Pension Crisis

As reported by JT Aregood from the New Jersey Observer, just months after Senate President Steve Sweeney declined to post a bill that would have effected the change with a voter-approved constitutional amendment, Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey passed a plan to require the state to make payments into its underfunded public pension system

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

Healthcare-Icon

As reported by NJ.com, the New Jersey Education Association (“NJEA”) and Governor Chris Christie’s administration agreed to hold an information-only meeting on proposed changes to retiree healthcare.  The administration took the teacher’s union to court to compel members who sit on the School Employees’ Health Benefits Commission to attend commission meetings.  They have boycotted

Healthcare-Icon

As reported by NJ.com, a Superior Court judge is expected to decide whether to order members of the State’s teachers’ union in a dispute with Governor Chris Christie’s administration to give up its boycott of meetings setting health care benefits for public employees.  The administration took members of the New Jersey Education Association who

Pension Crisis

On Tuesday, various state officials gathered just a few blocks from the Democratic National Convention to discuss the pension problems being faced by states across the country. Among the panelists was New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester). Read about some of the interesting solutions proposed at: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/16/07/26/how-can-new-jersey-other-states-rescue-underfunded-pension-systems/

 

Healthcare Icon (2)

While Chapter 78 increased the average healthcare contributions required of public employees based upon a sliding percentage of the cost of coverage, if Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon’s proposal is implemented, public workers can expect to pay higher out-of-pocket costs toward coverage provided under a lower-level plan. In exchange, the Assemblyman’s plan provides for a constitutional

Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-button

Most recently, our office has received numerous inquiries from various law enforcement unions throughout the state regarding the effect of the Appellate Division’s decision in two (2) seminal cases upon contractually mandated step movement on a salary guide once a collective negotiations agreement expires. The two cases that are at issue are entitled In the

supreme-court-sealThe 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