Public Employee Press

Political Action 2005
Laws with a union label

Pension boost for some 9/11 workers

In June 15, Gov. George E. Pataki signed new legislation that permits Firefighters, Police Officers, Emergency Medical Service personnel and other public employees who participated in the World Trade Center rescue, recovery and cleanup operations to qualify more easily for disability pensions.

The law provides that any disability resulting from specified illnesses contracted by these workers, now or in the future, is presumed to have resulted from the performance of duty. Covered are cancer, respiratory diseases, skin diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders.

Victory for EMS workers
“The WTC Disability Law is a tremendous victory for the members who are covered,” said Patrick Bahnken, president of Local 2507, the Uniformed EMTs & Paramedics of the Fire Dept. “It’s also a great breakthrough, because it allows people already retired to reclassify their pensions, which was unheard of in the past.”

One important provision of the new legislation limits eligibility to public employees who were required to pass a pre-employment physical before they started work. “This provision excludes many job titles,” said James Tucciarelli, president of Sewage Treatment Workers and Senior STWs Local 1320.

“Not only my members are excluded, but many others who took the same risks and breathed the same foul air after the 9/11 tragedy are also excluded,” he said, “including Construction Laborers, Motor Vehicle Operators, Highway Repairers and Engineers. The law is great for some, but it leaves a lot of people out,” he said.

As of September, individuals who fit the criteria must register with the New York City Employees Retirement System by June 13, 2007. “We are advising everyone who worked at Ground Zero to register, even if they did not have a pre-employment physical,” said Tucciarelli. “The union is doing everything in its power to change the law and get the other titles included.”

A Fact Sheet on the WTC Disability Bill and the registration form (Notice of Participation Form #622) are available from the Web site at www.nycers.org, by contacting their Call Center at 347-643-3000, or by visiting the Customer Service Center at 340 Jay St. in downtown Brooklyn between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.