• Past President Reports

Special Order of Business

• 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.

• Delegate Education Seminar
  Registration at Recording Secretary/SBF Table Today
  You can submit your reservation forms and payment at the Recording Secretary/SBF Table today. Ask for Jimmy Dahl. See item # 11 below for more Seminar info.

Today's Agenda

1. Closings & Layoffs
The FD continues to say that the City intends to close 16 companies. E4, L53, E161, E271 and seven others are scheduled to close 7/1/09. Five additional companies are slated to close on 1/1/10. Currently, the Dept is approximately 350 FFs over headcount. Closing additional companies will push that number significantly higher. Both the Fire Commissioner and Mayor have said layoffs are a possibility. Steve Cassidy will discuss today.

2. Response Times
The Fire Commissioner has testified that response times for individual companies are the main factor that the Dept used in determining which units to close.

3. Productivity Meeting with the City & Fire Dept
The UFA Executive Board met with the City Labor Commissioner and the Fire Dept on March 4th. As part of the discussions we requested budget information from the Dept. Another meeting is scheduled for later this month. We intend to make several recommendations for alternative budget cuts other than field operations. Steve Cassidy will give an update today.

4. Ad Campaign
In response to an ongoing media assault on the FDNY pension system, the UFA ran a full-page advertisement yesterday in The Capitol to begin setting the record straight. This newspaper is widely circulated among elected officials in both City and State governments. The purpose is to inform our elected officials and correct inaccurate media reports. See the attached ad from The Capitol and the NY Post letter to the editor. Steve will update the membership today.

5. March 6th Retro $$ & Salary Check
Your March 6th paycheck includes retro pay and salary rate increases negotiated in the UFA contract that was ratified on December 11th. It includes OT and base for both the August 1st, 2008 4-percent increase and the Reopener raise. It does not include Night Shift Differential, CFR-D, Chauffeur Differential or Holiday Pay, which will be paid at a later date to be announced. Each member's retro money will differ depending upon appointment date. Per Department Order #18, inquiries may be submitted to the Bureau of Payroll in written form only.

6. Official Pay Raise Charts Released by the Dept
Official pay charts (distributed at the Feb. Union Meeting) were prepared by FDNY Payroll for all grades reflecting the 4% salary scale increases effective August 1, 2008, and the Reopener salary increases. These charts are available on the FDNY Intranet. Footnotes and header notes on most pages contain important data and formulas that will help you understand the charts. The 'Formulas Used' footnotes on the Feb. 12 handouts were inserted by the UFA.

• Pages 1 thru 3: all FF grades hired prior to January 17, 2006
• Pages 4 thru 6: all FF grades hired between January 17, 2006 and March 31, 2007
• Pages 7 thru 9: all FF grades hired on or after April 1, 2007

7. Retired Members Retro $$
Per FDNY Pension & Payroll, retro checks for retired members were all sent via U.S. Mail by March 6th. Retiree retro $$ was not paid via direct deposit. It did not include Night Shift Differential, CFR-D, Chauffeur Differential or Holiday Pay, which will be paid at a later date to be announced.

8. Legislative Update
As you are aware, the fight in Albany is tougher than ever. This year we are focusing on maintaining what we have. Our Legislative priorities include the LOD Widows COLA and the extender legislation (Heart Bill, Cancer Bill, ITHP and Tier II). Right now we have every indication that the legislature intends to pass them but we will continue to lobby and push our agenda. With any of the extender legislation, all incumbent members will maintain those benefits regardless of the legislator's actions. The State Constitution protects those benefits. Only new hires would be affected if the extender legislation is not passed. We do not want to have different benefits for different members and we will aggressively push our agenda. We do have other bills that we have introduced in Albany, but it is unlikely they will be passed this year with the increased scrutiny of our benefits. We will keep you updated in regards to these items and new issues that arise.

9. Seminar re Pension Buyback
Albert Connolly, from the FDNY Bureau of Pension & Payroll, will be making a presentation and conducting workshops at the UFA Delegate Education Seminar this May to help educate Delegates regarding the prior City/State/Military buyback laws and what eligible members need to know. Al has asked that all Delegates survey members of their companies before attending the seminar, and bring any specific information regarding their circumstances. Al and his staff will assist your members through the process.

10. 2008 FICA REFUNDS in February Paycheck
Per Dept Order #14, "FICA Refunds for 2008 LODI were included on the February 20, 2009 paycheck. The amount of the refund is indicated as 'FICA Refund' and is listed in the deduction section at the bottom of your check stub as a negative deduction. The amount of your FICA refund is simply added to your net pay, and does not affect 2009 earnings or 2009 FICA/Medicare earnings or withholding. The amount of the FICA Refund depends on various factors such as when the LODI was incurred, and whether or not the maximum FICA withholding was reached."

11. Delegate Education Seminar: Discount Deadline Approaching! - Registration at Recording Secretary Table Today
You can submit your reservation forms and payment at the Recording Secretary/SBF Table today ask for Jimmy Dahl. Registration packages were mailed to all Delegate residences in January. Seminar registration & hotel room reservations must be made by check only, payable to the 'UFA' (phone registration cannot be accepted), along with the proper form. It must be received at the UFA by March 31st to receive your discounted rate. After the deadline you'll need to make your room reservation by credit card directly with the hotel at the full-price per-night rate-if rooms are still available. If this is your first Delegate Educational Seminar, you can familiarize yourself by reviewing last year's agenda and program activity book on the UFA website at www.UFANYC.org. You can also check out the latest notices for this year's Seminar. Location/Dates: Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, Tuesday, May 19, 2009 thru Friday, May 22, 2009.

12. Daylight Savings Time Issues

• Daylight Savings Time Tour One-Hour Excusal Credit On Sunday, March 8, 2009, at 0200 hours, clocks were advanced one hour, thereby changing the clocks to Daylight Saving Time. Per Dept Order 18, members whose work hours spanned the time change from Eastern Standard Time (EST) to Daylight Saving Time (DST) will be considered on excused leave for the missing hour. (TPR event code 4299 - Other Excused Absence)
• Leave Usage during Daylight Savings Time Change Per Dept Order #18, members who were on leave for the entire tour that crosses the DST time change will be charged for the leave hours not worked (e.g. 14 hours for a members scheduled to work a night tour) and credited with one hour of excused absence. Members who work part of a tour that crosses the DST time change will be credited with the number of hours actually worked, plus the one additional hour of excused absence. The remainder of the tour shall be coded with the appropriate leave event code.
• Overtime Tours during Daylight Savings Time Change Per Dept Order #18, members who worked OT spanning the DST time change will be compensated based on actual hours of overtime worked, not based on the time registered on the clock. Therefore, a night tour of overtime will be compensated at 14 hours, not 15. The RSOT schedule does not schedule members to work this tour.

13. Discounted Body Scans Still Available
UFA Health & Safety Officer Bill Romaka wishes to remind the membership that the UFA still has an agreement with Inner Imaging to provide a discounted rate to active and retired NYC Firefighters for body scans. The agreement provides confidential screening which consists of two tests - one of the heart and one of the lungs. These scans, normally $600-800, are being offered to UFA Members at a greatly reduced rate of $350. Additional programs are available at similar discounts. To make an appointment, or for further information, you can reach Inner Imaging at 212-777-8900 or check out their website www.innerimaging.com.

Fraternally,

Stephen J. Cassidy,
President