Marc Kovar
Executive Vice-President
Important correction for
corrections officers
The NJ State PBA leadership and our government affairs
team have spent a lot of time and resources to keep us up to
date on legislative efforts that impact law enforcement. While
some legislation has been resolved quickly, many of our legisla-
tive initiatives take years to finalize.
This is the case with regard to Senate Bill 596, which provides
sick leave pay to State Corrections, Juvenile, Probation and Pa-
role Officers who have been injured during an inmate attack.
After many years of disagreements between the governor and
the legislature, the legislation was signed into law on July 3.
Whether it was the incident that left Elegia Then, a correc-
tions officer at NJ State Prison in Trenton, out of work after be-
ing brutally attacked by an inmate in March 2014 or the serious
injuries sustained by corrections officer Andrea Berry while
working at Southern State Correctional Facility in January 2016,
these law enforcement officers deserved better.
Beginning in October 2017, state corrections officers will re-
ceive sick leave pay if they are injured at work as a result of an
assault by an inmate until worker’s compensation begins. Once
worker’s compensation coverage kicks in, our officers will also
be made whole by receiving the difference between their regu-
lar salary and what worker’s compensation doesn’t cover until
they can return to work.
Prior to this law, state law enforcement officers working in
corrections, juvenile, probation and/or parole were only eli-
gible for worker’s compensation. It often took months for our
officers who were seriously injured to receive any type of com-
pensation, making it difficult for our members to provide for
themselves and their families.
“These officers assume a significant deal of risk every day
on the job, yet they have been excluded from provisions that
make compensation available to other public safety officers,”
Assemblyman Dan Benson, a co-sponsor of the new law, said in
a statement. “This new law is about taking action to eliminate
that inconsistency so that people who put their lives on the line
aren’t left helpless in the event of an attack.”
I want to thank the NJSPBA government affairs team as well
as State Corrections Local 105 for continuing this important
legislative effort and correcting this financial inequality for our
members. This successful legislative effort took many years. It
proves that relationships matter. And it also proves that our ef-
forts during important elections – including the recruitment of
members to do phone banks and other campaign-related work
for legislators who support us – and the creation of our politi-
cal action committee will continue to make a difference as we
move our legislative priorities forward.
As a closing thought, let’s continue to remember and honor
those officers killed in the line of duty, most recently New York
City Police Officer Miosotis Familia. Be safe out there. Our most
important responsibility is to make it home to our loved ones
and friends at the end of each work day. d
New State Delegates on board
NJ State PBA President Pat Colligan and Executive
Vice President Marc Kovar welcomed the following
State Delegates who took the oath of office at the
state meeting on June 27 at Caesar’s in Atlantic City:
• Valdar “Don” Chaudruc, Morristown Local 43
• Brian Iarrapino, South Plainfield Local 100
• Peter Martin, Pascack Valley Local 206
• Gary Schaal, Plumsted Local 390
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ JULY 2017 7