In a recent editorial by the Watertown Press Republican their editorial board gives support to the Essex County Board of Supervisors for voting against a North Country Community College labor agreement.

“The Essex County Board of Supervisors made a lot of friends with its vote against a North Country Community College labor agreement because of the raises targeted for the school’s support staff.

The supervisors voted 8-6 against approving the contract. The sticking point was the raises for the 24 employees in the bargaining unit. The raises would amount to $1,000 for the first year and 3 percent in each of the remaining two years of the contract’s life. That’s a lot of money for taxpayers to pony up during a period of such economic stress.

It is also what separates the public employment sector from private industry. Most of the workers in private business or industry are having to do without raises altogether. Some are enduring pay cuts or furlough days. Many of them have lost their jobs and have only unemployment insurance to tide them over. How are these people supposed to pay for raises for employees on the public payroll?”

To read more click here.

Daina Costello writes on LoHud.com - “…it’s not the wind, rain or heat that farmer Bob Stuart says could compromise the legacy of his farm. No, instead it’s the politicians looking to impose regulations on an industry they don’t understand, he says.

“They sit in their air-conditioned offices and they make laws. They have no idea what it’s like to pick tomatoes in 90-degree heat, and they have no idea what it’s like to prune in 15 degrees,” said Stuart, clothes chalky with dried dirt from the fields. “You can live without politicians, but you can’t live without food.”

Heeding similar outrage from farmers throughout New York, the state Senate this month narrowly defeated a labor bill that farmers said would put have them out of business and driven up food costs.

The legislaton, known as the Omnibus Farmworker Labor Bill, sought to secure greater protections for agricultural workers, many of whom are migrants.

The bill sought to guarantee workers 24 consecutive hours of rest every seven days, time-and-a-half overtime pay and the right to collective bargaining on farms that make more than $650,000 in gross income over the year.

The 31-28 vote was the bill’s second Senate defeat, yet advocates say the fight is not over yet.”

To read more click here.

In an editorial by the Buffalo News they press the need for the Governor to veto a bill that calls for utilities to pay prevailing wages to services with which they contract. This bill is estimated to cost more than $18.3 million,much of which will be past along to the tax payer.

“Gov. David A. Paterson, who wielded his veto power very effectively in shaping the state budget, needs to keep that pen handy. Yet to come his way is a deceitful measure that will needlessly drive up energy costs for New Yorkers.

The bill was passed by both houses of the New York State Legislature, once again demonstrating that it doesn’t understand the meaning of the words “financial crisis.” New York and its residents are sinking under the weight of a raft of disastrous state policies, yet lawmakers saw fit to take this, of all moments, to stick it to voters once again.

The measure would, for the first time, require utilities such as National Grid and National Fuel to pay prevailing wages to services with which they contract — landscapers, for example. National Grid estimates that this thievery will cost it $18.3 million, which it will pass along to its customers who, thanks to Albany, already pay some of the nation’s highest electric rates.”

To read more click here.

Here’s a real headbanger! As a result of a NYS Court of Appeals decision in the Labor Ready case, New York State employers may no longer adjust an employee paycheck overpayment in the next employee paycheck. To do so would now violate section 193 of the state labor law regulating paycheck deductions. I’ve read a January 2010 Request for Opinion letter from the department of labor’s Counsel’s office that clearly states while it was permissible in the past to correct overpayments in paychecks as long as the amount didn’t exceed 10% of gross wages, this court case changes everything.

So what are employer options? While a paycheck deduction is now not permitted for pay overages, employers may ask employees to voluntarily repay them for the pay overage. The employer cannot threaten or imply retaliation of any kind if the employee refuses to voluntarily repay the overage. If the employee declines to voluntarily repay the overage, the employer may pursue repayment through court action. Thinking that Small Claims Court was an option, I checked the NYS Small Claims Manual and read that corporations, partnerships, associations or assignees could not use small claims courts. So, it looks like regular civil court if the employee refuses to do what’s right and return the pay overpayment. Good luck!

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. has joined with sixteen other business organizations from across the state to oppose legislation that would significantly increase the type and amount of work that is traditionally subject to prevailing wage laws by expanding the list of job categories covered by the prevailing wage laws, and by expanding the coverage of the prevailing wage law for the first time to private businesses.

“Expanding the prevailing wage law to private businesses for the first time sets a dangerous precedent that will prevent job creation and raise prices in New York,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

This bill represents a huge job-killing mandate that New York cannot afford. While it appears to impact only utilities, it goes far beyond this and sets a dangerous precedent for all businesses throughout the State.

The State and its local governments are facing some of their greatest fiscal challenges ever. Therefore, it is imperative that the State Legislature do everything in its power to help local governments better manage their fiscal affairs. Instead, this legislation would impose costly new mandates on the State of New York, local governments and all New Yorkers.

To read a letter in opposition click coalition-letter-service-worker-pw-opp-june-30

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a columnist for RealClearMarkets.com and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, where she directs the Center for Employment Policy writes in the Daily News why the city and the state can not afford such a plan.

“Many Americans are intent on saving money, making every penny count. But in New York City, which faces a predicted operating deficit of $2.8 billion this fiscal year, wasting taxpayer money remains the local sport.

New York City is currently considering legislation that will mandate a “living wage” for jobs connected to any new development projects that benefit from city subsidies.

Under the proposed law, shopping centers or other projects that receive direct subsidies or tax breaks would be required to pay workers $11.50 an hour or $10 an hour plus health benefits…

It makes no sense for the government to award contracts to the high bidder, not the low one. That upside-down logic smacks of waste and corruption. And it means that we’d be taking money out of the pockets of strapped taxpayers, many of whom earn less than the “living wage,” so that a select group of unionized workers can make more.

In a city that already has dozens of ways of redistributing the wealth - and tons of burdens on businesses - do we really need one more?

If we let the living wage bill pass, the effects will be predictable. Development will stall because it will cost more both to build shopping centers and to run them. Businesses will be inclined simply to flee the city rather than worry about meeting the higher standard. Taxpayers would grouse at yet another weight on their shoulders.”

To read more click here.

Keith Goldberg of the recordonline.com writes - “A state bill regulating how industrial development agencies do business — including a requirement that workers on IDA projects be paid prevailing wages — died last week in the Legislature for the second straight year. And a local co-sponsor of the bill isn’t counting on another resurrection anytime soon.

“I don’t see it happening,” said Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt, R-C-Greenwood Lake. “There’s just too much turmoil and groups of people trying to kill it.”

The bill — which also mandated groups such as local governments, school districts, unions and environmental groups to serve on IDA boards — was anathema to business groups and local IDAs themselves.

“The more regulations, the more standards put on incentive programs, the more difficult it makes to compete,” said Maureen Halahan, president of the Orange County Partnership. “We’re (New York) already in trouble.”

The Ulster County IDA, which had a prevailing-wage policy before scrapping it last year, was one of several groups pushing hard to kill the bill.”

To read more click here.

Craig W. Turner, vice president of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership writes in a Buffalo News op-ed - ” Is it worth paying increased utility costs so that elected representatives can secure the support of New York City unions in an election year? With Albany’s hands already deep in your pockets, are you willing to invest even more in politically motivated, anti-business regulations?

The New York State Senate recently passed legislation that would mandate utility companies to pay “prevailing wage” to service workers. That’s not for regular employees, who generally already exist under collective bargaining agreements, but for vendors (i. e. janitors, guards, maintenance workers, caterers). Estimates say this legislation would cost utility companies more than $50 million to implement — costs that would be passed on to business and residential consumers.

Prevailing wage mandates are debated regularly statewide. They require union wages specific to various occupations to be paid, typically on government- funded projects. Albany special interests, however, continue to push for these requirements on contracts with any link to government, such as economic development incentives, permits or leases. Unfortunately, the wage rates are often high enough that they strangle employers. Since prevailing wage generally has a government connection, it’s the taxpayer who picks up the cost.”

To read the rest of the op-ed click here.

More than two dozen business groups from across New York assembled in Albany today to voice their opposition to a collection of bills that would kill jobs and severely impede the recovery of the state’s economy.

““New York needs to lower costs and taxes to become competitive in a global economy as we try to grow the state’s economy out of this recession. Every bill on this list does exactly the opposite. Every one of these bills will kill jobs in New York,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

The coalition, representing thousands of job creators, is vehemently opposed to the following bills:

IDA Labor Mandates (S.1241 THOMPSON / A.3659 Hoyt)

Martin Act Expansion (S.5768 SCHNEIDERMAN / A.8646 Brodsky)

Consumer Protection from Deceptive Acts and Practices (S.7301 PERALTA / A.10306 Pheffer)

Natural Gas Drilling Moratorium (S.7592-A ADDABBO / A.10490-A Englebright)

Farm Labor Mandates (S.2247-B ONORATO / A.1867-B Nolan / S.7787 ONORATO)

Restrictive Greenhouse Gas Emissions Limits (S.4315-A THOMPSON / A.7572-A Sweeney)

Paid Family Leave Mandate (S.5791 SAVINO / A.8742 Silver)

New York State Workplace Bullying (S.1823-B MORAHAN / A.5414-B Englebright)

Private Environmental Citizen Suits (S.1730B SCHNEIDERMAN / A.4272 Brodsky)

Independent Contractor Classification (S.6194 FOLEY / A.8237-B John / S.5847-C ONORATO / A.9706-B (Part SS)

Utility Worker Prevailing Wage Mandates (S.7643 SAVINO / A.404-B John)

Service Worker Prevailing Wage Mandates (S.7096-A SCHNEIDERMAN / A.10257-A Gianaris)

To read more about these job killing bills click here.

To tell your representatives in Albany, ENOUGH ALREADY! And make them promise all New Yorkers that they won’t raise taxes, impose fees or borrow against our future. Send a message NOW! Visit EnoughAlreadyNY.org

Joseph Spector writes in the Poughkeepsie Journal - “The state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities hasn’t done enough to curb its overtime costs and spent above market value for two group homes in Westchester County, including one with a hot tub and pool, a report from a state Senate committee charged.

The report by the Senate’s Task Force on Government Efficiency claims the agency ranked third in 2009 with nearly $70 million spent on overtime.”

To read more click here.