Suffolk County Ass'n of Municipal Employees v. County of Suffolk
Court: Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; July 17, 1995; New York; State Appellate Court
The case involves a legal action initiated by a municipal employees union and individual employees against Suffolk County, alleging violations of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) policies regarding the disclosure of confidential medical information. The plaintiffs challenged the County's requirement for employees seeking disability benefits to disclose confidential medical information, claiming such demands contravened the EAP's strict confidentiality provisions. The EAP, established through collective bargaining agreements in 1986, includes policies and procedures aimed at protecting employee confidentiality while allowing for limited disclosures necessary for leave of absence requests. The plaintiffs argued that the County's actions violated these provisions and that the County had unilaterally imposed additional disclosure requirements for employees applying for leaves of absence or participating in treatment programs unrelated to disability benefits. The Supreme Court dismissed the amended complaint, stating that the collective bargaining agreements contained grievance and arbitration clauses that governed disputes regarding the interpretation or application of the contract terms, including those related to disability benefits. The court concluded that any claims regarding the EAP and disability benefits fell under this grievance process. Furthermore, the court addressed the plaintiffs' allegations of unfair employer practices regarding the unilateral policies for leaves of absence and treatment program participation, determining that such allegations fell under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Board, not the courts. The court's orders included the dismissal of the appeal from the order denying injunctive relief, affirming the judgment that dismissed the amended complaint, and awarding costs to the respondents.