NYPublicPayrollWatch Daily Update

Paterson OK's unionization of home-based child care providers

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 14:44:51 +0000

On October 4, Governor Paterson signed S.7451/A.10764, a bill that allows home-based child care providers to unionize -- adding more than 65,000 child care providers to the already powerful Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).

Sharing municipal services - wave of the future?

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:46:53 +0000

Two cities in heavily taxed Niagara County have agreed to share the burden of providing water services. But the deal first needed to get around objections from a municipal labor union.

The scary truth about post-employment benefits

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:32:33 +0000

New York's public-sector employees have been promised $205 billion in post-retirement health benefits that the state and its local governments have set aside no money to pay for, a new Empire Center report found.

Renegotiate our contract? Not a chance says union.

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:11:35 +0000

When the city of Troy asked its Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) employees to consider forgoing a 3.5 percent raise this year, a CSEA spokesperson said, "...we do not renegotiate our contracts. It's a moot point," according to the Troy Record.

Keep the public ignorant, says school district

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:43:34 +0000

To the public demanding to know why the school superintendent is leaving early and four other administrators have been fired, suspended or transferred, the Jordan-Elbridge school board replies: None of your business.

Rethinking retiree benefits in the Ag(ing) of Aquarius

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:41:32 +0000

Faced with a potential 26 percent hike in its tax levy, the Town of Woodstock is weighing a plan to require some retired employees to pick up a bigger share of their health insurance.

Paying tuition for a cop's dance course

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:31:09 +0000

Harrison town officials are pirouetting after a police officer asked the town to pay $2,845 for him to take a dance course at a private college. It appears that the police union contract--previously approved by town officials--requires the town to pay tuition even for courses unrelated to police work.

"Enough unused sick time to buy a yacht"

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:07:01 +0000

Three Nassau County police officers just retired with severance packages exceeding $632,000--each.

NYSHIP drops 27,000 "dependents"

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:57:47 +0000

At least 27,000 individuals, including ex-spouses of government workers, carried NYSHIP cards in their wallets--although they did not qualify for taxpayer-financed health insurance.

Rehired so they can retire

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:07:04 +0000

Three employees of the Hudson River-Black River Regulating District were laid off in May, only to be rehired in June, so they could take advantage of the state's early retirement program.

Honeymooning on "sick" time

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:36:56 +0000

After telling their supervisors they were too sick to work, four New York City teachers took honeymoons in Aruba and Italy--while an Albany police employee collected as much as $750 a-day giving speeches across the country.

Benefits beyond the grave

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:42:42 +0000

Giving new meaning to the concept of cradle-to-grave care, the city of Buffalo paid $2 million to provide health insurance for 152 deceased employees.

Working while retired

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:34:09 +0000

Officials in New Hartford say they were surprised to learn recently that town bookkeeper Carol Fairbrother retired in 2007 and now collects a pension of $42,696 on top of her $58,714 salary.

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.