January 20 , 2004
854 PASS ALONG BULLETIN
#2 of 2004

 

 

 

Health Care Agreement: On Thursday, December 18th, the Municipal Labor Committee (MLC) reached a tentative agreement on the health care issue with the City. This agreement was an extremely difficult deal in light of the City's fiscal condition and the many different agendas of the various member unions of the MLC.

These negotiations began last spring when the City took the position that labor should agree to $600 million in concessions, primarily coming from major reductions in basic health care and welfare fund benefits for both active and retired members. These proposed cuts included cost sharing for basic health care, elimination of Medicare, Part B and a 50% reduction in retiree welfare fund benefits. The UFOA took a strong position last spring with the MLC that we would never agree to any concessions in basic health care.

We were successful last spring and the MLC did not agree to any concessions in health care. However, our Stabilization Fund was headed to bankruptcy due to the drain of $140 million per year for PICA (psychotropic, injectible, chemotherapy and asthma) medications. This benefit was negotiated in January 2001, as part of a health care agreement that also provided:

1. HIP rider for in patient substance abuse treatments for 30 days and an outpatient visit increase to 60 days;
2. Provided welfare fund benefits for families of members who died in the line of duty, including administrative line of duty.

All member unions of the MLC agreed that in order to protect the PICA program and the other negotiated benefits from 2001, we would have to find $100 million. However, this is where negotiations became sticky. The City was threatening to send a letter to all municipal employees to notify them that the PICA program would be dissolved. They also took a firm position that they would agree to continue our 2001 negotiated benefits only if we agreed to $200 million in concessions; $100 million to go to the Stabilization Fund to maintain benefits and $100 million to go to the City with the intent to use a "portion" of that money for a labor reserve. There was a great deal of pressure from some municipal unions to come to an agreement on the City's terms in order to fund some sort of a pay increase, but our position was very clear-we were opposed to any idea of funding a contractual raise by eroding health care or increasing co-pays. The seven police and fire unions formed a coalition and hired our own consultant to represent us and do a cost analysis. Although at times there were contentious negotiations between the various unions, we are pleased to say our agenda prevailed.

Attached is a summary of the changes to our health care benefits.


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Automated Medical Leave Reporting: Members are required to give their Social Security numbers over the telephone via this new system. We want our members to know that the Social Security Number is entered over the telephone but is not included on the printout that is transmitted to the members unit. The automated number is 718.330.2204.

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WTC Bill - Albany closed the book on our 2003 legislative agenda when Governor Pataki vetoed legislation that would have enabled thousands of public employees who worked at the World Trade Center ruins, the Fresh Kills dump and the morgue to file for disability pensions if they developed serious illnesses as a result. Mayor Bloomberg filed a strong objection to what he called overly broad language. His memo in opposition included cost estimates we felt were wildly exaggerated. But in his veto message, the Governor made it plain he would sign a rewritten bill that would more carefully detail the covered illnesses, and clarify some other sections of the bill. Along with other unions, we are optimistic we can get a bill the Governor will sign in the 2004 session of the Legislature.

The UFOA was successful in winning passage of our Temporary Benefits bills, the line-of-duty widows 3% COLA bill, and additional cancer bills. We were able to win Senate passage of the 211 Waiver bill for teaching positions, but it remained in Assembly committee on the last night. That bill will be reintroduced early next month and hopefully we can get it through both houses in 2004.

National Fallen Firefighter Memorial: Emmitsburg, Maryland has a winding walkway surrounding the Memorial site, the "Walk of Honor". This is composed of inscribed bricks that bear a name or dedication. There is a special section solely to honor the lives of the FDNY firefighters who died in the line of duty. Mrs. Vina Drennan, widow of Capt. John Drennan, who made the supreme sacrifice on May 17, 1994, has been working to have a brick laid in commemoration of every line of duty death from 1865 to the present. Mrs. Drennan has secured funding to cover the cost of the 343 bricks for the fire fighters and fire officers killed on 9/11/01. She is currently trying to raise money for the pre- and post-9/11/01, bricks. The cost of each brick is $100 and the brick will be inscribed with the member's name, rank and company and the date of death, next to the FDNY logo. Units that have Line of Duty plaques should contact NFFF to insure that there is a brick in place. Units may wish to purchase bricks for those members that have not already been recognized. Any donation is welcome and checks made out to the NFFF can be sent to:

  National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation
  FDNY Walk of Honor Memorial
  P.O. Drawer 498
  Emmitsburg, MD 21727

 

 

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NYFIRS: Several members have advised the UFOA of the requirement to repeatedly 'close out' the same 'Incident Report' several times. This issue was raised at several Labor Management Committee meetings. At the last meeting (10/28/03), the UFOA was assured that the computer / software problem had been resolved. Recently, members have again notified the Labor Management Committee that this problem continues to occur. When directed to 'close out' an Incident Report an additional time(s), comply with the order and forward a report to the Bureau of Operations. A copy of the report should be faxed to the Labor Management Committee.

 

Overtime Average
as of December 31, 2003

Lieutenant Hours Captain Hours
SOC 275 SOC 272
Div 1 268 Div 1 162
Div 3 139 Div 3 110
Div 6 128 Div 6 167
Div 7 154 Div 7 262
Div 8 207 Div 8 210
Div 11 281 Div 11 257
Div 13 168 Div 13 136
Div 14 295 Div 14 183
Div 15 184 Div 15 158
AVERAGE 210 AVERAGE 182

 

 

Fraternally,
Peter Gorman
 


 


Publications Committee: President
S. Carbone; J. Dunne; A. Parrinello

 

 

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