Public Employee Press

DC 37 Pension Committee sets agenda for 2006

The DC 37 Pension Committee will be pushing hard in 2006 for legislation aimed at reopening the Chapter 96 plan to permit members not already enrolled to join in addition to allowing those in the plan to increase their service credit for retirement.

At its Nov. 1 meeting, the Pension Committee discussed its strategy for fighting for its legislative priorities adopted in October at the DC 37 Legislative Conference.

During the state Legislature’s 2006 session, the committee will press for a number of new items in addition to lobbying to pass outstanding bills and proposals vetoed this year by Gov. George E. Pataki.

“We have a committee of hard-working members who keep an ear to the ground and come up with a new agenda each year that reflects the needs of our co-workers and retirees,” said Committee Chair James Tucciarelli, who is president of Sewage Treatment Workers Local 1320.

The committee’s new items for 2006 include:

• a buy-back for maternity leave credit
• modifying the World Trade Center disability law to give civilian employees who worked on the 9/11 cleanup the same ¾-pay pension as uniformed personnel
• matching the ¾-pay disability coverage of uniformed workers for on-the-job injuries
• coverage for workers disabled by heart ailments
• early retirement re-opener for Loaders and Handlers
• reopen Chapter 96, which would allow new members of Chapter 96 to vest after 10 years and would provide additional service credit or a partial refund of pension contributions after they turn 55.

2006 proposals

Proposals to be revived in the 2006 session include:

• equalizing overtime credit among workers in different pension plans for calculating final average salary (the 10-20% FAS bill)
• allowing members who erroneously signed up for Chapter 96 to withdraw
• permitting DC 37 members with peace officer status to retire after 25 years on the job
• letting members at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority qualify for lifetime health insurance coverage after 10 years (like city employees) rather than 25 years
• allowing Cashiers at the Transit Authority to retiree at 55 with 25 years of service rather than at 62 years
• eliminating multi-year waiting periods for retirees to be eligible for cost-of-living adjustments
• increasing the wage cap for the COLA from $18,000 to $25,000 and basing it on 100 percent of the actual cost of living increase instead of the current 50 percent
• creating a Variable Supplement Fund for members.