Dedicated to Corrections Officers, Policemen, & Firemen throughout the Garden State
As reported by JSOnline.com on August 7, 2013, Corrections officers in Wisconsin sued the State this week alleging they are owed millions of dollars in back pay because of a 2012 policy that prevents them from being compensated for perhaps five minutes of work a day.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court, …
As reported by nj.com, seven municipalities in Camden County have made a request for proposals looking into the possibility of consolidating the management of their respective police departments. The municipalities, Audubon, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Mount Ephraim, and Oaklyn, all independently authorized the RFPs, stating they are open to the idea of …
As reported by nj.com on July 1, 2013, the State of New Jersey revenue collections out paced Governor Christie’s administrations projections for the sixth consecutive month in May, according to state treasury figures, which were released that day. The strong revenue figures received a boost from better than expected income and sales tax collections, which account for more than half of the State’s overall revenue collections. The State’s Chief Economist, Charles Steindel, stated “the report reflects ongoing improvement in economic conditions of State residents,” “income tax collections continue to grow rapidly even after the receipt of large final payments in April.” Overall, income tax collections are up 13% in New Jersey this year and revenues from sales tax is up 3%.
In the past strong revenue collections by the State of New Jersey would be good news for New Jersey Public Employment law enforcement labor unions as it would demonstrate the State’s “ability to pay” when arguing for a pay raise that could be collectively bargained for. The ability to pay is one of the nine (9) criteria cited in the New Jersey Employer/Employee Relations Act that must be taken into consideration by arbitrators in rendering an interest arbitration award. However, in 2010, the New Jersey State Legislature enacted new laws regarding how the interest arbitration processes is to be conducted in the State of New Jersey. The Legislature passed these modifying laws on or about December 13, 2010 and the same became effective on January 1, 2011.
In simple terms, the legislation, which amended various provisions of NJSA 34:13A-16, et. seq., revised the procedure for police and fire contract disputes and imposed a cap on certain interest arbitration awards. According to the statement accompanying the bill, the legislation is supposed to streamline the procedure for resolving contractual impasses between public employers and their police and fire departments and imposes a 2% cap on arbitration awards under certain circumstances. The statue establishing the 2% cap reads as follows:
As reported by nj.com, the Civil Service System governs how thousands of public employees in New Jersey are hired, promoted, and fired. Currently, employees receive jobs and move up based on examinations. But under the proposed changes, to be voted on by the State Civil Service Commission, some jobs would be grouped together as part …
As reported by nj.com, the State’s top legislative budget officer will tell lawmakers that Governor Chris Christie’s revenue figures for the next 13 months will fall short by nearly $1 billion. The gap may be shorter if Christie revises his revenue projections downward, an unlikely move as the Governor spent the last week boasting …
As reported by nj.com, with only four days left to file a formal protest, military veterans became the latest group to publicly speak out against the Christie Administration’s proposed changes to the New Jersey Civil Service System. About a dozen veterans joined the more than 100 protestors who packed the Assembly State Government Committee’s …
As reported by nj.com, the State Assembly approved a bill that calls for the creation of an independent task force to investigate New Jersey’s halfway houses-privately operated facilities used to supplement the State’s prison system. The measure (A3503), sponsored by eight Democrats and one Republican, passed in a 52-23 vote. It has not been introduced …
As reported by nj.com, the last county parks department in the State will be shuttered soon, as officials in Camden County announced they plan to close the office due to a dearth of service calls and an already dwindling force. The 13 officers remaining in the parks police department will be transferred this spring …
As reported by nj.com, a plan to close the Gloucester County jail and enter a shared services agreement with Cumberland County has some local law enforcement personnel, as well as those who work in and run Gloucester County’s jail, questioning and debating its supposed merits. It was announced Saturday that the two counties will …
As reported by nj.com, a new report shows the retirement funds for New Jersey State Troopers, local police, and firefighters and public workers lost ground in the first year workers were required to pay more toward their pensions. The State paid one-seventh of its contribution to the system in the fiscal year that …
