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).

[forty6]

1. The class warfare has now moved to the courts, where contracts are..in-

validated, to save the poor rich tax-dodging taxpayers a few bucks, and stick it to the teachers.

What's next? Hire cops and firemen at minimum wage so the rich get more tax breaks?

"do not have to pay employees for salary steps they lost"////// As far as I know, when a teacher is hired, they know the salary "steps" they will get as their career advances... and no court should be able to invalidate their ongoing contract and deserved step increase for working hard over the years, just to save a few bucks.

Screw contract law, screw public school teachers and their wage expectations, said this court, the only people who are important are rich tax-dodgers.

I'm sure NOT ONE of the appeals court judges got a raise in the last few years...........!!!!! They ALL refused step increases... right?

Let's get the names, addresses and credit reports on these judges... see what income THEY have!

[xchrom]

2. Damn it. Nt

[blackspade]

3. A travesty.

The assault on teachers continues.
They should strike, nationwide.