Report: Appellate court says taxpayers shouldn’t fund teachers doing fulltime union work

A three-judge panel ruled high-ranking officials within Jersey City’s teacher’s union who spend the entirety of their working time to union matters cannot be paid by the city’s Board of Education, according to the Hudson County View.

The ruling affects the president of the Jersey City Education Association and his or her designee.

The appellate court decision reverses a previous superior court ruling that sided with the JCEA.

The ruling invalidates part of the JCEA’s bargaining agreement with Jersey City.

The initial suit was filed by the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank based in Arizona. That suit claimed two top JCEA officials were paid $1.2 million in public funds over a period of five years.

The Goldwater institute claimed the payments were made using release time. Wednesday’s ruling outlawed such payments, in addition to payments through sick time, leaves of absence and sabbaticals, on the basis that the officials are still working.