Chief Leader

Governor Pataki Dec. 6, citing Mayor Bloomberg's objection, vetoed bills that would have allowed city cops and firefighters to amend their terminal leave benefit to include a monetary payment instead of taking work days off.

The measures were the main pieces of legislation that the unions representing those uniformed titles lobbied for this year. The bills, which initially received City Council home-rule messages and cruised through the State Senate and Assembly, concern an issue the unions have been trying to address via both collective bargaining and legislation for years.

Unions Protest

"Obviously, we are disappointed in the veto," said Patrick J. Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. Stephen J. Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters' Association, echoed that sentiment. "This is a bill that would have given Firefighters and Police Officers money that they have already earned and that they are contractually entitled to," he said.

Mr. Pataki, however, noted that according to the Bloomberg administration, the bill would have cost the city approximately $3.3 million per year. "Second, the city contends that bills such as this should be the product of mutual agreement between the city and representatives of the affected employees," Mr. Pataki's veto message stated.

The Governor also questioned whether the bill would provide an incentive for veteran cops and Firefighters to stay on the job, as the unions had asserted.

Overtime Issue

Under the current setup, officers receive three days of terminal leave for every year they work. Officers who serve for 20 years are entitled to an average of two months of the earned time benefit, which essentially enables them to leave work for that period before retiring while still being paid. "Terminal" refers to the end of their careers.

But according to the unions, few cops and firefighters have actually been taking that time off before they retire because they want to work as much overtime as possible to increase their pensions, which are equal to 50 percent of their earnings over their final year on the job.

"I think we are finally getting our point across to the Legislature that this city is getting a windfall based on the fact that half our members turned down their terminal leave time," said James Slevin, the Uniformed Firefighters' Association vice president and legislative chairman, shortly before the bill was introduced in the summer.

The city's law-enforcement unions backed a bill that will allow the officers to take a monetary payment in lieu of terminal leave time off.

An Incentive to Stay

Anthony Garvey, the president of the Lieutenants' Benevolent Association, argued that the legislation will provide an incentive for veteran officers to remain on the job. "It could actually be used as a retention device," he remarked. "If you stay on the job longer, you will accumulate greater terminal leave. It's a good investment at a reasonable price to pay for experience."

Mr. Slevin and some other union officials made a different case, saying they believed the measure would eventually save the city money because the payout would encourage more veteran firefighters to retire. Mr. Slevin noted they would retire at top pay and be replaced by firefighters who are paid far less money.

The city, however, argued that other uniformed unions would want the same option, which would in turn drastically increase the city's already-burgeoning pension costs.