The Labor Point

Pending bills S4685 and A5649 would let employers bar off-duty recreational cannabis use for police officers, paid firefighters, EMTs, 9-1-1 dispatchers, commercial drivers, and heavy-equipment operators, and act on a positive test alone. Current law generally protects lawful off-duty use.

Source: Forbes

Denville’s school business administrator says the district left the State Health Plan for Horizon to avoid a 32% premium hike, but that deal expires June 30, 2027, and she expects a 28–30% increase for 2027-28, alongside contractual salary obligations.

Source: TAPinto Denville

The State Investment Council approved up to $400 million in new private equity and real estate commitments for the roughly $87 billion pension system and is lowering its private equity and real estate allocation targets for next year.

Source: Connect Money

The American Association of University Professors says three New Jersey House winners were among the candidates it backed in its first-ever endorsement slate, and it plans to press them on issues including collective bargaining rights for faculty and campus workers.

Source: NJ Today

An administrative law judge ruled that New York City’s Department of Education committed an improper practice by using agency-hired, non-union staff for paraprofessional work at a Bronx school without negotiating with the UFT, even amid shortages, and ordered make-whole relief.

Source: The Chief-Leader

The Federal Labor Relations Authority found that a USDA office’s contract with an NFFE lodge took effect because the agency did not properly serve its disapproval, a reminder that review deadlines and notice procedures matter.

Source: FedSmith

The Fort Pierce, Florida, police union declared impasse after the city proposed no raises or step increases, citing a new property-tax amendment and an anticipated $6 million budget shortfall.

Source: CBS12 News

West Haven, Connecticut, approved a three-year teachers’ contract that could add $2.2 million to $2.5 million a year, though the superintendent expects to offset some of that cost through attrition as enrollment declines.

Source: The Hour