Court Upholds Retirees Decision Against Town

A Superior Court judge has denied the town's appeal of of a ruling that it must pay retroactive pay to eight retired town employees who had claimed that the town breached its contract.

The case, Luzzi vs. the Town of Hamden, was decided in February of 2011 and the town appealed that decision.

The case involves eight employees -- L. Michael Luzzi, Thomas Brown, John Mendes, James Zarro, Michael Modena, Robert Kazden, Kenneth Copeland and John J. McCormack -- who in July of 2007 filed a 23-count complaint alleging breach of contract, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation.

All eight employees retired between 2005 and 2006, and had been working under a contract that expired in 2003. Then in Oct. 2006 the Legislative Council approved an amendment to the contract that awarded retroactive wages, vacation and sick days, and pension benefits to employees employed from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2007.

The retirees never received those retroactive benefits and sued for them, and the court found in their favor. The town appealed that decision, and this month the court upheld the original finding in the employees favor.

Mayor Scott Jackson couldn't be reached for comment Monday evening on whether the town will continue its legal recourse regarding the case.