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Had my medical on Wednesday and dayum that was a process. I was in the building from 2:00 til about 6 or so. Looong day without food. I'd suggest bringing snacks, lol.
Does anyone know how many people will be at the physical ability testing on the 2nd? It seems like there must be a lot. How long were you guys in the building for that process? Also, does anyone have any insight on the difficulty level of the pull-up trainer? I've never had the opportunity to use that sort of machine.
Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help and advice from the people who've been there before
Last edited by britta; 02-02-2011, 06:46 PM. Reason: misspelling
JProolz
Originally posted by Cravan View Post
OCA's agility test is one of the toughest I've ever endured. You really need to be in tip top shape to pass.
It's tough for sure, but I was tops in my group for 6 of the 8 tests and maxed out on those 6.
The strain from everything else got to my body and my arms were shaky, doing 152 reps on the ergonomic hand bike in 60 seconds will do that to you I guess.
In 90 days or so, I'll be good to go. Just wish I didn't have to wait til then.
CivilServant14
Originally posted by JProolz View Post
Is that the same piece of equipment found in some gyms? Only using upper body strength.
hobie24
Can someone please help me out with what we have to do for this physical exam....sounds like its not the standard sit ups/ push ups/ run. And what is this hand steadiness that people seem to be having a problem with?
Originally posted by hobie24 View Post
See link below:
http://www.nycourts.gov/careers/cot/...ity-test.shtml
Kannons610
Does anyone who has passed the Physical Ability Exam know if they hit the ring during the Arm-Hand Steadiness test? And if so, how many times? I just want to know if they allow some wiggle room.
Thank for the help retriever!
Cravan
Originally posted by Kannons610 View Post
I hit the ring several times. I thought I failed the physical because of this but I did not. That was the toughest part of the exam for me.
Cuomo Considers Layoffs Of At Least 10,000 State Workers
By: Erin Billups
At least 10,000 state workers could be facing the ax under a budget plan being considered by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Sources tell NY1 that Cuomo's budget, which will be released early next month, could include layoffs as part of his blueprint to bridge the state's budget gap, which is more than $9 billion.
When asked about potential layoffs today, the governor cautioned that the state is in a dire financial situation.
"We're going to have to make corrections," said Cuomo. "We shouldn't have been doing this for years, by the way. We've been spending too much money for years. But it has to stop now, and there is going to be no doubt a period of short-term pain as we make these adjustments."
Cuomo is also expected to make large cuts to the Medicaid program and reduce education spending.
The layoffs would be the largest cuts made to the state's workforce in decades and would represent a cut of about five percent of the roughly 200,000 people who work for the state.
The state's public employee unions say a cut of that size would cripple the delivery of essential services and have a chilling effect on the state's economy.
Both the Public Employees Federation and the Civil Service Employees Association say they've tried to initiate talks with the governor's office to address his concerns, but to no avail.
Labor leaders say they're frustrated to find out secondhand of the governor's downsizing plans.
"We certainly would like to know a whole lot more about what the governor has in mind here and we think it would have been much more constructive if there had been some sort of dialogue about this before it gets leaked to the press," said CSEA Spokesman Stephen Madarasz.
As the governor deals with pushback from the unions he's also getting it from members of his own party in the State Assembly, who argue a $10 billion deficit can't be closed completely by cuts.
"I suspect we're not going to be able to meet our goals. Somewhere along the line there's going to have to be a compromise," said Assemblyman Jack McEneny.
During a breakfast meeting Wednesday with Cuomo, several Assembly Democrats made it clear they think it's necessary to extend a tax on the wealthy past its December expiration. But lawmakers say the governor has taken the stance that it's either his way or the highway.
"I don't' support new taxes. That's my position," Cuomo said. "Some of them do support new taxes and that's a difference of opinion."
One Assembly member present at the Wednesday breakfast says the governor is also pushing them to quickly pass his ethics plan that would require complete disclosure of legislators outside income, saying it would "look good" if they got this done soon.
After reading this article several times, I am starting to believe that a class might not be rescheduled this year.
Concerns me as well, but I am staying positive that the judicial branch won't be as affected as they're short staffed. I have been researching years back and this issue is nothing new. Seems like almost every year there is a budget deficit and either layoffs or hiring freeze or social services being cut. We will just have to wait for Feb.1 when Cuomo presents his budget proposals. Hopefully soon after something will be passed and the OCA can move forward.
The only positive so far is that the current canvassed crew is still going through processing.
Thanks Cravan for the info. I was pretty disappointed when I hit it four times. I'll find out on Friday how I did.
angelo3456
Today is the last day on the job for hundreds of seasoned court employees who have opted to join a lucrative early retirement program offered by the state.
And court administrators are shifting into high gear with plans to hire hundreds of replacements.
As of Thursday, 1,674 non-judicial employees had signed up for the program, more than 11 percent of the total workforce. Court administrators anticipate that the final tally will be around 1,700, somewhat less than the 1,800 it predicted in an earlier estimate (NYLJ, Sept. 28). About 100 of the retirees are executives and senior managers.
Watch highlights of a ceremony held at 60 Centre Street on Nov. 17 recognizing court employees who have elected to take early retirement.
Judge Lawrence K. Marks, the administrative director for the court system, said that the courts expect to replace between 1,200 and 1,300 employees before the end of the fiscal year on March 30, 2011.
The remaining 400-or-so vacancies could be filled next year, but Judge Marks said that administrators have not decided how many new hires are necessary.
Those determinations will be made in the coming months as the courts continue to evaluate personnel needs. Judge Marks pointed out that the courts took two years to replace all of the 700 workers lost in a more modest 2002 early retirement program. This time around, some of the retirees may never be replaced, he added.
Meanwhile, "behind the scenes [managers] are going to be scrambling day to day to make sure" that services to litigants and attorneys are maintained, Judge Marks said.
Some 473 court employees already had retired as of Thursday, compared to the 300 to 400 who leave in a normal year. So far, Judge Marks said, there have been no complaints from the public.
Administrators' initial priority has been in dealing with departures of clerks, court reporters and court officers from the front lines of the state courtrooms.
Through internal promotions and transfers, Judge Marks said virtually all the departing 384 courtroom clerks should be replaced within a few weeks.
About 190 new court officers took their posts last week after graduating from court training academies. But that is not enough to fill the gap left by the retirement of 262 officers, and Judge Marks said that an additional training class is being "seriously considered."
According to Michael DiMaggio, the chief clerk for criminal cases in Manhattan Supreme Court, his court will have 17 fewer court officers as of Monday.
Twenty-seven officers have taken early retirement and another 10 have opted to transfer to courts closer to their homes on Long Island to fill the positions of those who took early retirement, Mr. DiMaggio reported. Only 20 of the vacancies are being filled with new officers.
"It's a challenge, but we will deal with it," said Acting Justice Michael J. Obus, the administrative judge for criminal cases in Manhattan.
Judge Marks said, "We're going to have to be much more flexible than we are now" in the deployment of security personnel.
He noted that the court system has "aspirational" guidelines that call for the assignment of a sergeant and three officers to all felony trials. Those guidelines will be maintained for violent felonies, he said, but security would not be compromised by assigning three or even two officers to many trials of nonviolent defendants who are free on bail.
John Strandberg, the president of the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association, responded that any deviation from the guidelines is "not smart." The guidelines "have been developed over the last 100 years," he said, "to deal with the inherent dangers in criminal courtrooms."
'Biggest Challenge'
One area where the court has had difficulty hiring is court reporting. Administrators have introduced electronic recording in the New York City Criminal Court (NYLJ, Nov. 5) but have pledged to keep court reporters in Supreme Court, where proposals to replace humans with machines have been politically difficult.
Judge Marks noted that "our biggest challenge" is in the Bronx Supreme Court where many reporters have applied to transfer. The judge has had to block some reassignments, at least for the time being.
Brian DiGiovanna, the president of the Association of Surrogates and Supreme Court Reporters within New York City, said that 11 court reporters assigned to Bronx Supreme Court have been slated to fill vacancies in Manhattan. He said he had been negotiating with administrators on how many must remain, a figure he predicted at four to six.
Mr. DiGiovanna agreed that it was necessary to suspend some of the transfers but not all, since that would leave other courts short of personnel.
As for other, less critical court positions, Judge Marks said that administrative jobs are the most likely to remain open the longest if they are not eliminated.
The Office of Court Administration has lost 60 workers to early retirement, and any positions that are not filled from within are likely to remain vacant for the foreseeable future. Some administrators who perform budget, payroll and personnel functions for individual courts may not be replaced. And some mid-level managerial positions such as deputy chief clerks "may never be replaced."
Judge Marks predicted that the court system will have little trouble saving at least $10 million from the current $2.7 billion budget for the current fiscal year. Savings should increase in 2011-2012, when the court system will have a full year to work with.
The changes will leave the court system in "a good position" to cope with potential calls for budget cuts in Albany, he said.
The courts will reap the full financial benefit from positions that are held open. Judge Marks said that replacements hired from the outside earn on average about $20,000 less than more experienced workers whom they replace.
Family Court is one area where new employees have been hired from outside. Thirty-three clerks staffing judges' courtrooms have received promotions to work in other courts at a higher grade level.
Peter Passidomo, chief clerk of New York City Family Court, said that because the clerks are in an entry level position, the court has been hiring new workers from outside the court system to replace all the departing clerks "as quickly as they are leaving."
Overall, training is an issue with new hires and existing workers taking on new roles. Judge Marks and Mr. Passidomo said that extensive training would be mounted during the holidays when the courts' day-to-day activities slow.
Jack Baer, who is retiring after 23 years as the chief clerk of the New York City Civil Court, said his court is well prepared to deal with the loss of many key managers, including three of the five chief borough clerks.
Even before the early retirement program was announced, Mr. Baer said his deputies were being groomed to take on expanded responsibilities because it was clear that many of the top managers would likely retire in the near future.
Four of the nine court attorney referees in Manhattan Supreme Court have taken early retirement, Their positions should be filled by January but in the meantime, matrimonial judges have been told not to assign cases for hearing before referees unless there is an emergency, said Justice Sherry Klein Heitler, who is the administrative judge for civil cases.
"No one said this would be easy," Justice Heitler said, "but a lot of people are working to make it as easy as possible."
As for the criminal courts in Brooklyn, Administrative Judge Barry Kamins said the loss of experienced courtroom personnel will not be apparent to the public but will be felt by judges.
"It will take a while before the judges and their new staffers become comfortable with each other," he said. But the length of the adjustment "will be minimized," he added, because of the extensive training done by OCA.
Meanwhile, there have been events around the state to honor retiring court employees.
@|Daniel Wise can be reached at [email protected].
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There are few on the job in the Courts today who remember the fiscal crisis of the 70's. At that time there was a serious threat to layoff Court Officers. The unions stood together and pointed out the number of non-security personnel in OCA that should go first. There are similar numbers today in the non-uniformed ranks that should go before any uniforms. I would doubt there will be a class before a budget is finalized, or at least before the Chief Judge knows how much money he has to work with. I noticed that nothing was said about not filling empty judge spots. As long as there are judges, there has to be Court Officers.
Originally posted by angelo3456 View Post
Thanks for posting the article. When was this article written?
You're welcome. I hope things work out for you. Keep me posted.