• Past President Reports

1. Pre-Meeting Health & Safety Training Today at 9:30am
UFA's Health & Safety Office will be providing safety training prior to this month's Union Meeting (9:30am at the Health & Safety Table). UFA Health & Safety Officer, Bill Romaka, will be on hand ó along with the UFA Health & Safety Field Representative Tony Caracciolo, to answer any questions related to this training. This training is provided through a grant from the NYS Dept of Labor, Hazard Abatement Board (C012181).

2. Security Benefits Fund (SBF) Help Table Today
Members who require help regarding dental, prescription drugs, optical or any other benefits provided via the UFA SBF should visit the SBF table today. SBF personnel are there to help you.

3. UFA Contract Update
The UFA began contract negotiations with the City in July of 2006; however these negotiations have hit a brick wall. The UFA has joined the recently formed uniform coalition, which represents 11 unions from fire, police, corrections and sanitation. The coalition has met with the City Office of Labor Relations (OLR) 3 times in the last 2 weeks. You will be updated at the today's meeting. Also, a Battalion Delegate Meeting regarding the contract will take place on February 13th at the UFA.

4. FDNY Bows to Pressure: Changes Locker Policy
FDNY Bows to Pressure: Changes Locker Policy

5. Light Duty Schedule Change Case Filed
Improper Practice & Injunction papers have been filed. The Office of Collective Bargaining is to rule on Injunctive Relief by February 16. Affected members who have not yet submitted the documentation form (attached) for the UFA, need to do so immediately. The UFA requires this in order to assist in our fight against recent changes the Dept implemented to light duty schedules. All members who are assigned to light duty and have had their schedules changed in 2007 are to fill it out and fax to your Borough Trustee at 212-683-0690 (212-683-0710 if busy). The following info is needed: Name, Assigned Unit, Home phone, Cell, Light Duty Assignment: Date Started, 2006 light duty schedule & tours, 2007 NEW duty schedule & tours, (Sample descriptions: M-F 9am - 5pm, straight 24s, normal 9x6/6x9 work-chart, etc.), and description of personal hardships caused by schedule change, if any. Steve Cassidy and UFA Labor Counsel Mike Axelrod will discuss UFA legal actions today.

6. 2006 W-2: Verifying Annual LODI Tax Deductions
Current IRS regulations provide favorable tax treatment of your wages during the approved period of Line-of-Duty Injury (LODI). Wages will be treated on a pre-tax basis. The Dept computes your LODI medical leave days automatically and deducts the dollar amount from your taxable income as per prior UFA contractual agreement. The UFA published Special 2006 Tax Year 65-2 #13, which includes a per diem salary rate chart that will allow you to verify the Dept's calculations. It also includes much more info re your paycheck deductions and tax calculations. It is available today at your Trustee table.

7. LODI 1989-2005 FICA Refund Letters to Mail February 5th
Notice Mailing: Per The City of New York Office of Payroll Administration (OPA), on Monday, February 5th, 2007, the OPA mailed approximately 75,000 letters to individuals (City employees and retirees, including Firefighters) who are entitled to Social Security and Medicare Refunds from the City of New York for improper payroll deductions from 1989 to 2005. To be eligible for a refund you must sign and return the consent form by Thursday, April 5, 2007. NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GRANTED and NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.

Questions? The Office of Payroll Administration can be reached through email. You can call them at 212-669-2333. You can fax inquiries, but not signed consent forms to 212 669-3377. CONSENT FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY FAX. Consent forms must be mailed or hand delivered to: Office of Payroll Administration FICA Refund Claim Unit 1 Centre Street Room 200N New York, NY 10007. Check the OPA website for additional information.

8. Retired WTC Volunteer Worker's Comp Coverage
Firefighters who were retired BEFORE 9/11/01 and "participated in WTC rescue, recovery or cleanup operations" are required to file the bottom half of form WTC 12 (you are eligible as a Volunteer) with the NYS Worker's Compensation Board before Aug 14, 2007 to be eligible for benefits from the recently signed legislation. Visit the UFA web site home page link 'WTC Related' section for comprehensive info and proper forms. THIS APPLIES ONLY TO FFs WHO WERE RETIRED BEFORE 9-11-01, AND VOLUNTEERED AT THE WTC!

9. UFA Fights City Plan to Sell Firehouses
The UFA continues its efforts to halt the Mayor's plans to sell closed firehouses in growing neighborhoods with expanded workloads and to report the many reasons that warrant keeping them. See UFA Press Release (attached) of Testimony by Brooklyn Trustee John Kelly on January 24 before City Council, and also the attached article published on January 5th in The Chief, which explain these issues.

10. Probie Classes Will Extended 5 Weeks
The Department confirmed to the UFA that the scheduled March probie class training time will be extended from the previous 13 weeks to 18 weeks. The next class after that will add an additional 5 weeks, bringing the total length of probie training in the academy to 23 weeks for all future classes after the next class. These changes in the length of probie school does not effect the pay scale and effective dates in our current contract. See attached January 5th article in The Chief. Steve will discuss this today.

11. Wind Chill Index re: Signal 10-51
Wind Chill Index ('Feels Like' temperature), in accordance with Fire Prevention Manual Chapter 3, newly updated Addendum 2, mandates a Signal 10-51 when the WCI is 15 degrees or less. The Wind Chill Index (WCI) is reported by the National Weather Service (NWS) hourly and is also regularly reported in the media as 'Feels Like' temperature. Exact current 'Feels Like' temperatures (Wind Chill Index and also Heat Index) can be found on the NWS website by entering your zip code.

12. Grievance/Arbitration
UFA Recording Secretary Joe Miccio and UFA Labor Attorney Mike Axelrod report the following:

• Medical Leave Lifts: the last Medical Leave Lifts hearing took place on December 18th before arbitrator Al Viani. First Deputy Fire Commissioner Cruthers and Chief of Dept Cassano testified. We are in the process of scheduling additional hearing dates, where the UFA will call Commissioner Scoppetta to testify due to his refusal to provide the arbitrator written confirmations regarding his extremely relevant statements which were quoted in the media.
• E75/L33 Involuntary Transfers: the last E75/L33 Involuntary Transfers hearing took place on December 12th before arbitrator Maurice Benowitcz. The arbitrator has indicated that his ruling is expected in March.
• Improper Practice case regarding Health & Safety Officer Bill Romakaís exclusion by FDNY from apparatus and other health or safety related meetings at HQ: An OCB hearing took place on February 6th. UFA President Steve Cassidy and several assistants to FDNY Deputy Commissioner Milton Fischberger testified. The next hearing takes place tomorrow, February 9th. FDNY Deputy Commissioner Milton Fischberger and UFA Health & Safety Officer Bill Romaka are scheduled to testify.
• Other Open Cases: Random Drug Testing Improper Practices (Challenge of changes to reasonable suspicion AUC, and Challenge to Random Drug Testing procedure.

13. New UFA Web Site Launched
The UFA launched its new web site on January 17. Members will see a more modern web site with expanded capabilities-and simplified ease of use. The site is fully functional now, though the migration process took a few days and was not fully operational during the transition. Members who are experiencing difficulties bringing up the new site are advised to first clear out the history of their internet explorers. You must follow directions provided by your browser's instructions.

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Cassidy,
President