As reported by various news outlets to include CNN.com, the first cases of coronavirus in the federal correctional system emerged earlier this week as the number of infected inmates and staff at facilities across the country continued to climb. This, in turn, has heightened concerns about the spread of the pandemic within the institutions
NJ State PBA
Coping with COVID-19: What Executive Orders 103 and 104 Mean to NJ’s Essential Employee’s
On March 9, 2020, Governor Philip D. Murphy signed Executive Order No. 103 (EO-103) in response to the Coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) invoking “a State of Emergency pursuant to N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq. and a Public Health Emergency as contemplated by N.J.S.A. 26:13-1 et seq.” Executive Order No. 103 further prohibits any political subdivision of…
Judge Orders the Release of Body Camera Footage Citing an Exception to NJ Supreme Court Decision
Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson most recently ruled that body camera footage can be released under the State’s Open Public Records Act and ordered Burlington County to release a partial police body camera video that the county was attempting to keep private.
The video footage requested involved the interactions of a Kevin Lewis with sheriff’s…
Murphy and NJ Public Employee Unions Negotiate Changes to Healthcare Plans That Will Save NJ Taxpayers Millions of Dollars
As reported in Northjersey.com, the Murphy Administration has reached a health care deal with the state’s public workers’ unions that is expected to yield approximately $500 million in savings over the next two years. The pact directs union members and retirees to utilize “in-network doctors” and “generic prescription drugs”, according to a report by the…
NJ’s Public Employee Donated Sick Leave Policy May Soon Become Law
In New Jersey under an existing employment regulation, state employees can donate unused time off to a co-worker who has exhausted his/her own allotted leave bank due to a catastrophic illness or injury that has kept them from returning to work. As reported on the website, NJSpotlight.com, State lawmakers want to see this longstanding policy…
Senate President Sweeney Wants To Put Public Employee Benefits and Pensions On the Chopping Block Again
As reported in NorthJersey.com, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney has plans to wring savings out of government which could fall hard on public employee unions. Supposedly Sweeny wants to enlist Governor Philip Murphy as his “partner”, but Murphy wants no part of it.
Sweeney’s post-budget focus on cost cutting poses a dilemma for Murphy.…
New Jersey Lawmakers Advance Bill Capping Sick Leave Payouts
As reported by Observer.com, lawmakers have resurrected a proposal to cap unused sick time payouts for all New Jersey public workers. Last week, the Assembly State and Local Government Committee advanced a bill that would cap sick leave payouts to public workers at $7,500 or whatever the employee has banked so far if they…
NJ Attorney General Issues Directive That Dashcam and Bodycam Footage of Deadly Force Should be Subject to Public Release
As reported in the New Jersey Law Journal, New Jersey Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal made an announcement that police dashcam and body cam videos documenting use of deadly force should be subject to public release once the corresponding initial investigation is complete. According to the press release, the directive is being issued in the…
Data Shows that NJ’s Most Violent Cities Have Lost The Most Police Officers Since 2010
As reported by NJ.com, retaining police officers has been a challenge for many New Jersey municipal police departments. Shortfalls in city and municipal budgets can, and have lead to layoffs and demotions. When Senior police officers retire their positions never get refilled and the data shows that this occurs more often than not in
…
NJ Senate Bill S-1858 Proposes to Implement a Permanent 2% Salary Cap on Police and Fire Interest Arbitration Awards
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…