In re the Arbitration Between County of Ulster & Ulster County Sheriff's Employees Ass'n
Elíseo Baldizzi, a correction officer with Ulster County Sheriffs Department, sought General Municipal Law § 207-c benefits for an illness he claimed was work-related. After his claim was denied, the respondent initiated arbitration, resulting in an award in Baldizzi’s favor. Petitioners, the Ulster County Sheriffs Department and County of Ulster, then commenced a CPLR article 75 proceeding to vacate this arbitration award, arguing it violated public policy by not establishing a clear link between the illness and duties. The Supreme Court denied their motion and confirmed the award, agreeing with the arbitrator's finding that Baldizzi's illness was directly traceable to an incident during his employment. This appellate court affirmed the Supreme Court's decision, finding no valid basis to disturb the arbitrator's award, as the arbitrator had indeed found a direct causal link.