A New York Corrections Officers strike has ended after a three week standoff between Correctional Officers and the State of New York. According to union leaders, the strike was not officially sanctioned by the union. Approximately 14,000 of the state’s 16,000 correctional officers at 40 of the state’s 42 prisons walked off the job at
Police licensing has begun in earnest and one of the areas that will be targeted by the Police Training Commission are domestic violence matters. Allegations of domestic violence carry serious consequences in terms of licensing. N.J.A.C. § 13:1-10.1 provides that any person employed as a law enforcement officer, including a full-time permanent law enforcement officer
One of the mechanisms that law enforcement officers and unions have at the negotiations table is the characterization of or “free agent” mentality. In simple terms, this refers to an individual officer’s ability to transfer or seek employment with another agency that is offering better wages, benefits, and employment conditions. When this occurs, however, employers
In collective negotiations, union are always looking for ways to increase their leverage at the negotiating table. One of the ways to do so is to have access to all the relevant information you need, whether it be financial documentation, comparable contracts, relevant policies, or staffing information. However, obtaining this information can sometimes seem like
Often in disciplinary actions the employer will propose, as part of a settlement to resolve administrative charges, that the employee sign a last chance agreement (“LCA”). An LCA is an agreement between an employer and an employee that is generally supposed to result in an employee’s immediate termination if they violate the terms of the
In James Meyers v. State Health Benefits Commission, (New Jersey Supreme Court Slip Opinion A-27-22) (087633) the New Jersey Supreme Court examined a New Jersey public employee’s right to “free” retiree health benefits under the legal doctrine of Equitable Estoppel. In this matter, James Meyers, was a New Jersey State Trooper that had since retired
In a recently issued ruling by New Jersey’s Appellate Division, the Court upheld an earlier ruling by a superior court judge holding that an officer did not commit “willful misconduct” under New Jersey’s Tort Claims Act when he engaged in a pursuit of a vehicle after the driver pulled away from a traffic stop. The
Most recently the new Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division issued a decision in the matter of Behar v. Board of Trustees, Public Employees Retirement System, Docket Number A-0296-22, that discusses the very real pitfalls of post-retirement employment for public employees in
When a New Jersey law enforcement officer or firefighter is suspended without pay pending the outcome of a disciplinary action, namely, termination charges, state law provides that a final determination on the charges shall be rendered within 180 calendar days from the date he or she is suspended without pay. Under the law, if a
One of the most common misconceptions is that suffering from pre-existing diseases and/or conditions is an automatic disqualifier from receiving accidental disability retirement benefits. Nevertheless, many applications for accidental disability retirement benefits are denied by the various pension boards due to an employee’s total and permanent disability being attributable to a pre-existing disease or condition.