Public Employee Press

Help DC 37’s fight for improved pensions

The union is calling upon state legislators to approve several bills that would provide members and retirees with pension improvements.

James Tucciarelli, chair of the DC 37 Pension Committee, urges activists to call their state senators and representatives to press them to approve the bill. Members and retirees should call their legislators within the next three weeks before the Legislature recesses on June 23, said Tucciarelli, who is president of Sewage Treatment Workers Local 1320.

“Our legislative packet addresses inequities within the city’s pension tiers and provides for several improvements in coverage sought by members,” Tucciarelli said.

To weigh in on the legislation, DC 37 activists should call the switchboards of the Senate (518-455-2800) and the Assembly (518-455-4100) and ask to be referred to their legislators’ offices, said committee co-chair Stuart Leibowitz, president of the Retirees Association of DC 37.

If you want to participate in the campaign but don’t know your legislators’ names, call the DC 37 Political Action and Legislation Dept. at 212-815-1550 for assistance. When making the calls, union lobbyists should cite specific legislation.

The following is the DC 37 pension bill packet prepared by the DC 37 Pension Committee:

• 25/55 (A. 5807/McEneny-S. 3178/Robach): The current retirement age for most members is 62. This legislation would permit all city employees to retire at 55 years with 25 years experience without a penalty.
  
  
• Final Average Salary NYC 10-20 percent (A. 7193/Abbate-S. 4455/Golden): This bill would give workers in all pension plans the same credit for overtime pay used in the calculation of their final average salary, which determines the pension payment. Currently, members of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 receive credit for up to 20 percent of the overtime pay while members of Tier 3 and Tier 4 are credited for 10 percent. The change would allow Tier 3 and Tier 4 to receive a credit of 20 percent.
  
  
• Chapter 96 Escape (A. 7188/Abbate-S. 4409/Robach): This legislation would allow members who erroneously signed up for the Chapter 96 plan to withdraw. When they joined several years ago, some members didn’t realize that they must work 25 years to qualify for the benefit, which means they would have to work through their late 60s or even into their 70s to receive the benefit.
  
  
• Transit Authority Cashiers 25-50 (A. 6559/Abbate and S. 3437/Golden): This legislation would permit workers at New York City Transit to retire at 50 with 25 years of experience. The current retirement age is 62.
  
  
• DC 37 Peace Officers 25 and Out (A. 7190/Abbate-S.3975/Padavan): This legislation would allow members with peace officer status to retire after 25 years on the job.
  
  
• New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority Health Benefits for Retirees (A. 7189/Abbate-S. 4456/Golden): This legislation would allow Transit employees to become vested for lifetime health benefits after 10 years of service, like city employees, rather than after 20 years, which is the current rule at the authority.

Retiree legislation

• Increase the wage base (A. 7236/Abbate-S. 4451/Golden): Currently, the current cap for the COLA is $18,000. This legislation allows the COLA to be applied to up to $25,000 of a retiree’s benefit.
  
  
• Eliminate the multi-year waiting period for COLA (A. 7239/Abbate-S. 4448/Golden): This legislation would eliminate the waiting period for receiving the cost of living adjustment on pension payments. Currently, workers who retire at 62 must wait seven years before receiving the COLA, and employees who retire at 55 must wait 10 years.
  
  
• Remove 50 percent cap on COLA (A. 7238/Abbate-S. 4457/Golden): Currently, the COLA adjustment is actually limited to only half of the cost of living increase. As with Social Security, the change would allow the benefits to reflect the full cost of living increase.
  
  
• Improve COLA coverage for survivors (A. 7240/Abbate-S. 4445/Golden): Currently, survivors receive only credit for half of the COLA increases their deceased spouses accrued. This legislation would give them credit for the full COLA in the calculation of their survivor pension payments.
  
  
• Restoration of full pensions after loans are paid (S. 5152/Golden): Currently, people who take out loans on their pensions have their benefit reduced, typically by 10 percent. This legislation would allow the benefit to “pop up” to its full amount once the loan is paid off.
  
  
• Variable Supplement Fund for DC 37 retirees (A. 6508/Abbate-S. 3405/Marchi): This legislation would establish an annuity fund for retirees. Currently, Police Officers and Firefighters receive a city contribution of up to $12,500 a year for such funds.