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A8948Assembly2017-2018 SessionSame asS7440

Raise Court Staff Pay

Official title

“Relates to terms and conditions of employment of certain nonjudicial officers and employees of the unified court system”

Sponsor Jeffrey DinowitzAD-81+4 co-sponsorsAffects Finance
Status
Assembly Floor Calendar
Impact
6/10
Moderate
Outcome
Companion signed

Bill progress

Signed via S7440

What's happening

This bill implements pay raises, bonuses, and location pay increases for certain nonjudicial officers and employees of the New York unified court system, retroactive to April 1, 2017.

Why it matters

  1. Retroactive and ongoing increases may boost morale, retention, and recruitment. by improving compensation for nonjudicial court employees, particularly those in New York City and select counties, and by recognizing long-term service and specialized roles (such as security personnel authorized to carry firearms).

  2. Bonuses and incremental raises are linked to performance and longevity. , rewarding employees with satisfactory evaluations and continuous service, which may incentivize higher job performance and long-term commitment to the court system.

  3. Location pay adjustments reflect regional cost-of-living differences. , providing higher supplements for employees in New York City and nearby counties, which could help offset higher living costs and make these positions more competitive.

  4. The legislation ensures that increases and bonuses are only implemented following collective bargaining agreements. , reinforcing the role of unions in securing pay improvements and ensuring that the state’s financial commitments are tied to negotiated contracts and explicit legislative appropriations.

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Who cares

  • New York City court officers and senior court officers

    The bill would implement negotiated pay increases for 2019 and 2020, with a $1,000 minimum annual salary increase for covered full-time employees, subject to certification of their bargaining agreements.

  • Long-serving nonjudicial court employees

    Eligible covered employees with at least 20 years of continuous service would receive bonuses ranging from $2,050 to $2,250 in 2019 and $2,100 to $2,300 in 2020.

  • Unions representing other nonjudicial court employees

    The bill would allow compensation and location-pay provisions to extend to other negotiating units through qualifying collective bargaining agreements and certification to the comptroller.

  • Office of Court Administration

    The bill would require new salary schedules and agreement certifications and would appropriate $37 million for implementation costs, including eligible lump-sum back payments.

Headline styles

Raise Court Staff Pay

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Jeffrey Dinowitz

Assembly Member · Assembly District 81

Chair, Codes

History

  1. Substituted by S7440A
  2. Rules report cal.30
  3. Reported
  4. Reported referred to rules
  5. Reported referred to ways and means
  6. Print number 8948a
  7. Amend and recommit to governmental employees
  8. Referred to governmental employees

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

S7440Senate

Raise Court Staff Pay

Signed by Governor · Sponsor Martin J. Golden

Impact 6 · ModerateSigned into law

Full text

7 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

8948--A

IN ASSEMBLY

January 9, 2018

Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ, ABBATE -- (at request of the Office of Court Administration) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Employees -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT in relation to terms and conditions of employment of certain nonjudicial officers and employees of the unified court system

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature finds that collective bargaining agreements have been negotiated by the unified court system with employee organizations representing nonjudicial officers and employees in the New York City senior court officers and New York City court officers negotiating units. The purpose of this act is to implement these agreements and any other collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the unified court system with an employee organization where, pursuant to section five of this act, the chief administrator of the courts has delivered a certificate to the comptroller that such collective bargaining agreement is in effect. References in this act to the unified court system's classification structure shall mean the classification structure established by the chief administrator on May 28, 1979, as amended since that date. Reference to the April, 2018 salary schedule shall mean the salary schedule promulgated by the chief administrator of the courts pursuant to subdivision (c) of section 2 of chapter 98 of the laws of 2017. References to the April, 2019 salary schedule and the April, 2020 salary schedule shall mean the salary schedules promulgated by the chief administrator pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of section two of this act, respectively.

§ 2. Salary schedule. The chief administrator of the courts shall promulgate salary schedules as follows:

(a) Effective April 1, 2019, each of the rates of pay established by the April, 2018 salary schedule shall be increased as follows:

(1) the maximum rate for each grade shall be increased by an amount equal to 2 percent thereof (and then rounded up to the nearest dollar);

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD13969-03-8

A. 8948--A 2

(2) the amount of the increment for each grade shall equal one-seventh of the difference (rounded up to the nearest dollar) between the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, and 102 percent of the hiring rate for such grade on the April, 2018 salary schedule (rounded up to the nearest dollar);

(3) the hiring, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth year rates of compensations for each grade shall equal the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, minus 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 times the amount of the increment for such grade, as increased by paragraph 2 of this subdivision, respectively;

(4) the longevity rate for each grade shall equal the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, plus the amount of the increment for such grade; and

(5) the extra-longevity rate for each grade shall equal the longevity rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 4 of this subdivision, plus the amount of the increment for such grade.

(b) Effective April 1, 2020, each of the rates of pay established by the April, 2019 salary schedule shall be increased as follows:

(1) the maximum rate for each grade shall be increased by an amount equal to 2 percent thereof (and then rounded up to the nearest dollar);

(2) the amount of the increment for each grade shall equal one-seventh of the difference (rounded up to the nearest dollar) between the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, and 102 percent of the hiring rate for such grade on the April, 2019 salary schedule (rounded up to the nearest dollar);

(3) the hiring, first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth year rates of compensation for each grade shall equal the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, minus 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 times the amount of the increment for such grade, as increased by paragraph 2 of this subdivision, respectively;

(4) the longevity rate for each grade shall equal the maximum rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, plus the amount of the increment for such grade; and

(5) the extra-longevity rate for each grade shall equal the longevity rate for such grade, as increased by paragraph 4 of this subdivision, plus the amount of the increment for such grade.

§ 3. Increases in compensation.

(a) Each nonjudicial officer and employee of the unified court system in a position allocated to a salary grade in the unified court system's classification structure that is in any collective negotiating unit of nonjudicial officers and employees of the unified court system where, pursuant to section five of this act, the chief administrator of the courts has delivered to the comptroller a certificate that an employee organization representing nonjudicial officers and employees in such unit has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with the unified court system that is in effect, or that is in any of the following collective negotiating units, shall receive increased compensation in accordance with this section: (1) New York City senior court officers and (2) New York City court officers. Bonuses and increases to basic annual salary, as provided in this section, shall be prorated for any nonjudicial officer or employee whose position is part-time, or who otherwise works part-time, and who is eligible, under the rules of the chief judge of the state or an agreement between the state and an employee organization pursuant to the provisions of article fourteen of the civil service law, to accrue annual and sick leave credits. Bonuses as provided in this section, and payments pursuant to paragraph 3 of

A. 8948--A 3

subdivision (b) and paragraph 3 of subdivision (c) of this section, shall be in addition to and shall not be a part of an employee's basic annual salary; provided, however, they shall be included as compensation for retirement purposes. For purposes of this section:

(i) no nonjudicial officer or employee shall receive a full or partial increment or bonus hereunder unless he or she shall have received other than an unsatisfactory performance rating for his or her services during the year immediately preceding pursuant to a performance evaluation system set forth in an agreement specified in section one of this act;

(ii) service in the employ of the unified court system shall mean service in one or more courts or agencies of the unified court system, whether as a judge or as a nonjudical officer or employee. In order for a nonjudicial officer or employee's years of service in the employ of the unified court system to be "continuous," he or she must have served the equivalent of 120 workdays in each of those years; and the number of years required to qualify for a bonus hereunder must be served consecutively except that they may be interrupted by one or more breaks of not more than one year each, attributable to a period of time between any separation from his or her position in the employ of the unified court system and resumption of service in such employ.

(b) Effective April 1, 2019:

(1) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee who is eligible to receive a full or partial increment of the grade of his or her position in accordance with provisions of the judiciary law shall receive such full or partial increment, to be determined in accordance with the April, 2018 salary schedule.

(2) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee shall be placed in his or her grade on the April, 2019 salary schedule in the manner provided as follows:

(i) If his or her basic annual salary under the April, 2018 salary schedule, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, is identical with the hiring, first year, second year, third year, fourth year, fifth year, sixth year, maximum, longevity or extralongevity rate of compensation of the grade of his or her position, that basic annual salary shall be increased to the corresponding rate of compensation in such grade as established by the April, 2019 salary schedule; or

(ii) If his or her basic annual salary under the April, 2018 salary schedule, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, is not identical with the hiring, first year, second year, third year, fourth year, fifth year, sixth year, maximum, longevity or extralongevity rate of compensation of the grade of his or her position, that basic annual salary shall be increased by an amount equaling 2 percent thereof (and then rounded up to the nearest dollar).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, where operation of the provisions of this paragraph would result in a nonjudicial officer or employee receiving an increase in basic annual salary of less than 1,000 dollars, such nonjudicial officer or employee shall be placed in his or her grade on the April, 2019 salary schedule at his or her basic annual salary, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, plus 1,000 dollars.

(3) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee in a title on such date in the security series under the unified court system's classification structure shall receive a payment equaling 500 dollars, if he or she: (i) served the equivalent of 120 workdays in a title in such security series during the preceding state fiscal year; and (ii) was authorized

A. 8948--A 4

to carry a firearm while on duty at any time during the preceding 15 months. Such payment shall be prorated for any such nonjudicial officer or employee otherwise entitled thereto whose position is part-time, but not compensated on a per diem or hourly basis.

(4) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee in the employ of the unified court system having at least 20 years of continuous service in the employ of the unified court system as of the preceding March 31 shall receive a bonus equaling: (i) 2,050 dollars, if he or she has less than 25 years of such service as of such date; or (ii) 2,150 dollars, if he or she has at least 25 but less than 30 years of such service as of such date; or (iii) 2,250 dollars, if he or she has at least 30 years of such service as of such date.

(c) Effective April 1, 2020:

(1) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee who is eligible to receive a full or partial increment of the grade of his or her position in accordance with provisions of the judiciary law shall receive such full or partial increment, to be determined in accordance with the April, 2019 salary schedule.

(2) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee shall be placed in his or her grade on the April, 2020 salary schedule in the manner provided as follows:

(i) If his or her basic annual salary under the April, 2019 salary schedule, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, is identical with the hiring, first year, second year, third year, fourth year, fifth year, sixth year, maximum, longevity or extralongevity rate of compensation of the grade of his or her position, that basic annual salary shall be increased to the corresponding rate of compensation in such grade as established by the April, 2020 salary schedule; or

(ii) If his or her basic annual salary under the April, 2019 salary schedule, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, is not identical with the hiring, first year, second year, third year, fourth year, fifth year, sixth year, maximum, longevity or extralongevity rate of compensation of the grade of his or her position, that basic annual salary shall be increased by an amount equaling 2 percent thereof (and then rounded up to the nearest dollar);

Notwithstanding the foregoing, where operation of the provisions of this paragraph would result in a nonjudicial officer or employee receiving an increase in basic annual salary of less than 1,000 dollars, such nonjudicial officer or employee shall be placed in his or her grade on the April, 2020 salary schedule at his or her basic annual salary, including any increase pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision, plus 1,000 dollars.

(3) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee in a title on such date in the security series under the unified court system's classification structure shall receive a payment equaling 750 dollars, if he or she: (i) served the equivalent of 120 workdays in a title in such security series during the preceding state fiscal year; and (ii) was authorized to carry a firearm while on duty at any time during the preceding 15 months. Such payment shall be prorated for any such nonjudicial officer or employee otherwise entitled thereto whose position is part-time, but not compensated on a per diem or hourly basis.

(4) Each such nonjudicial officer and employee in the employ of the unified court system having at least 20 years of continuous service in the employ of the unified court system as of the preceding March 31 shall receive a bonus equaling: (i) 2,100 dollars, if he or she has less

A. 8948--A 5

than 25 years of such service as of such date; or (ii) 2,200 dollars, if he or she has at least 25 but less than 30 years of such service as of such date; or (iii) 2,300 dollars, if he or she has at least 30 years of such service as of such date.

§ 4. Location pay. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law:

(1) Commencing April 1, 2019, any nonjudicial officer or employee to whom the provisions of section three of this act apply shall receive location pay as follows:

(i) at a rate of 4,200 dollars, if his or her principal place of employment is in the city of New York; or

(ii) at a rate of 2,100 dollars, if his or her principal place of employment is in Dutchess County, Putnam County or Orange County.

(2) commencing April 1, 2020, any nonjudicial officer or employee to whom the provisions of section three of this act apply shall receive location pay as follows:

(i) at a rate of 4,300 dollars, if his or her principal place of employment is in the city of New York; or

(ii) at a rate of 2,150 dollars, if his or her principal place of employment is in Dutchess County, Putnam County or Orange County.

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