If lawmakers reject a separate bill furloughing 100,000 state workers for one day during the week of May 10, Governor David Paterson is prepared to package the measure as part of a budget extender bill, forcing legislators to risk shutting down state... Read More
When freezing salaries for public employees has been proposed, critics said it couldn't be done. But an analysis of court decisions shows that the state Legislature has the power to freeze the salaries of all state, local and school district employees... Read More
Spiraling costs of employee benefits--as well as 4 percent pay raises--are squeezing the budgets of both New York State and New York City. According to the state Division of Budget (DOB), employee benefits (pensions, health insurance, federal payroll taxes... Read More
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a one-day furlough of state workers until he can hear arguments in two weeks. In doing so, however, he also referred to a pay freeze upheld in Buffalo. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Kahn also ruled... Read More
Layoffs of up to 10,000 state employees are "on the radar screen," according to the New York Post. Citing an unnamed Paterson administration official, the Post reports Governor Paterson has been told the "no layoffs" memorandum signed... Read More
Governor Paterson would need the support of the Legislature to freeze wages of state workers. The next governor could partially freeze salaries by letting union contracts expire next year. One would-be governor, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, has proposed freezing... Read More
Visions of sugar plums dance in the heads of older state workers--amid Albany's $9 billion budget gap. They dream of fatter pensions should Senate approve Governor Paterson's early retirement bill as the Assembly did this week. Although a bonanza for... Read More
The Paterson administration, which leaves office December 31, is preparing a plan to lay off thousands of state workers on January 1. Is this real or a merely a threat to force recalcitrant unions to make concessions to achieve the $250 million in workforce... Read More