Appeals court sides with city on teacher wage freeze

[Godhumor]

Source: Buffalo News

The state's highest court has ruled that Buffalo and its school district do not have to pay employees for salary steps they lost during a 38-month wage freeze that a control board imposed.

The state Court of Appeals decision is being hailed by control board Chairman R. Nils Olsen Jr. as a key ruling in trying to maintain fiscal stability for the city and school district.

"This is a very important day for the taxpayers of Buffalo," Olsen said. "This ruling will save taxpayers over $100 million."

The head of the Buffalo Teachers Federation expressed grave disappointment over the ruling.



Read more: http://www.buffalonews.com/city/schools/article379261.ece

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This has been going on for quite awhile. Essentially, a 3+ year step freeze was enacted on the teachers. Once it was lifted, the teachers argued that they should have been placed on the step they would have made without the freeze. The court essentially ruled that language in the initial freeze agreement dictating that no accrual or retropay of wages "lost" during the freeze should be interpreted broadly as including salary step increases, as well (i.e. teacher "accrue" step increases each year).