As reported in NJ.Com, Judge Jacobson’s ruling this week that public worker pension contributions are contractually protected will constrict the state’s ability to balance its budget in the future, Moody’s, a Wall Street rating agency, said today.  The flexibility of the state’s pension payment has been “a tool essential” to balancing the budget, Moody’s Investors

As many of our readers are aware, collective bargaining for New Jersey Public Safety Officers is a great deal different since the two percent “2%” salary cap was instituted and set into motion.  However, to recap this issue quickly for those readers that may be unfamiliar with the two percent (2%) salary cap, no collective

As reported this week in NJ.Com, County Correctional facilities across New Jersey spent approximately $185.7 million on overtime for correction officers, who clocked in approximately 3.9 million hours at the time and a half rate between 2010 and 2012, according to a report by the New Jersey State Comptroller.

Out of the 21 counties

As reported on NJ.Com, The State of New Jersey argued before a State Superior Court Judge today that Governor Chris Christie cannot be forced to make full pension payments because the 2011 law committing him to fully fund the state system in exchange for union concessions was unconstitutional.

Interrupting the assistant attorney general, Superior Court

As reported in NJ.Com. the Mayors of the three South Hunterdon municipalities with local police forces are talking about a regionalized department and are moving forward with the support of county Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III and Freeholder Rob Walton.

The mayors of Lambertville, West Amwell and Delaware Townships advocate a police merger.  A

As reported on NJ.Com, a Jersey City firefighter who injured himself when he broke down the front door of a burning home and saved two people in 2010 was awarded accidental disability pension benefits by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, after the Board of Trustees for the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System

It has been quite a while since we have provided our readers with information related to the legal issues surrounding New Jersey  Public Safety Officers.  With that being said, we believe it is now very important to provide an overview or a “re-cap” of the New Jersey 2% Salary Cap under the Current Interest Arbitration

 A recent editorial published on NJ.Com calls for Assembly Speaker, Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson County) to renew the two percent (2%) salary cap on interest arbitration awards for law enforcement officers and firefighters that is set to expire on April 1, 2014.

 
The editorial stated that the 2% cap had to be put in place

As reported in NJ.COM, the beating of State Corrections Officer Elegia Then by an inmate in New Jersey State Prison has finally attracted media attention to the fact that NJ State Corrections Officers no longer receive Sick Leave Injury Benefits (SLI) for injuries that occur during the course of duty.

 
SLI benefits previously allowed

As reported in NJ.COM on September 2, 2013, Police and Firefighters across New Jersey are walking away from the negotiations table with much less money.

Since January of 2011 — following a wave of reforms that capped municipal spending and arbitration awards — Police and Firefighter Unions have signed at least 160 new contracts, according