New Jersey Public Safety Officers Law Blog

New Jersey
Public Safety Officers Law Blog

Dedicated to Corrections Officers, Policemen, & Firemen throughout the Garden State

Tag Archives: NJ Firefighters

New Jersey Supreme Court to Determine if Volunteer Firefighters Can Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Workers Compensation
As reported by the New Jersey Law Journal, the New Jersey Supreme Court has taken up the issue of whether a volunteer firefighter who was injured while responding to a fire should be awarded workers’ compensation benefits. The firefighter, Jennifer Kocanowski, is seeking to overturn an Appellate Division decision determining that, since she was unemployed… Continue Reading

NJ Senate Bill S-1858 Proposes to Implement a Permanent 2% Salary Cap on Police and Fire Interest Arbitration Awards

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Interest Arbitration, Public Employment Labor Law
On Friday, February 9th, 2018, New Jersey State Senator Declan O’Scanlon introduced legislation that would reinstate New Jersey’s interest arbitration salary cap that limits two-percent (2%) annual salary increases that can be awarded when disputed police and fire contracts enter the process of binding arbitration. O’ Scanlon stated on his website that “One of the… Continue Reading

New Jersey Does Not Need the Republicans Legislating the 2% Salary Cap Out of Fear of November’s Impending Gubernatorial Election Results

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Uncategorized
Over the past several days, the minority leaders of the New Jersey State Legislature have become increasingly vocal in their demands to renew what is commonly called the Interest Arbitration Salary Cap.  The Interest Arbitration Salary Cap limits Interest Arbitrator’s economic awards that govern pay raises for first responders in the State of New Jersey.… Continue Reading

Sweeney Introduces Bill Seeking to Wrest Control of PFRS Away from State Treasury

By Michael DeRose on Posted in Public Employment Pension Crisis
As reported by N.J.com, furious after watching pension investment fees triple over the last three years even as their funds lost value, police and firefighter union leaders are seeking to wrest control of their underfunded pensions from the state. As Gov. Chris Christie is set to deliver his final budget address, state Senate President Sweeney (D-Gloucester) on… Continue Reading

New Bill Proposes $2 Room Surcharge at A.C. Hotels to Avoid Police and Firefighter Layoffs

By Michael DeRose on Posted in Public Employment Labor Law
As reported by N.J.com, guests at Atlantic City hotels may soon see a new $2 surcharge on their room bills to help avoid police and firefighter layoffs in the financially struggling seaside gambling resort. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto on Tuesday proposed a bill that would temporarily charge hotels in the city a $2 tax or fee to help… Continue Reading

The US Supreme Court agrees that Paterson Police Officer’s Demotion Violated his First Amendment Right to Free Speech

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Public Employee Discipline, Public Employment Labor Law
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with former Paterson police officer Jeffrey J. Heffernan and ruled that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was demoted after picking up a campaign sign for the mayor’s opponent.  Heffernan had been demoted after supporters of Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres saw him picking up a campaign sign for challenger Lawrence Spagnola,… Continue Reading

Trenton First Responders to Receive Bulletproof Vests & Raises

By Michael DeRose on Posted in Contract Negotiations, Public Employment Labor Law, Uncategorized
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, rationalized… Continue Reading

Hamilton Mayor Talks Fire District Consolidation; Wants State Input

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Shared Services/Consolodation
As reported by NJ.com, Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede met with the Township firefighters’ unions two years ago about consolidation and said she is pleased to finally see petitions going to taxpayers to start the process.  The mayor, though, believes the unions which are spearheading the effort should be seeking signatures in all districts, including District… Continue Reading

Law Suit Filed by Pension Board Trustees is Dismissed by the State Superior Court

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Public Employment Labor Law, Public Employment Pension Crisis
As reported on NJ.Com, yesterday, Mary Jacobson, a State Superior Court Judge blocked an attempt by the Trustees of New Jersey’s largest pension funds to revise their suit seeking billions of dollars from the State to fund the pension system in light of a recent state Supreme Court decision.  The state’s highest court in June found the… Continue Reading

Crivelli & Barbati, L.L.C. Files Suit Against the State of NJ for Christie’s Refusal To Pay Step Increments

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Contract Negotiations, Public Employment Labor Law
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 merited the… Continue Reading

Memphis’s Pension Crisis is Now a Public Safety Crisis–Will New Jersey Repeat the River City’s Mistakes?

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Public Employment Labor Law, Public Employment Pension Crisis, Retiree Benefits
Yesterday, I received an email from one of our readers, Ed Mecka, from Hoboken, New Jersey, who turned me on to an article regarding the pension crisis that is taking place in Memphis, Tennessee.  The crisis in Memphis has caught the national media’s attention, and an article was printed in the Wall Street Journal a… Continue Reading

NJ League of Municipalities Warns that Christie’s Proposed Pension Reform Could Disenfranchise Workers and Trigger a Mass Exodus of Local Employees

By Frank Crivelli on Posted in Contract Interpretation, Contract Negotiations, Interest Arbitration, Public Employment Labor Law, Retiree Benefits
As reported in NJ.Com, the New Jersey League of Municipalities stopped short of taking an official position on Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed pension reforms but stated the proposed changes could disenfranchise workers and trigger a mass exodus of local workers.  Executive Director Bill Dressel shared the league’s concerns in a letter to the governor late last… Continue Reading

Court Rules Some NJ Volunteer Fire Companies Subject To Public Records Act

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Uncategorized
As reported by NJ.com, a State Superior Court Judge has ruled that four (4) volunteer fire companies in Lakewood are government agencies subject to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”).  Specifically, the Judge ruled that four (4) volunteer fire companies in Lakewood must produce rosters, check registries, e-mails, meeting minutes and resolutions, and… Continue Reading

Christie Wants to Eliminate Division of Fire Safety

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Uncategorized
  As reported by nj.com, a Democratic state senator said that Governor Chris Christie is looking into eliminating the Division of Fire Safety, which is responsible for enforcing the state fire code, education programs, and firefighter training. In a news release criticizing the plan, Senator Jim Whelan said the administration wants to divide the duties of… Continue Reading

Trenton Firefighter Unions Ready to Battle Plan That Eliminates Captain Rank For 15% Pay Cut

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Uncategorized
  As reported by trentonian.com, Trenton firefighters are bracing for a major shake-up and legal battle as the State of New Jersey encourages Mayor Tony Mack’s administration to institute a restructuring plan that fire department insiders say violates the firefighters’ contracts and may force unions to go on the offensive. The plan calls for the… Continue Reading

Edison Firefighters File Lawsuit Against Mayor

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Uncategorized
  As reported by nj.com, when William Stephens ran for Mayor of Edison in 2005, township firefighters supported his opponent Jun Choi, who won. Firefighters claims Stephens never forgot. Four years later, then-Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano defeated Choi, took office and appointed Stephens as her management specialist.  In a federal court suit filed last week, firefighters say… Continue Reading

Federal Grant Returns 30 Laid Off Atlantic City Firefighters to Work

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Uncategorized
  As reported by pressofatlanticcity.com, Atlantic City’s 30 laid-off firefighters will return to work on April 4, 2011. There will be an orientation, which will begin the process to get them back in uniform, and filling positions that currently require either overtime or closing companies, Fire Chief Dennis Brooks said. The rehires will be paid for… Continue Reading

Candidate Properly Bypassed Under Rule of Three

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Civil Service Appeals
  On June 18, 2009, the Appellate Division decided In the Matter of Andre Ruiz, Firefighter (M2271E), City of Camden, Docket No.: A-2611-07T2. In the case, Andrte Ruiz appealed the Final Administrative Action of the Merit System Board (“Board”) issued on October 11, 2007, concluding that the City of Camden (“City”) properly bypassed Ruiz under… Continue Reading

New York Governor Vetoes Routine Pension Measure

By Donald Barbati on Posted in Pay and Overtime
  New York Governor David Patterson dropped a bombshell on two powerful unions yesterday when he unexpectedly vetoed a routine measure that for nearly thirty (30) years had allowed New York city cops and firefighters to retire with generous pensions. “These are not routine times,” Paterson said in vetoing the “temporary” measure that, since 1981, had… Continue Reading
.
.