Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, joining a parade of officials from across the country who are seeking to rein in spending by limiting public employees’ pensions, proposed Wednesday to broadly limit retirement benefits for new city and state workers in New York.
Mr. Cuomo said New York State and New York City simply could no longer afford to offer new employees the generous benefits their predecessors received.

Among the most significant changes the governor proposes is to raise the minimum retirement age to 65 from 62 for state workers, and to 65 from 57 for teachers.

“The numbers speak for themselves — the pension system as we know it is unsustainable,” the governor said in a statement. “This bill institutes common-sense reforms to bring government benefits more in line with the private sector while still serving our employees and protecting our retirees.”

Mr. Cuomo’s proposal escalates a battle between the first-term Democrat and a major Democratic Party constituency: public-sector labor unions.

Unions have been fighting pension changes around the nation, particularly in states like Wisconsin and New Jersey, which have Republican governors.

Even in New York, in continuing contract negotiations they have sparred with Mr. Cuomo over layoffs.

Under his new proposal, the governor would require state employees to contribute 6 percent of their salaries into the pension system — up from 3 percent currently.

And in an effort to curb rampant padding of pensions by workers who step up their overtime in their final year of employment, Mr. Cuomo would exclude overtime from pension calculations.

The changes would affect newly hired workers in a pension system that covers 175,000 state employees and hundreds of thousands of employees of local government and teachers, as well as 300,000 New York City employees.

Labor officials immediately expressed strong opposition.
“Congratulations to Governor Cuomo for another grandstand play for the attention of his millionaire friends at the expense of the real working people of New York,” Danny Donohue, president of the largest union of state workers, the Civil Service Employees Association, said in a statement.

“Governor Cuomo’s proposal can only be viewed as an attack on working people to score some cheap political points.”

The president of the New York State Public Employees Federation, Kenneth Brynien, attacked the proposal as “draconian pension cuts that would inflict permanent damage on middle-class workers such as nurses, parole officers, bridge inspectors and cancer researchers for what is a transient problem.”

“This is about politics and placating big-business special interests, plain and simple,” Mr. Brynien added.

Pensions for new workers would still be enviable by the standards of the private sector, and Mr. Cuomo is not going as far as he has talked about in the past, when he raised the idea of shifting from a traditional pension to a defined contribution plan, similar to the 401(k)’s that have proliferated in the private sector.

But Mr. Cuomo’s proposal would still cause significant changes to worker retirement plans.

The legislation would end early retirement packages, restrict the pensions of the highest paid state employees and ban the use of unused sick leave or unused vacation time to enhance an employee’s pension calculation.

Vesting would take place after 12 years, instead of 10.

The state has a system of five pension tiers that apply to workers hired in different periods, with more recently hired workers generally receiving less in benefits. Mr. Cuomo’s proposal would add a sixth tier.

Benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters, who have more advantageous plans than other employees, would also be scaled back.

A newly hired New York City police officer, for example, would vest in the pension plan after 12 years, instead of the current 5.

For New York City workers, many of the changes are the same as for state workers, including raising the retirement age to 65 and increasing the annual contribution to 6 percent.

The governor’s bill is unlikely to pass in the current legislative session, which ends June 20, but his proposal could influence the continuing contract negotiations with the two major public-sector unions, and Mr. Cuomo could either call the Legislature back to Albany this year or wait until January to try to have the changes enacted.

Mr. Cuomo’s predecessor, David A. Paterson, won some pension concessions during his brief tenure as governor — but at the price of promising not to lay off any workers.

And the changes he signed into law did not apply to New York City employees.

Mr. Cuomo’s proposal could also influence the legislative debate over a property tax cap, because the governor can now argue that with the pension proposal, he is seeking to reduce the future cost of local government.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has frequently bemoaned the effect of high pension costs on New York City spending, said he was delighted with the new proposal because Mr. Cuomo’s legislation encompassed proposals by the mayor’s office for the city pension system.

“By making sensible pension reforms that won’t impact a single current employee or existing retiree, this legislation will create $30 billion in savings over the next 30 years for the city, which will ensure we can afford the services and work force that city residents depend on,” Mr. Bloomberg said in a statement.

Legislators had subdued reactions.

“I haven’t seen it yet, but in all honesty, there’s only six or seven session days left,” said Assemblyman Peter J. Abbate Jr., a Brooklyn Democrat and chairman of the Assembly’s Governmental Employees Committee. “It’s really cutting it close to the wire.”

And Senator Martin J. Golden, a Brooklyn Republican who is chairman of the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, said, “It’s difficult to try to get this off the ground in the next five or six days,” adding, “It’s definitely got labor up in arms, that’s for sure.”

Pension costs have been soaring. In New York City, costs have jumped to $8.4 billion a year from $1.1 billion in 2001, according to the governor’s office. For the state and other local governments, pension costs have risen to $6.6 billion, from $368 million in 2001.

The pension debate is also heating up in New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, has been demanding a big increase in what public employees pay toward benefits.

Officials said on Wednesday that they expected an announcement that the governor and the Senate president, Stephen M. Sweeney, a Democrat, had reached an agreement giving Mr. Christie much of what he wanted — but then no announcement took place.

By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. – With the labor movement suffering an epic defeat in Wisconsin, union leaders plan to use the setback to fire up their members nationwide and mount a major counterattack against Republicans at the ballot box in 2012.

Wisconsin’s measure stripping public employees of most bargaining rights swiftly advanced to GOP Gov. Scott Walker on Thursday, and he promised to sign it as soon as possible. But labor leaders say the events in Wisconsin have helped galvanize support for unions across the country. They hope to use the momentum to help fight off other attacks and grow their membership.

Said the president of the AFL-CIO: “I guess I ought to say thank you particularly to Scott Walker. We should have invited him here today to receive the Mobilizer of the Year award from us!”

As several states seek to follow Wisconsin’s lead, newly invigorated public unions are looking ahead to the next election. Democrats are pressing to recall Republican opponents of organized labor and turn the debate into a focal point of next year’s campaign.

The Wisconsin Assembly voted 53-42 Thursday to pass the bill after about three hours of discussion, far less than the 61-hour, three-day marathon it took to approve a previous version two weeks ago.

The passage drew shouts of “shame, shame, shame” from protesters in the gallery and came only a day after dramatic action in the Republican-controlled Senate, which used a legislative maneuver Wednesday to quickly adopt the bill without any of the 14 Democrats who fled to Illinois three weeks ago.

Democrats said their counterattack efforts were already beginning to bear fruit in the form of donations: The party’s Wisconsin chapter said it raised $300,000 overnight and has collected $800,000 from 32,000 donors in just five days.

Party chairman Mike Tate said Senate Democrats have raised $750,000 over the past month alone.

Republicans said they were simply doing what voters wanted.

In last year’s election, “people spoke very clearly and very loudly and said they wanted government to change here in Madison,” Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said. “It’s a tough vote, but it’s the right vote. People are sick of the status quo.”

Shortly before the vote, police had to move dozens of protesters who were sitting just outside the Assembly chamber doors, blocking the way for lawmakers. Officers dragged many of them away, but there were no arrests.

The protesters have been a constant presence in the building for more than three weeks, with their numbers swelling to more than 80,000 for one weekend rally. About 1,800 were in the building Thursday, and hundreds screamed outside the chamber doors before the vote.

Walker had repeatedly argued that ending collective bargaining would give local governments the flexibility they needed to confront the cuts in state aid necessary to fix Wisconsin’s deficit, which is projected to grow to $3.6 billion deficit over several years.

“This is ultimately about a commitment to the future, so our children don’t face even more dire consequences than what we face today,” Walker said at a news conference in the West Allis community of Milwaukee. He said the bill would prevent layoffs of 1,500 state workers.

His proposal touched off a national debate over labor rights for public employees, and its implementation would be a key victory for Republicans, many of whom have targeted unions in efforts to slash government spending.

Labor organizations have already pledged to pour more than $30 million into efforts to stop legislation in dozens of states seeking to limit public workers’ bargaining rights or otherwise curb union power. Union officials are helping to mobilize protesters in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and other states to keep the pressure on.

“Gov. Walker’s overreaching has brought us to this moment to be able to talk about jobs, to be able to talk about the right to collective bargaining,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said Thursday in Washington. “This is the debate we’ve wanted to have for 25 years. Well, guess what? Suddenly the debate came to us.”

In Ohio, the Republican-led state Senate has passed similar legislation to restrict collective bargaining, and a House panel is considering the measure.

The debate is sure to sow opposition to the GOP agenda, said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Seth Bringman, and it was “also encouraging many Republican, middle-class voters who have not voted for our candidates in the past to maybe come over to our side.”

Walker and Republicans argued from the outset that the collective bargaining measures were directly related to balancing the budget. For weeks, they refused to separate the two ideas.

The fact that they did so in the end to pass the legislation shows that their true intent was to abolish unions, said Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca.

“To me the charade is over,” Barca said.

In the aftermath of the debate, eight Republican senators and six Democrats are being targeted for recalls. Recall efforts against Walker cannot start until Nov. 3.

Kristopher Rowe, the main organizer of efforts to recall Republican Sen. Alberta Darling, said the group has collected about $3,000 in donations since Wednesday’s Senate vote. Rowe said the group has “several thousand signatures” and more than 1,000 volunteers to canvass for more.

Darling, who won her 2008 election by 1,007 votes, said she stands by her vote and will continue to defend the position if drawn into a recall election.

“The test is what the voters decide to do,” Darling said. “I’m just going to keep going to work for the people, and I’m certainly going to defend this position because this is what I was sent here to do in the last election.”

The political fallout from Walker’s agenda could continue for years — through recall efforts and possible court action and on the campaign trail.

“Once you fundamentally threaten the existence of unions, key support for the Democratic Party, there’s no way to settle this except in future elections,” said University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin.

Senate Democrats who fled to Illinois were on their way back Thursday, but they were not expected to return to the Capitol because the Senate will not be in session again until April 5.

Also Thursday, the Justice Department said it was investigating several death threats against Republican senators.

Marty Beil, director of the state’s largest public employees union, which represents 20,000 workers, said Walker had taken the state “far away from its core values.”

“But after each dark night, there comes a new day,” Beil said. “And this new day starts today, as Wisconsin citizens across the state answer this insult by pouring their energy into recalling Wisconsin senators who have sold their souls to the highest bidder.”

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Todd Richmond, Dinesh Ramde and Jason Smathers, and videographer Robert Ray in Madison; Carrie Antlfinger in West Allis; and Sam Hananel and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington.

This report was submitted by Kenny Kauffman
]]> http://wpruff.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/rest-in-peace/feed/ 0 wpruff http://wpruff.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/jimmy-quinn/ http://wpruff.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/jimmy-quinn/#comments Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:10:16 +0000 Duncan MacRae http://wpruff.wordpress.com/?p=1045 ]]> Please be advised that Jimmy Quinn passed away Jan 2nd. I just got off the phone with his wife Rose. She has told me that he had a pleasant and peaceful Christmas and that nothing needs to be done by RUFF. She said he will be cremated and will spread 1/2 his ashes in the ocean in Florida and the other 1/2 at the Veterans Hospital. I asked about flowers and funeral arrangements and she said to keep our money to help fight the City. She only asked if she could still receive the newsletters when they go out and of course she will.

Also the Newsletter is done but I’m having computer problems it should be mailed within a day or so. Also the Dues this year has been set at the Regular rate of $50.00

Ken Kauffman

Please keep them in your prayers.

Happy holidays,

Duncan

Mayor Adam Bradley was found guilty today of abusing his wife, convicted of attempted assault, criminal contempt and harassment in his domestic violence trial by Acting state Supreme Court Justice Susan Capeci.

WHITE PLAINS RETIRED UNIFORMED FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

c/o Duncan MacRae

51 White Plains Avenue

West Harrison, NY 10604

(914) 831-3575

December 5, 2010

Joseph Carrier, President

White Plains Professional Fire Fighters Association

IAFF AFL-CIO, CLC

Fire Station 7

Ridgeway and North Street

White Plains, NY 10605

Dear Joe:

Our membership has expressed interest in having a follow up meeting with you and your selected representatives in order to further explore our positions on the health care contributions.

If you are agreeable to this meeting, we would like to meet within the next two weeks.

December 8^th and 9^th are good dates for us. If this is not good for you or your reps please give us some dates that are good for you so that we can move forward on these very important issues.

Members of the R.U.F.F. Board would like to talk with you and the representatives of your Board to discuss any outstanding issues the two groups have.

In solidarity,

Duncan MacRae

President

White Plains Retired Uniformed Fire Fighters Association

November 29, 2010

by Duncan MacRae

There will be a meeting of RUFF tomorrow, November 30, 2010 at 7:15 PM. (Note change in time).

We had hoped to meet and open a discussion with Don Henry and Joe Carrier.

Don will be traveling and Joe Carrier’s father passed away so of course he will not be able to attend.

Again, the meeting will be held on Tuesday November 30, 2010 at 7:15 pm at the American Legion in Valhalla
27 Legion Drive
Valhalla, NY 10595

The agenda is open at this time (except for nominations).  We will be expecting you to bring up issues confronting us including hospitalization benefits.

As stated in our letter to you there will be nominations for Vice President and Trustee “B” – Please make every effort to attend.

Due to our attempts to save money for the litigation there will no food or beverages.