Two lawyers retained by a public watchdog group say the state Legislature has the power to impose a temporary freeze on the collectively bargained wages and “step” increments of public employees in New York.
The notion of a pay freeze has been floated as the state faces a budget deficit that is above $9 billion and as lawmakers continue to enact a new budget that is now more than a month late.
A legal opinion released Monday by the Empire Center for Public Policy says the state has the authority to hold the line on pay for its public-sector workforce.
“Temporary wage freezes are lawful under New York and Federal law provided they are supported with appropriate legislative findings and tailored in a reasonable manner to protect the public,” says the opinion written by Terry O’Neil and Howard Miller, partners at the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC…
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