by PBA Local
As first reported in NorthJersey.com, by the date of September 17th, 2021, members of PBA Local #136, the certified Collective Negotiations Unit that represents Rank and File Law Enforcement Officers employed by Wayne Township in Passaic County, New Jersey will be forced by a mandate issued by Township’s Leadership to receive…
Supreme Court Reaffirms “Reasonably Debatable” Standard In Reviewing Arbitration Awards
As reported in the New Jersey Law Journal, Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Local 67 (FMBA #67), filed a grievance against the Borough of Carteret in regard to a staffing issue that the parties had agreed to which was subsequently retracted by the Borough. The case was taken to an arbitration hearing and…
NJ Attorney General Files Application Seeking to Dissolve Stay of Implementing Directives 2020-05 and 06
At approximately 10:30 PM on July 9, 2020, The State Attorney General sought permission to file a motion seeking emergent relief to dissolve the stay to implement Directives 2020-5 & 2020-6 entered by the Appellate Division earlier that day. The stay as currently entered delays the Attorney General’s ability to implement Directives 2020-5 & 2020-6…
New Jersey Appellate Division Issues Stay on NJ Attorney General Directives 2020-05 and 06
Today, the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division Issued a Temporary Stay on the release of public disclosure of the identities of Law Enforcement Officer who have been sanctioned for “serious disciplinary violations”, defined as
“termination of employment, reduction in rank or grade, and/or suspension greater than five days”. In issuing the Stay a briefing…
The COVID-19 State of Emergency Does Not Entitle Management to “Throw Your Collective Bargaining Agreement Out the Window”
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken hold of our lives and has undoubtedly had an impact on First Responders from both a personal and professional standpoint. Over the past several weeks, our firm’s attorneys have had the unique perspective of witnessing individual administrators from across the State of New Jersey exhibit fantastic leadership qualities, while other…
Make No Mistake About It–Hazard Pay is an Authorized Use of CARES Act Funding
As many of you are aware by now, State and Local Governments across the country have split $150 billion in Federal aid under a provision of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The division of these dollars, made available through the new Coronavirus Relief Fund, is allocated to each State and…
NJ PERC Puts Governmental Entities on Notice: STEP FREEZES ARE ONCE AGAIN ILLEGAL
Yesterday the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) ruled that the State of New Jersey engaged in unfair labor practices by unilaterally discontinuing the payment of salary guide step increments upon the expiration of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Supervisors Association’s (NJLESA) and the New Jersey Superior Officers’ Associations (NJSOA) contracts that ran from…
Legislation Proposed that Expands Workers Compensation Benefits for First Responders Contracting COVID-19
As reported in Insider NJ Senator Steven Sweeney introduced legislation expanding access to workers’ compensation benefits for front-line workers that have fallen ill as a result of exposure to COVID-19.
The bill, like similar legislation that has been introduced in Minnesota, would create a presumption that COVID-19 disease infections contracted by essential employees who interact…
CDC Modifies Guidance for First Responders and Critical Infrastructure Employees
As announced at the White House Press Briefing on the evening of April 8, 2020, yesterday, the Center for Disease Control has modified their guidelines for First Responders that may have been exposed to individuals infected with COVID-19. The new guidelines that were most recently posted on the CDC’s Website are meant to assist agencies…