Agreement reached on workers' compensation reforms

ALBANY - State, labor and business officials agreed Tuesday to long awaited workers' compensation reforms to cut costs for employers and eliminate lifetime payments for “permanent partial disabilities,” while increasing checks to injured workers.

The state Business Council has argued for years that New York's highest-in-the-nation cost for the mandated insurance to protect injured workers has put the state at a competitive disadvantage.

For as long, labor unions have argued for increases in benefit checks, which have been the lowest in the nation.