Atlantic City police will avoid layoffs and extended workdays for now, a Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday.
But the state can cut salaries, change overtime and health coverage, and not pay out more than $15,000 in terminal leave.
Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez gave his 57-page ruling Tuesday, after six weeks.
As with his decision in the Atlantic City fire union’s case, Mendez found that laying off personnel before a final decision is made in the case could cause irreparable harm. But changing the already signed contract would not.
The state’s cuts will include reducing worker’s compensation to 70 percent of an officer’s pay, down from 100 percent.
That was hard to see, PBA President Matt Rogers said Tuesday.
“We’re at an event now honoring (Officers Thomas McCabe and Josh Vadell),” he said.
Vadell has been out of work since he was shot in the head trying to stop an armed robbery. His partner, McCabe, shot and killed the suspect.
The state has said Vadell would get his full compensation, but many have charged that decision came as a result of public outcry.
Unlike the firefighters, Atlantic City police will keep their current work schedules, which means the 12-hour days suggested by state overseer Jeffrey Chiesa will not happen.
Firefighters will be changing their work hours beginning June 11, when they go from four shifts to three shifts. It was originally set to begin on Sunday.
Mendez’s decision holds some hope for the department not to have cuts at all. He said in his ruling that it’s likely the union will be able to prove that reducing the force to the state-recommended 250 officers will compromise public safety.
He also credited a 2012 Police Foundation study the department had done when it went from eight- to 10-hour shifts in ruling against the move to 12-hour shifts for officers.
Lynda Cohen founded BreakingAC after working as a local newspaper reporter for more than two decades. She is an NJPA award-winner and was a Stories of Atlantic City fellow.
