IDCWLaw Partner Liam L. Castro Receives Restraining Order Prohibiting Ulster County From Denying Union Client Officials’ Release Time.

We are happy to announce that today the Supreme Court, Ulster County issued against the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department and Ulster County, pending arbitration, an injunction prohibiting them from denying union officials’ from using County-paid release time.  In early March a union client requested time off for two union officials’ midnight shift (12-8) to attend union meetings beginning at about 8am.  The County argued the union meetings did not start until after the officials’ shift ended.  We convinced the judge that requiring the officials to work their shift, and then work an additional shift for union meetings was unfair at this stage; that an arbitrator would decide this case soon; and there is no meaningful remedy and arbitrator could impose after the union meetings occurred.  As a result, the County issued an injunction prohibiting the County and Sheriff’s Department, pending arbitration, from requiring them to work during a 24-hour period.