Prior to 1967

Prior to 1967, public employees in New York State had few, if any, mechanisms to obtain benefits and job protection without resorting to lobbying or actually changing statutes. Civil Service Law and Constitutional Law were some of the ways that public employees could obtain some protection and benefits. The sizable body of Civil Service Law is a testament to the high degree of effectiveness of the lobbing efforts of these employee groups.

However, compared to the modern labor union contract currently in effect, these protections were limited and narrow in scope. This is because they did not address the inherent differences that exist in the various job classifications that exist today.