Judge: Mangano can't slash employee benefits (LI, NY)

[cal04]

A federal court judge suspended a Nassau law Monday that would allow County Executive Edward Mangano to slash negotiated employee benefits, saying it "places a knife to the throat of the unions."

U.S. District Court Judge Arthur Spatt issued a preliminary injunction preventing the law from taking effect in regard to the county's five labor unions. Spatt also indicated that if the county continues its court fight, he would likely rule that the law violates the U.S. Constitution's contract clause and make the injunction permanent. In his decision, Spatt referred to the clause, which says no state shall pass any law "impairing the obligation of contracts."

Spatt wrote, "The mere passage of this (Nassau) law renders the collective bargaining agreements essentially meaningless and makes the contracts less binding, or not binding at all, on the county. The likelihood of success on this constitutional deprivation is so great that irreparable harm is inevitably shown."

Union leaders cheered Spatt's ruling.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/judge-mangano-can-t-slash-employee-benefits-1.3916683

[jody]

1. Bankruptcy is the answer. nt