The following Legislative issues are presented by UFA Vice President & Legislative Chairman Jim Slevin. Delegates with questions from their members should address them through Jim Slevin’s office at the UFA:

• UFA Lobby Day in Albany on Tuesday May 10, 2005
• 2005 UFA Legislative Agend
• Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Pension Reform Plan Terminated
• VSF Increases 2002 DROP Payment

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UFA Lobby Day in Albany on Tuesday May 10, 2005

All UFA members are invited to travel up to Albany and lobby our state legislators on the important issues that affect us.  UFA V.P. and Legislative Chairman Jim Slevin will be providing each participating member with a copy of our agenda and important information on how to effectively lobby.  Company Delegates must begin to compile lists of their members that will be attending.  Members going to Albany must be available to leave as early as 6 am on the 10th and should not expect to return home before 9 pm.  The UFA will provide busses and depending on demand can have them leave from every borough and also from long island and upstate.  Delegates must poll their members as to where they wish to leave from so that the proper number and location of busses can be planned for. 

In addition all members attending should look up who their state legislators are so that appointments can be made with them.  All Delegates were provided with a book of legislators at the last union meeting.  Members can also go on the UFA website - www.ufanyc.org - and click on the Political Action section to look up their elected officials.

We will also be setting up appointments with Governor Pataki, Speaker Silver and Majority Leader Bruno.  At the end of the day a reception will be held and all of the legislators are invited.  Further details will be provided at the Union Meeting on April 14th.  Members should make every effort to attend this meeting to get additional info on this important event.

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2005 UFA Legislative Agenda

A2350 S1216	PERB EXTENDER Extends for an additional two years the effectiveness of provisions establishing dispute resolution during collective negotiations.
A4249A S2165A	TEMPORARY BENEFITS EXTENDER Extends certain temporary benefits and supplementation programs.  Heart Bill, Cancer Bill, HAT Bill and ITHP.
A4370 S2182	TIER II PENSION EXTENDER Extends application of article 11 of the retirement and social security law to all police officers and firefighters who joined the system before July 1, 2007
A5217 S3971	LINE OF DUTY WIDOWS COLA Increases certain special accidental death benefits for surviving spouses and children of certain police and fire personnel.
A6056	SAFETY ROPE AND HARNESS MANDATE Requires employers who employ firefighters to provide such firefighters with proper safety ropes and harnesses.
A6222 S3178	TAYLOR LAW REFORM Provides employee organizations filing improper employer practice charge of failure to negotiate in good faith with a right to an expedited determination by PERB, further authorizes PERB to order an immediate salary increase of one percent in certain circumstances.
A6281 S3659	WTC PRESUMPTIVE DISEASE BILL Provides that any injury, illness or disease contracted by certain public employees that was caused by exposure to elements in connection with the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11, 2001, be presumptive evidence that, unless proven otherwise, such disability was caused by an accident in the performance and discharge of such employee's duties.
A6389 S3574	VSF – COLA OFFSET ELIMINATION Permits retired New York city employees who are receiving variable supplements benefits to receive cost of living adjustment payments.
A6514	PENSION PROTECTION BILL Provides that a member with at least 5 years of creditable police or fire service in the retirement system shall not be precluded from any rights he is entitled.
A6557	MTA FARE WAIVER Provides fares free of charge to certain members of the fire department of the city of New York on passenger transportation facilities.
A6632 S3302	SUNY/CUNY Tuition Waiver Requires regulations to permit tuition waivers for students in SUNY/CUNY degree programs who are officers or members of the New York City police or fire department
	STROKE AND HYPERTENSION PRESUMPTION BILL – In bill drafting This bill would expand the current law that creates a presumption that heart disease was caused on the job to include stroke or hypertension for firefighters. DROP – DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PLAN – In bill drafting Would allow members remaining on the job after 20 years to bank their pension for 5 years. FF ENGELDRUM BILL – In bill drafting. Would grant accidental death or disability benefits to a member killed or injured while serving in the armed forces.

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Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Pension Reform Plan Terminated

Continued pressure from police and firefighter unions stopped Gov. Schwarzenegger from restructuring the nation’s largest pension fund, the $182.9 billion California Public Employees Retirement Fund. He withdrew his ballot initiative for this fall. The ballot language, if successful, would likely have emboldened other municipalities to go after the pensions of fire fighters in every state, including NY. The UFA thanks members who showed up on quick notice at local events protesting Governor Schwarzenegger during his visit to NYC.

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VSF Increases 2002 DROP Payment

V.P. Jim Slevin Reports that the City actuary has verbally notified the Pension Unit that they have changed the interpretation on the 2002 dollar amount of the Variable Supplement Fund Law DROP. The original interpretation was that members with time prior to 01-01-1982 were only going to receive 11/12ths of $9,500.00 or $8,708.33. They will now get credit for the whole $9,500.00 for that year. They will adjust from this point forward and are working on paying the retired members.

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Fraternally.

Stephen J. Cassidy
President

Joseph A. Miccio
Recording Secretary