Certain nonjudicial officers and employees of the unified court system will receive salary increases and other benefits as part of a bill Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law Monday evening.
The bill (A.8101/S.6494), sponsored by Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) and state Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), implements collective bargaining agreements between the state and public employee unions negotiating on behalf of court employees in the bargaining units for Suffolk County; New York City administrative, librarian, clerical and support employees; New York City administrative services employees; the Ninth Judicial District; citywide law assistants; New York City senior court attorneys; and New York City court reporters.
The law, introduced at the request of the judiciary, provides salary increases retroactively from April 1, 2016, until March 31, 2019. Dating back to April 1, 2016, eligible employees covered under the new law will receive a 2 percent raise, and again on April 1, 2017, and April 1, 2018.
The new law provides payment of pensionable annual bonuses to applicable employees who have worked continuously in the courts for 20 years or more, starting at $1,900 for employees who had spent more than 20 years working for the courts as of April 1, 2016. Court employees who have been working there for at least 30 years are eligible to receive pensionable annual bonuses of $2,100 effective April 2016 and up to $2,200 in April 2018.
Employees who principally work in New York City, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk or Westchester counties will also be eligible for pensionable location pay, which ranges between $4,000 a year starting on April 1, 2018, to $4,200 annually on March 31, 2019.
The changes in compensation won't be implemented until Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks delivers to Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office a certificate that there is a written collective bargaining agreement with the state.