NY's highest court rules no salary steps for unions

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - It's a blow to Buffalo's police, fire and teacher unions. The state's highest court has sided with the city in a long-time battle over salary increases. But the unions say their fight is far from over.

When the wage freeze in Buffalo was lifted in 2007, union workers were hoping the step-increases in salary that were suspended over a three-year period would be honored. The Control Board only granted one step and it went to court. On Tuesday, the unions lost their battle in the state court system.

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore said, "This is a travesty. I've never seen anything like this before, and if you want to call this anti-union, I don't know what's going on out there."

The "travesty" for Buffalo teachers, says their union president, is that those who endured three years of a wage freeze will now not be granted the three steps in pay they believed they were entitled to under their contract.

"And what they said is those years that you served, that you had your wages frozen, they don't count. Somehow they don't count. They've been erased," said Rumore.

Read more: http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo/NYs-highest-court-rules-no-salary-steps-for-unions

against America's public employees! If I could turn back the years, there would be NO WAY I would be in education for over 3 decades! Sadly, our young people probably already have this figured out!

were Union and ILA. I can remember from my childhood in the 50s that these Unions were capable back then of bringing the country to it's knees when they went out on strike. Teachers Unions, espeically in the Southern states? They are just figureheads with no clout whatsoever.