Sanford v. Rockefeller

40 A.D.2d 82, 337 N.Y.S.2d 688, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2815, 1972 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3385
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedNovember 16, 1972
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 40 A.D.2d 82 (Sanford v. Rockefeller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanford v. Rockefeller, 40 A.D.2d 82, 337 N.Y.S.2d 688, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2815, 1972 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3385 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1972).

Opinion

Staley, Jr., J. P.

These are cross appeals, by permission, from an order of the Supreme Court at Special Term, entered August 24, 1972 in Albany County, in a proceeding pursuant to article 78 of CPLE, which (1) granted respondents’ motion to dismiss the petition on behalf of all others similarly situated, and (2) denied respondents’ motion to dismiss the petition in all other respects.

Petitioners in these four proceedings are employees of the State of New York in permanent positions in the competitive class of the civil service. On or about May 1, 1972 petitioners and approximately 7,500 other civil service employees of the State received notices from respondent, Director of the Office of Employee Delations, notifying them that they had engaged in a strike on April 1 and 2, 1972 in violation of subdivision 1 of section 210 of the Civil Service Law.

The notice advised petitioners that the public employer must impose penalties of probation for a period of one year, during which the employees must serve without tenure, and deduction from the employees’ salaries of an amount equal to twice the daily rate of pay for every day he was in violation. (Civil Service Law, § 210, subd. 2, pars, [f] and [g].)

Within 20 days of the date on which the notice was mailed, petitioners filed affidavits containing a statement of facts to show that they had not engaged in a strike. Petitioners Sanford, Winkowski and Splatt were granted hearings on the factual issues raised by their affidavits. Petitioner Grodbee was denied a hearing on the ground that his affidavit failed to establish that he did not violate the statute. Each petitioner has been on probation since the date of the director’s initial determination and each has had the monetary penalty deducted from his or her salary. (Civil Service Law, § 210, subd. 2, par. [h].)

Petitioners, on their own behalf and on behalf of other State employees similarly situated, commenced these proceedings seeking a judgment annulling the determination of the Director of [85]*85the Office of Employee Relations made on April 29, 1972 as unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious and declaring that subdivision 1 and paragraphs (b), (d), (e), (f) and (h) of subdivision 2 of section 210 of the Civil Service Law are unconstitutional.

Appellants moved to dismiss the petitions on the ground that (1) they failed to state a cause of action, and that the provisions of subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 210 are constitutional, legal and valid and do not violate the due process and equal protection provisions of the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of the State of New York; (2) respondents have failed to exhaust their administrative remedies; and (3) that these proceedings cannot be maintained as a class action. Special Term granted the motion to dismiss the petition on behalf of all others similarly situated and denied the motion in all other respects.

The basic issue on this appeal is whether due process requires that an employee should be granted a hearing on his objections prior to the imposition of the penalties prescribed by paragraphs (f) and (g) of subdivision 2 of section 210 of the Civil Service Law in all cases involving strikes by public employees.

There is no provision of either the Federal or State Constitutions which prevents the State from outlawing strikes by public employees. (Rankin v. Shanker, 23 N Y 2d 111; City of New York v. De Lury, 23 N Y 2d 175.) It has also been held that section 210 is not unconstitutional because it permits the imposition of penalties without a prior hearing. (Matter of Lawson v. Board of Educ. of Vestal Cent. School Dist. No. 1, 62 Misc 2d 281, affd. 35 A D 2d 878, app. dsmd. 28 N Y 2d 993, app. dsmd. 404 U. S. 907; Matter of Zeluck v. Board of Educ. of City School Dist. of City of New Rochelle, 62 Misc 2d 274, affd. 36 A D 2d 615, app. dsmd. 29 N Y 2d 749; cf. Matter of Di Maggio v. Brown, 19 N Y 2d 283.)

The contention that the penalty provisions of section 210 are unconstitutional and that such provisions operate as a bill of attainder and deprive public emloyees of property without due process of law, is without merit. The statute requires that a written notice of charge be served upon each employee who is found to have engaged in a strike, who may then object to such determination by filing an affidavit and supporting proof. The chief executive officer then determines whether to uphold the employee’s objection, to dismiss it, or grant a hearing to review the facts upon which the objection is based. Any determination against the employee by either the chief executive officer or the [86]*86hearing officer is reviewable in an article 78 proceeding. If the initial determination is reversed upon an employee’s objection, tenure is restored and payroll deductions refunded. These procedures constitute sufficient due process.

In Matter of Di Maggio v. Brown (supra, pp. 287-288) the Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of the Condon-Wadlin Act stating: “Moreover, it cannot reasonably be said that the law constitutes a bill of attainder, ‘ a legislative act which inflicts punishment without a judicial trial. ’ (Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wall. [71 U. S.] 277, 323 [1866].) There is no constitutional provision which vests one with the right to governmental employment, or which bars the imposition of reasonable and necessary limitations and conditions on such employment. Consequently, a statute which incorporates such limitations on governmental employment cannot be construed as a bill of attainder. ’ ’

Special Term, relying mainly on the case of Fuentes v. Shevin (407 U. S. 67), held (70 Misc 2d 833, 838) that the provisions of section 210 which establish a procedure to object to the determination that the employee engaged in a strike ‘ ‘ insofar as it fails to provide for an opportunity for a hearing before the imposition of the statutory penalties, is inadequate to satisfy the requirements of due process.”

The Fuentes opinion held that due process was violated by replevin laws of a State insofar as they denied the right of a prior opportunity to be heard before chattels were taken from their possessor, notwithstanding that he could regain possession by posting a security bond, and that he would have an opportunity for a postseizure hearing and, further, that such laws served no such important governmental or general public interest justifying postponement of the due process right to an opportunity for a hearing until after the seizure of the property.

While, we recognize that the penalties provided by section 210, both as to loss of tenure and loss of pay, affect property rights of the employee, we find that the public interest involved justifies the procedure outlined by section 210 which imposes penalties prior to a hearing on the determination by the chief executive officer that the public employee had engaged in a strike.

In Boddie v. Connecticut (401 U. S. 371

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40 A.D.2d 82, 337 N.Y.S.2d 688, 81 L.R.R.M. (BNA) 2815, 1972 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3385, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanford-v-rockefeller-nyappdiv-1972.