Ahr v. City of New York
Court: Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; October 9, 1997; New York; State Appellate Court
The Supreme Court of New York County issued an order on May 17, 1996, affirming that the collective bargaining agreements in question, which included nonpensionable longevity bonuses, do not violate Article V, Section 7 of the New York Constitution regarding pension benefits. The court found that the plaintiffs’ unions, as their collective bargaining representatives, were authorized to waive the constitutional protections concerning pension calculations in exchange for increased annual longevity bonuses. Consequently, the plaintiffs are bound by the decisions made by their unions during negotiations. The ruling was unanimously affirmed without costs, with justices Sullivan, Rosenberger, Ellerin, and Nardelli concurring.