Pensions

• 2 NYC Police Get Higher Pensions in Claims of 9/11-Related Cancer
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   December 14, 2012
• The state’s highest court awarded enhanced pension benefits to two retired New York City police officers who said they were sickened by their work at the World Trade Center site, overturning a pension board’s ruling that their cancers were not related to ground zero.

• California State Employees Are Highest-Paid
• BY: Liz Farmer   |   California   |   December 13, 2012
• As a result of years of escalating wages and overtime costs, California state employees enjoy the highest average pay out of the nation's most populous states.
• 5 Comments

• 'Right-to-Work' Law Not on Wisconsin Gov. Walker's Agenda
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Wisconsin   |   December 13, 2012
• Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday that he would not sign a bill to end same-day voter registration because of its cost and reiterated that a right-to-work law was not on his agenda.

• Groups Vow to Push 'Right-to-Work' Laws Beyond Michigan
• Source: Washington Post   |   Nation   |   December 13, 2012
• The conservative groups that supported Michigan’s new “right to work” law — winning a stunning victory over unions, even in the heart of American labor — vowed to replicate that success elsewhere.
• 4 Comments

• How Did 2012 Treat Public Employees?
• BY: Heather Kerrigan   |   December 12, 2012
• Unions took a blow in Michigan this week. We review how the entire year impacted unions as well as government hiring, pensions and retirement.
• 4 Comments

• Setting the Bar Higher for Teachers
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   December 12, 2012
• With a couple of changes, a teachers' union's proposal for rigorous testing for prospective teachers could have a big impact on public education.
• 2 Comments

• Obama Weighs in on Right-to-Work Fight in Michigan
• Source: Detroit News   |   Michigan   |   December 11, 2012
• As lawmakers are expected to take final votes to make Michigan the 24th state to allow workers to decide whether to pay fees to their union, President Barack Obama said lawmakers should concentrate on making sure companies are able to make great products, not stripping union rights.

• Michigan Becomes 24th Right-to-Work State
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Michigan   |   December 11, 2012
• The speed with which the controversial legislation that makes it illegal for unions to require financial support as a condition of employment became law has left organized labor and Democrats reeling.
• 21 Comments

• Entire El Paso School Board Stripped of Authority After Cheating Scandal
• BY: The Texas Tribune   |   El Paso, Texas   |   December 7, 2012
• The move comes in the wake of accusations that the trustees failed to catch a scheme tied to former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia that either removed or advanced students who were not passing.

• Right-to-Work Bills Speed Ahead Amid Protests in Michigan
• Source: Detroit News   |   Michigan   |   December 7, 2012
• Michigan moved closer to becoming the nation's 24th right-to-work state after bills Gov. Rick Snyder vowed to sign into law passed their first hurdles in the Republican-controlled Legislature on Thursday -- the same day they were introduced.

• Striking Port Workers Head Back to Work in Los Angeles, Long Beach
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   December 5, 2012
• It ends a grueling battle between both sides that threatened to damage the fragile U.S. economy.
• 3 Comments

• R.I. Case Tests Whether States Can Cut Pensions
• Source: New York Times   |   Rhode Island   |   December 5, 2012
• Rhode Island’s dispute is being closely watched as a first major test of whether, and how, financially strained states and cities can cut the benefits of their workers and retirees.
• 8 Comments

• D.C. Uses Facebook to Grade Government Agencies
• BY: Brian Peteritas   |   District of Columbia   |   December 4, 2012
• Customer feedback on social media has become invaluable to private businesses in recent years. Now, cities like Washington, D.C., are turning to it to grade their agencies.
• 1 Comments

• Right-to-Work Legislation May be Introduced in Michigan
• BY: McClatchy News   |   Michigan   |   December 4, 2012
• Right-to-work legislation makes it illegal to require financial support of a union as a condition of employment, allowing workers to join unions if they wish, but ending the closed union shop.

• Georgia Governors Reluctant to Oust Embattled Sheriffs
• Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution   |   Georgia   |   December 3, 2012
• Documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show Georgia governors have been reluctant to exercise their authority to oust sheriffs who run into ethical or legal trouble.