School Cop

As reported by N.J.com, specially trained retired police officers may be hired to provide security for public and private schools and community colleges in New Jersey under a bill Gov. Chris Christie signed into law Wednesday.

The governor conditionally vetoed an earlier version of the legislation two months ago because it did not require

On Strike

As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Nov. 14 vetoed legislation that would have broadened the ability of striking workers to collect unemployment benefits while they were off the job.

In his veto message to S2160, Christie said it was bad enough that the state’s current

Time for some negotiation-education! In our very first episode of the Blue Justice Podcast, Frank Crivelli explains why experience is so important when it comes to collective bargaining and negotiating a union’s contract. We plan on posting a new podcast on a regular basis, every other week or so, so please check back periodically for

BP Vest

As reported by Trentonian.com, Trenton firefighters will receive bulletproof vests and raises as part of a labor contract approved by city council on Dec. 17.

“Our firefighters — they go inside houses — sometimes in situations where they don’t really know what the circumstances are,” Qareeb Bashir, the city’s fire & emergency services director

obamacare

As reported by Morningconsult.com, with Congress just hours away from unveiling a new budget deal, it is increasingly likely that two prominent Obamacare taxes that help pay for the law — on medical devices and high-cost health plans (or “Cadillac Plans”) — will be delayed for two years.

Congressional negotiations have been overlapping on

Free Speech Blog (2) 11.24.15

PolitickerNJ.com recently posted an interesting opinion piece concerning the use of social media and its connection to free speech in the workplace. The post was written by Ann Twomey, the president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees (“HPAE”), and it is set forth below.

Unless you have a union, the fundamental principle of free speech

As reported in NJ.Com as well as NJSpotlight, the State of New Jersey recently told thousands of union members whose contracts expired June 30, 2015, that they won’t be receiving annual incremental pay increases while there’s no new deal in place.  In the past, State employees have received their annual increases if their performance

On March 11, 2015, we posted a blog wherein Senator Sweeney stated that Governor Christie needed to change his tactics at the bargaining table regarding pension reform and if he instead concentrated on “growing” New Jersey’s economy, additional tax revenue would be created that would result in more money to fund the Public Employees’