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Access over workers' compensation decisions, including En Banc, Significant Panel Decisions, and writ-denied cases.

Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

F. G. Compagni Construction Co. v. Ross

Petitioners appealed judgments that had annulled certain prevailing wage and supplement redeterminations and notices to withhold payment issued under Labor Law sections 220 and 220-b. They contended that the respondent failed to ascertain prevailing wages and supplements by investigating workers in the defined 'locality,' instead conducting county-wide surveys and using union wage rates without proving majority union membership. The court affirmed the vacatur of redeterminations, finding the respondent's methods deviated from statutory mandates and that 1978 amendments to Labor Law section 220 were not retroactive. However, the court modified the judgments by reversing the annulment of notices to withhold payment, ruling that petitioners should have exhausted administrative remedies before seeking judicial review on that matter.

Prevailing WageWage RedeterminationsLabor Law ComplianceStatutory InterpretationAdministrative ReviewRetroactivity of LawPublic Works ContractsUnion Wage ScalesLocality DefinitionExhaustion of Administrative Remedies
References
7
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Matter of Covert v. Niagara County

Claimant, a public assistance recipient, suffered a work-related injury while assigned to Niagara County through a work experience program. A Workers’ Compensation Law Judge initially established the claim and determined an average weekly wage based on public assistance benefits. After public assistance benefits were suspended, the claimant sought lost wage benefits. The Workers’ Compensation Board affirmed a WCLJ decision, ruling that payments made under the work experience program constituted "wages" under the Workers’ Compensation Law. Niagara County and its third-party administrator appealed this decision. The appellate court dismissed the appeal, holding that the Board's decision was interlocutory and did not dispose of all substantive issues, thus precluding immediate appeal. The court noted that review could be sought if and when a final determination on wage replacement benefits is issued.

Wage DeterminationPublic Assistance BenefitsWork Experience ProgramInterlocutory AppealAppellate JurisdictionMedical Evidence SufficiencySchedule Loss of UseLost Wage ClaimWorkers' Compensation Board ReviewFinality of Decision
References
9
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Claim of Kellish v. Kellish Tire Sales, Inc.

The claimant, who suffered a work-related injury in 1999, applied for workers' compensation benefits in 2001. The Workers' Compensation Board initially set his average weekly wage at $126, which was based on his part-time employment where he worked one day a week and received $126 plus health insurance. The claimant appealed, arguing that his average weekly wage should be calculated under Workers’ Compensation Law § 14 (3) and that health insurance payments should be included. The Workers' Compensation Board affirmed the initial finding. The Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department, affirmed the Board's decision, concluding that there was substantial evidence that the claimant voluntarily limited his work availability. The court also held that health insurance payments are not part of the definition of wages under Workers’ Compensation Law § 2 (9).

Workers' CompensationAverage Weekly WagePart-time EmploymentVoluntary LimitationHealth InsuranceWage CalculationAppellate ReviewNew York LawStatutory InterpretationWorkers’ Compensation Law § 14
References
5
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Claim of Marchese v. New York State Department of Correctional Services

Claimant, injured in October 1997, initially received full wages from their employer, then workers' compensation benefits after employment termination. Following an award of benefits in February 2000, a dispute arose regarding the payment of claimant's counsel fee. The Workers’ Compensation Board ruled that the fee should be paid in installments from continuing payments to the claimant, rather than from the portion reimbursing the employer. Claimant appealed this decision, arguing that continuing payments were subject to adjustment and thus not an award of compensation. The Appellate Division affirmed the Board's decision, emphasizing the Board's broad discretion under Workers’ Compensation Law § 24 and finding no unfairness in the payment method, as the award was sufficient to cover both employer reimbursement and the attorneys' lien.

Attorney FeesWorkers' Compensation LawLien on CompensationContinuing PaymentsBoard DiscretionAppellate ReviewEmployer ReimbursementAward Payment MethodStatutory InterpretationCounsel Fee
References
2
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Opn. No.

This legal opinion addresses whether cost-of-living adjustments paid by the New York City Transit Authority (TA) to its employees, represented by the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), are subject to suspension under the wage freeze provisions of the Financial Emergency Act for the City of New York. The Act, enacted in 1975 to address the city's fiscal crisis, includes the TA as a 'covered organization' whose salary and wage increases are suspended. The opinion concludes that cost-of-living adjustments constitute 'salary or wages' based on common interpretation and legal precedents. Therefore, the opinion holds that such payments by the TA would violate the Act's wage freeze mandate, aligning with the legislative intent to prevent the city's financial collapse.

Wage freezeCost-of-living adjustmentsFinancial Emergency ActNew York City fiscal crisisPublic employeesCollective bargainingStatutory interpretationEmergency powersGovernmental entitiesEconomic stabilization
References
11
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Araujo v. Tiano's Construction Corp.

Plaintiffs' causes of action against their employer and its surety for breach of contract, quantum meruit, and unjust enrichment, based on claims of being paid less than the minimum prevailing wages set pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act, were dismissed. The Supreme Court granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment, which was affirmed without costs. The court ruled that no private right of action exists to enforce contracts requiring payment of federal prevailing wage schedules, citing prior case law, and stated that the plaintiffs’ remedy lies in pending administrative proceedings. A dissenting opinion argued that the precedent was wrongly decided and that workers should be able to sue to recover mandated wages.

Summary JudgmentPrevailing WageDavis-Bacon ActBreach of ContractQuantum MeruitUnjust EnrichmentPrivate Right of ActionAdministrative RemediesDissenting OpinionAppellate Review
References
3
Case No. 2025 NY Slip Op 02101, 44 NY3d 45
Regular Panel Decision
Apr 10, 2025

Matter of Schulze v. City of Newburgh Fire Dept.

This case addresses whether the City of Newburgh Fire Department can be reimbursed from workers' compensation benefits for payments made to a disabled firefighter, Adam Schulze, under General Municipal Law § 207-a (2). Schulze, a retired firefighter with performance of duty (POD) disability retirement, received supplemental payments from the City and workers' compensation awards. The City sought reimbursement, arguing its General Municipal Law § 207-a (2) payments constituted "salary or wages" or "payments to an employee in like manner as wages" under Workers' Compensation Law §§ 30 (2) or 25 (4) (a). The Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of reimbursement, holding that General Municipal Law § 207-a (2) payments are pension supplements, not wages, and are made to retired individuals, not employees. The Court clarified that the proper statutory mechanism for the employer to reduce duplicative benefits is General Municipal Law § 207-a (4-a), which allows for the reduction of future General Municipal Law § 207-a (2) payments by the amount of workers' compensation awards.

Workers' CompensationFirefighter DisabilityGeneral Municipal LawRetirement BenefitsReimbursementPension SupplementsStatutory InterpretationNew York State LawCourt of AppealsPublic Employment
References
18
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision

Pineda v. Kel-Tech Construction, Inc.

This case addresses a dispute over wage payments to undocumented alien workers employed by Kel-Tech Construction, Inc. on public works projects. The plaintiffs, including Adeline Carpió and Jose Luis Zamora, sued Kel-Tech and its sureties, Reliance Insurance Company and United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, for unpaid prevailing wages and supplemental benefits, alleging a money-laundering scheme by Kel-Tech. Defendants sought summary judgment, arguing the plaintiffs' use of fraudulent documents to obtain employment barred their claims, and also moved to dismiss claims related to the ES. 24 project. The court had previously dismissed claims for ES. 24 and declined to enforce releases from two plaintiffs. This decision denies defendants' motion for summary judgment, asserting that New York's Labor Law, particularly Section 220, is not preempted by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) concerning the payment of earned wages to undocumented workers. The court emphasizes public policy aims to ensure fair wages for all workers and identifies unresolved factual disputes regarding both plaintiffs' alleged fraudulent conduct and Kel-Tech's own compliance with IRCA and its alleged 'unclean hands' in the wage payment scheme. The court also denied dismissal of quantum meruit and unjust enrichment claims related to William Taft High School.

undocumented workersprevailing wageLabor Law Section 220Immigration Reform and Control Actsummary judgmentfraudulent documentationquantum meruitunjust enrichmentpublic works contractswage dispute
References
20
Case No. 2021 NY Slip Op 21232
Regular Panel Decision
Aug 26, 2021

Phillips v. Max Finkelstein, Inc.

Plaintiff Jesse Phillips, a manual employee of Max Finkelstein, Inc., was paid biweekly, violating Labor Law § 191 (1) (a) (i) which mandates weekly payment for manual workers. Phillips sued over late payments and improper wage statements. The Suffolk County Court initially granted summary judgment dismissing both causes of action. The Appellate Term, Second Department, reversed, citing the precedent in Vega v CM & Assoc. Constr. Mgt., LLC that a private right of action exists under Labor Law § 198 (1-a) for violations of wage frequency requirements. Thus, the court reinstated Phillips' first cause of action concerning late payments but upheld the dismissal of the second cause of action regarding wage statements, as Phillips did receive statements with every payment. The final order modified the lower court's decision, denying the dismissal of the first cause of action.

wage payment frequencymanual employeeLabor Law violationsliquidated damagesprivate right of actionsummary judgmentstare decisisAppellate Division precedentwage statementsemployment law
References
8
Case No. MISSING
Regular Panel Decision
Oct 26, 2015

Matter of Newbill v. Town of Hempstead

Claimant, a sanitation crew chief, injured his right ankle and foot at work and was awarded disability benefits. His self-insured employer paid his full weekly wages during a period of disability and timely sought reimbursement for these advanced payments. A Workers’ Compensation Law Judge granted the employer's reimbursement request against a 20% schedule loss of use award for the right foot. The Board affirmed this decision, and the claimant appealed, arguing that reimbursement should not cover periods where no compensation awards were initially made. The court affirmed the Board's decision, reiterating that an employer is entitled to full reimbursement from a schedule loss of use award for advanced wages paid during disability, as schedule awards are not allocable to specific periods of lost work.

Schedule Loss of UseReimbursementAdvanced Wage PaymentsDisability BenefitsEmployer RightsAppellate ReviewWorkers’ Compensation BoardStatutory InterpretationPermanent Partial DisabilityTimely Claim
References
10
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