NYPublicPayrollWatch Daily Update

Cut hours, increase pensions

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:14:36 +0000

Cayuga County legislators will vote Tuesday on a plan to increase their pensions by reducing their workweek from 35 to 30 hours.

"No layoffs" umbrella does not protect all

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:54:07 +0000

Lost in the discussion of the Paterson administration's threatened layoffs is the fact its "no layoffs" pledge (if legal) applies to only two public employee unions.

Nonmembers can't be charged for union organizing

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:49:09 +0000

A federal appeals court has ruled that nonmembers of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) cannot be required to pay for the union's efforts to organize private-sector employees.

A costly perk for school employees

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:58:13 +0000

A small school district in Westchester County is examining whether it can afford to educate 17 children of its employees who reside outside the district.

Double dipping made harder

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:39:59 +0000

Retired police officers who hope to collect a pension while working as a local police chief are facing new obstacles to double dipping.

Pension padding in plain sight

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:45:24 +0000

Discovering that government employees work extra overtime to spike their pensions is akin to learning there's gambling in Casablanca.

Protecting workers from pain of layoffs

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:40:02 +0000

While many private-sector employees might hope for two weeks notice before being laid off, state workers would get two months notice under a bill passed by the state Senate and on the third reading in the Assembly.

NY lawmakers buck trend to contain pensions

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:11:20 +0000

School superintendents don't get overtime, but that didn't prevent former Niagara Falls School Superintendent Carmen A. Granto Jr. from collecting a pension larger than his salary. He did so by cashing in 45 unused vacation days and 747 unused sick days, the Buffalo News reports.

Report: no agreement on locking in retiree health benefits

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:39:23 +0000

A gubernatorial task force failed to deliver what public employee unions sought: a recommendation that existing health benefits for retirees be virtually locked in place--despite budget gaps across the state.

Britain tackles "unsustainable" pension costs

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:57:26 +0000

A newly created commission, taking aim at public-sector pension costs in Britain, is expected to recommend that government employees "pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds more into their pension pots, as the era of early retirement on generous payments is brought to an end."

Municipalities cautious about retirement sweetener

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:22:18 +0000

Local governments are not racing to adopt the state's early retirement incentive, which would help trim their payrolls while increasing their pension costs.

Public employees cost more

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:26:35 +0000

Taxpayers pay an average of $39.81 per hour to employ state and local government workers nationwide. That's $12 per hour more than total compensation costs for private-sector employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Erie County workers weigh raises and givebacks

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:40:25 +0000

Erie County workers vote this week on a tentative contract giving them a 15 percent raise over five years in exchange for eliminating paid retiree health insurance for future hires, as well as requiring a 50 percent contribution for recent hires.

NYC "freeze" that keeps raising teachers' pay

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:36:33 +0000

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not putting money for 2 percent raises for New York City teachers in his proposed budget. Despite that, some teachers will automatically get annual raises as high as 11.6 percent.

January layoffs ?

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:44:56 +0000

The Paterson administration, which leaves office December 31, is preparing a plan to lay off thousands of state workers on January 1.