Pensions

• Newark Teachers OK Jersey's 1st Merit Pay Contracts
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   Newark, N.J.   |   November 15, 2012
• In a landmark vote, the Newark Teachers Union ratified the state’s first teacher contract to provide bonus pay based on classroom performance.

• Teachers Union Wants to Unionize D.C. Charter Schools
• Source: Washington Post   |   District of Columbia   |   November 15, 2012
• The move comes in response to Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 traditional public schools across the city.

• Public Employee in Need of a Loan? Ask Virginia.
• BY: Heather Kerrigan   |   November 14, 2012
• Virginia is likely the only state to offer its employees short-term, low-interest loans for noneducation-related reasons -- and at virtually no cost to the state.
• 7 Comments

• New Leader Picked for Scandal-Plagued California Parks Dept.
• BY: McClatchy News   |   California   |   November 14, 2012
• California Gov. Jerry Brown has chosen retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Anthony Jackson to run the state Parks and Recreation Department.

• Unions Won Key Election Victories in 4 States
• BY: Stateline   |   Nation   |   November 9, 2012
• Labor won big contests this week in Indiana, Idaho, California and New Hampshire, while results were mixed in Michigan.

• New York's Emergency Office Chief Fired for Misusing Workers in Hurricane
• Source: New York Times   |   New York   |   November 8, 2012
• Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has dismissed his chief of emergency management after learning that he deployed government workers to clear a tree at his Long Island home during Hurricane Sandy.

• Judges Can be Forced to Pay More for Benefits, New Jersey Voters Say
• Source: Newark Star-Ledger   |   New Jersey   |   November 8, 2012
• More than 83 percent favored a ballot question that will allow lawmakers to force judges to pay more for their health and pension benefits.

• After Pension Amendment Fails, Illinois Lawmakers Back to Drawing Board
• Source: Chicago Tribune   |   Illinois   |   November 8, 2012
• With Illinois voters narrowly rejecting a constitutional amendment on pensions, those on both sides of the issue said the state is in largely the same place it would have been had voters approved the measure: facing tough choices about needed reforms.
• 2 Comments

• A Simple (But Hard) Way to Improve Public Pensions
• BY: Charles Chieppo   |   November 7, 2012
• Retirement systems could go a long way toward addressing their problems by getting real about their investment returns.
• 14 Comments

• California Unions Help Defeat Ballot Measure Targeting Campaign Donations
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   November 7, 2012
• Voters rejected Prop. 32, which would have restricted unions from using payroll deductions to fund campaigns.
• 1 Comments

• Taking the Fear Out of Change
• BY: Russ Linden   |   November 7, 2012
• Most of us are all too comfortable in our habits. The lesson for leaders in an era of change: Make the novel seem familiar.

• Proposition 32 Represents Game-Changer for California Politics
• BY: Mike Maciag   |   California   |   November 2, 2012
• Several states have pursued legislation limiting labor unions' political influence in recent years. If California voters approve Proposition 32 next week, would be the most restrictive measure yet.

• Georgia Attracts Unlikely Students to Government Jobs
• BY: Paul W. Taylor   |   November 2012
• An internship program in Georgia is hoping to open young minds to a career in public service.

• West Virginia County Builds Teacher Villages to Save Struggling Schools
• BY: Sarah Ferris   |   November 2012
• McDowell County may be the first rural community to build housing to attract young teachers. It could be a model for other counties facing waning populations and crumbling infrastructure.
• 1 Comments

• Public vs. Private Employees: Who Wins in a Bidding War?
• BY: Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene   |   November 2012
• Instead of simply preselecting private- or public-sector employees, managed competition means projects can be put out for bid with both groups competing for work.