Waters v. City of New York

Plaintiff, at the time of the consolidation, held a classified competitive position—that of bookkeeper—and was, pursu-j

By chapter 186, p. 447, of the Laws of 1898 (section 3), passed March 31, 1898, and taking effect immediately, so far as concerns the question here presented, the civil service law of 1883 was amended by providing that:

_ “If a person holding a position subject to competitive examination in the civil service of the state or of a city shall be removed or reduced the reasons therefor shall be stated in writing and filled with the head of the department or other appointing officer, and the person so removed or reduced shall have an opportunity to make an explanation.”

It is now settled by authority that this act applied to the city of New York (People ex rel. Leet v. Keller, 157 N. Y. 90 , 51 N. E. 431 ; People ex rel. Fleming v. Dalton, 158 N. Y. 175 , 52 N. E. 1113 ), and that those at the time holding classified competitive positions in the municipal service were, in the event of a -removal or reduction, entitled to the benefits of said act of 1898, and had the right to know the “reasons therefor,” and also to “an opportunity to make an explanation” (People ex rel. Terry v. Keller, 158 N. Y. 187 , 52 N. E. 1107 ; People ex rel. Warschauer v. Dalton, 159 N. Y. 235 , 53 N. E. 1113 ; People ex rel. Strahan v. Feitner, 29 Misc. Rep. 702 , 62 N. Y. Supp. 969 ). This applied to the plaintiff and his position, if the reduction of the amount of his salary is within the contemplation of the statute, for in his case the salary was reduced on May 1, 1898, a month subsequent to the enactment of 1898.

The language of the act is “removed or reduced,” and we see that plaintiff was not removed, nor was he reduced in the character or designation of his position, for he is still performing the same duties under the same designation—that of bookkeeper.

The command of the. charter (section 1536) was that plaintiff, and all similarly situated in the service of the- municipalities so consolidated, their positions not having been vacated or abolished—

“Shall continue to hold their respective positions without prejudice or advantage. * * * The said plan shall also provide for the apportionment between the several public departments, bureaus and offices, and the assignment to service in said public departments, bureaus and offices 'respectively, so far as practicable, of all subordinates and employees in every branch of the public

Thus the plaintiff was to be continued, and was in fact continued, in his position as a bookkeeper, at $2,400 a year. Such continuation was to be, and thus was, until the reduction of salary, “without prejudice or advantage.”- The salary was an incident to the position, and belonged to the holder thereof until he was removed in manner as by the char- . ter provided. Section 1536. He was entitled to such salary until there had been a legal reduction thereof, or until he had been legally reduced in position. To reduce the salary would be to his prejudice, and consequently his continuation in the "position at such reduction would not be “without prejudice or advantage.”

It will be seen that section 3 of the act of 1898 (chapter 186, p. 447) is not limited by express language to a reduction in position or character of employment—'that is, from one grade to a lower one—but is general, and applies to every situation fairly to be contemplated within the plain significance and ordinary meaning of the word “reduced.” If a reduction in salary as great as 37% per cent, is not within the purview of that section, then plaintiff is without remedy, for the head of the department had the power “to fix and regulate, within the limits of his appropriation and subject to the restrictions, if any, hereinbefore prescribed, the salaries and compensation of said subordinates, appointees, and employees.” Charter, § 1536. • And again we see, by section 1543, that:

“The number and duties of all officers and clerks, employees and subordinates in every department, except as otherwise herein specially provided, with their respective .salaries, whether now fixed by special law or otherwise, shall be such as the heads of the respective departments shall designate and approve; but subject, also, to the revision of the board of estimate and apportionment.” Id. § 1543.

No revision of such reduction of.plaintiff’s compensation by said board is shown to have been had.

The plain purpose of the civil service laws, among other things; is to protect the faithful and capable incumbents of classified competitive positions in the public service against prejudicial action on the part of the heads of departments and their supervisors in public office by way of unlawful removal or reduction without an opportunity of being heard or of making an explanation. In so far as concerns the municipal service of the city, ample provision to protect as against removals without cause, other than for the public weál and in manner as by law permitted, was incorporated in the charter passed in 1897 (section 1543); and, to prevent the wrongful reduction of those holding competitive positions in the state or municipal civil service, chapter 186 of the Taws of 1898 was enacted. That act is of a remedial char

The character of a municipal office or position must of necessity depend upon the duties thereof, and the compensation in amount should depend to some degree upon the importance of such office or position, and of the functions thereof. Thus we find the service classified— divided in classes and grades. See Laws 1883, p. 530, c. 354, § 2, par. 2, subd. 2.

It is matter of common knowledge that the higher the grade, and the higher the class in such service, the greater is the compensation, and to reduce the compensation would be, in effect, if not nominally, but to reduce the incumbent to the grade for which the lesser compensation is fixed and paid. This can obtain, of course, only after one has entered the service, has been appointed at a fixed compensation, and is performing the functions of his employment. Consequently, when plaintiff’s compensation as a bookkeeper for the three previous years of $2,400 a year was reduced 37% per cent., or to $1,500 a year, was he not thereby reduced from the position he had theretofore held? The character of his employment was changed, not in duties, it is true, but it was in compensation, $goo a year; and he was not continued in the same position he had held before consolidation, “without prejudice or advantage,” for the reduction in his salary was to his prejudice—to his disadvantage. It was to that extent a change in his position. He had been “reduced,” and no “reasons therefor” were “stated in writing and filed in the office of the head of the department,” and he had no "opportunity to make an explanation.” An assignment to a lower position in the same service, and at a lower rate of compensation, is, without doubt, a removal from the position formerly held (People ex rel. Callahan v. Board of Education, 78 App. Div. 505 , 79 N. Y. Supp. 624 ; affirmed in 174 N. Y. 169 , 66 N. E. 674 ), and such position is thereupon made vacant.

It is defendant’s contention that, since plaintiff still continued to perform the same duties and had the same position—that of bookkeeper— he had not been reduced, though his salary is much less than before; in other words, because plaintiff was not reduced by being placed nominally in a lower position or grade, and at a lesser compensation, his case is not within the act of 1898, and that therefore plaintiff is not entitled to the benefit thereof. But if he had been assigned to a lower position at a less salary, that would have been, as we have seen, a removal, and not a reduction.

The cases of People ex rel. Lodholz v. Knox, 58 App. Div. 541 , 69 N. Y. Supp. 602 , and Powell v. City of New York, 65 App. Div. 421 , 72 N. Y. Supp. 990 , cited by defendant’s counsel, have no application to this discussion. They, in effect, hold that the civil service commissioners, under the civil service law, have to do with the prescribing of rules for the classification of positions with regard to the duties thereof, and are not. to consider the compensation fixed or to be fixed.

My conclusion, therefore, is that any reduction of salary or change in

Judgment for plaintiff, with costs.