BERG v. CHRISTIE

DOCKET NO. A-5973-11T4, A-6002-11T4, A-0632-12T1

93 A.3d 387 (2014)

436 N.J. Super. 220

Richard W. BERG, Robert J. Brass, Thomas Cannavo, Melaine B. Campbell, Larry Robert Etzweiler, Kathy Flicker, Arnold Golden, Charles Grinell, Toni A. Hendricksen, Harold Kasselman, Susan Lothian, Stephen H. Monson, Martin C. Mooney, Sr., Brian Mulholland, Charles Ouslander, Anne C. Paskow, Sharyn Peiffer, Samuel Real, Jr., Gregory J. Sakowicz, Susan W. Sciacca, William H. Schmidt, Fred Schwanwede, John J. Smith, Debra Stone, Sheri Tanne, And Jack L. Weinberg, Plaintiffs-Appellants, and New Jersey Education Association, New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, Inc., Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, New Jersey State Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 1, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 73, AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey State Federation, AFL-CIO, International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 194, International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 195, International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 200, Probation Association of New Jersey, Newark Firefighters Union, Morris Council Nos. 6 and 6a, NJCSA, IFPTE, AFL-CIO, Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, Camden County Council # 10, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 97, Belleville PBA Local 28, New Jersey Association of School Administrators, New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, New Jersey Retirees' Education Association, Transport Workers Union Local 225, New Jersey Superior Officers Law Enforcement Association, Atlantic City White Collar Professional Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 210, Atlantic City Superior Officers Association, Peter Burkhalter, Dee Truchon, George O'Brien, Thomas Tevlin, Robert Brower, Rosemarie Jankowski, Iris J. Elliott, Kenneth D. King, Frank Elmer Hicks, William A. Parker, Brad Fairchild, Dwight Covaleski, Anthony F. Wieners, Gary Souss, William Lavin, Charles West, Marian Lezgus, Melanie Hafdelin, Steven Engravalle, Cindy Barr-Rague, Dominick Marino, John J. Gerow, Janet S. Zynroz, Alfred Cresci, Rae C. Roeder, Maryann Piunno Smith, Maryann Mesics, Dennis Reiter, Anthony Miskowski, Vincent Kaighn, William S. Bauer, Jr., Michael Calabrese, and Deborah Jacobs, Plaintiffs/Intervenors-Appellants, v. Hon. Christopher J. CHRISTIE, Hon. Kim Guadagno, Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey, Director, Division of Pensions, Board of Trustees, Public Employees' Retirement System, Treasurer, State of New Jersey and State of New Jersey, Defendants-Respondents. Michael DeLucia, Patricia DeLucia, Robert C. Brown and Anne K. Brown, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, Division of Pensions and Benefits, Defendants-Respondents.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Decided June 26, 2014.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Daniel Louis Grossman , Cranford, argued the cause for appellants Berg, Brass, Cannavo, Campbell, Etzweiler, Flicker, Golden, Grinell, Hendricksen, Kasselman, Lothian, Monson, Mooney, Mulholland, Paskow, Peiffer, Real, Sakowicz, Sciacca, Schmidt, Schwanwede, Smith, Stone, Tanne, and Weinberg in A-5973-11.

Charles Ouslander , appellant, argued the cause pro se in A-5973-11.

Kenneth I. Nowak , Newark, Ira W. Mintz , Trenton, and David I. Fox , Livingston, argued the cause for appellants in A-6002-11 (Zazzali, Fagella, Nowak, Kleinbaum & Friedman, P.C., attorneys for appellants New Jersey Education Association, New Jersey Retirees' Education Association, New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association, Inc., American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 1, AFL-CIO, Belleville PBA Local 28, George O'Brien, Rosemarie Jankowski, Iris J. Elliott, William A. Parker, Anthony Wieners, Gary Souss, Marian Lezgus, and Melanie Hafdelin; Weissman & Mintz, L.L.C., attorneys for appellants Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 73, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO & CLC, Local 194, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO & CLC, Local 200, Peter Burkhalter, Dee Truchon, Rae C. Roeder, Maryann Piunno Smith, Maryann Mesics, Dennis Reiter, Anthony Miskowski, Vincent Kaighn, William S. Bauer, Jr., Michael Calabrese, and Deborah Jacobs; Fox and Fox, L.L.P., attorneys for appellants New Jersey State Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association of New Jersey, Probation Association of New Jersey, Newark Firefighters Union, Morris Council Nos. 6 and 6A, NJCSA, IFPTE, AFL-CIO, Thomas Tevlin, Robert Brower, Brad Fairchild, Dwight Covaleski, William Lavin, and Charles West; Markowitz and Richman, attorneys for appellant New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police; Mets Schiro & McGovern, L.L.P., attorneys for appellants Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey Federation, AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 97, Dominick Marino, and John Gerow; Oxfeld Cohen, P.C., attorneys for appellant International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO & CLC, Local 195; Detzky & Hunter, L.L.C., attorneys for appellant Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association; Spear Wilderman, P.C., attorneys for appellant Camden County Council # 10; Robert M. Schwartz, Jamesburg, attorney for appellants New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, Janet S. Zynroz, and Alfred Cresci; O'Brien, Belland & Bushinsky, L.L.C., attorneys for appellants Transport Workers Union Local 225, New Jersey Superior Officers Law Enforcement Association, Atlantic City White Collar Professional Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 210, and Atlantic City Superior Officers Association; Maria M. Lepore, Trenton, attorney for appellants New Jersey Association of School Administrators, Kenneth D. King, and Steven Engravalle; and Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., attorneys for appellants New Jersey Association of School Business Officials, Frank Elmer Hicks, and Cindy Barr-Rague; Mr. Nowak, Mr. Mintz, Edward M. Suarez, Jr., Newark, Steven P. Weissman, Matthew D. Aremen, Mr. Fox, Craig S. Gumpel, Livingston, James M. Mets, Kevin P. McGovern, Iselin, Arnold Shep Cohen, Newark, Stephen B. Hunter, Somerville, James Katz, Mr. Schwartz, Kevin Jarvis, Cherry Hill, Ms. Lepore, and Paul E. Griggs, Westfield, on the joint briefs).

Robert T. Lougy , Assistant Attorney General, argued the cause for respondents in A-5973-11 and in A-6002-11 ( John J. Hoffman , Acting Attorney General, attorney; Mr. Lougy, of counsel; Jean P. Reilly , Deputy Attorney General, and Diane J. Weeden , Deputy Attorney General, on the briefs).

Robert C. Brown , Old Bridge, argued the cause for appellants in A-0632-12.

Diane J. Weeden , Deputy Attorney General, argued the cause for respondents in A-0632-12 ( John J. Hoffman , Acting Attorney General, attorney; Robert T. Lougy , Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Jean P. Reilly , Deputy Attorney General, and Ms. Weeden, on the briefs).

Before Judges REISNER, ALVAREZ and CARROLL.


The opinion of the court was delivered by

REISNER, P.J.A.D.

In these appeals, which we have consolidated for purposes of this opinion, several groups of public-employee plaintiffs challenge the constitutionality of N.J.S.A. 43:3B-2 (Chapter 78), a 2011 statute that suspended the payment of cost of living increases (COLAs) to current and future retirees receiving pensions from each of the State's public pension funds. See L. 2011, c. 78...

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