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State Pay Increase

To all Local Presidents and Members,

During the last legislative session the PFFA of LA presented legislation for a pay increase to legislators and received great support from both chambers and the Gov.’s office. The increase that was being asked was $125.00, which was the same amount that the teachers were asking with the Governors support. We were asked to be patient until there was a better look at what the budget would look like. As you read the news articles the Governor is in support of the pay increase. Governor Blanco does not want this increase to be political and feels that this is the right time and that it is the right thing to do. This is a well deserved increase and it will help those fire fighters that are struggling to make ends meet. It may also help retain fire fighters and assist in recruiting new hires.

Terry Castille

Better pay is needed to attract and retain firefighters especially after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Chad Major, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Louisiana Association.

“It is imperative for everyone to understand that, to have commerce, to have people come back and build homes, you have to have basic services to provide public safety to those citizens as well as those businesses,” Major said.

Law enforcement leaders launched a new bid Monday for a pay increase when legislators meet Dec. 8 to start dividing up to $1.6 billion of state surplus funds.

Exactly how big a raise they will seek is unclear. “We are still working on that,” said Sid Hebert, president of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association.

The increase would be in the form of additional supplemental pay, which the state has added to the local pay of police officers, firefighters and deputy sheriffs since 1956.

Offices receive $300 per month. Earlier this year, lawmakers considered an increase of up to $125, to $425 per month. That push died amid questions about the state budget outlook, which has gotten brighter since then.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco has called a 10-day special session starting Dec. 8 to decide what to do with a $827 million surplus from the financial year that ended June 30.

Lawmakers also will start mapping plans for how to spend another $800 million in surplus dollars that Blanco said she expects from this financial year, which ends June 30, 2007.

“We know that the state has the money,” said Peter Dale, second vice president of the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association.

The state has about 32,000 first responders, including police, fire and deputy personnel. Blanco said last week she favors a pay raise for police and fire officials but declined to say how much.

Law enforcement officials said Monday they are confident lawmakers will support an increase because the push for one earlier this year attracted a huge following. Hal Turner, director of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, said it cost the state about $21 million for each $100 of additional supplemental pay.

The $125 hike considered earlier this would have cost $27.4 million.

IAFF Wins Passage of HELPS Retirees Bill

August 4, 2006 – The IAFF has won an unprecedented congressional victory in the successful passage of its HELPs retiree health care proposal and the elimination of early withdraw penalties from Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) accounts. Both proposals have been top IAFF legislative priorities this year.

“The joint passage of HELPs and the DROP language represent the most significant financial benefits ever provided by Congress exclusively to the nation’s fire fighters and other public safety employees,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “It is an enormous achievement.”

The bill, H.R 4, the Pension Protection Act of 2006, was passed overwhelmingly late August 3 in the U.S. Senate. The House had passed the identical bill last week. The legislation now heads to The White House for the president’s signature. All indications suggest that President George Bush will sign the measure.

Beginning in 2007, all current and future public safety retirees will receive a $3,000 tax credit towards the cost of health insurance or long-term care insurance premiums. Depending on the retiree’s tax bracket, this equals tax savings of between $540 and $870 per year. “The average retiree will see a lifetime in pocket tax savings in the tens of thousands of dollars,” says President Schaitberger. “The passage of HELPs is a real and measurable benefit to every IAFF member.”

The total cost of HELPs is in excess of $3.4 billion over the next 10 years.

Also included in H.R 4 is language eliminating the 10 percent penalty for withdrawals from DROP accounts prior to age 59 1/2. Beginning January 1, 2007, retirees can access DROP money at age 50.

“The passage of this bill is the result of 18 months of hard work and effective lobbying of leadership in both parties about the necessity of passing a pension bill that included our HELPs and DROP language.”

The IAFF’s proposal was supported by several congressional allies, including Representative Chris Chocola (R-IN), the bill’s principal sponsor who shepherded the legislation throughout the entire process.

“This victory is the result of our bipartisan approach to politics and lobbying,” Schaitberger says. “Once again, our union has delivered real results for our membership and highlighted the value and importance of political action.”

Department of Justice Issues New PSOB Regulations

August 10, 2006 – Nearly three years after the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act was passed into law, the Department of Justice (DoJ) has issued the new rules under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program. The new regulations which are a complete rewrite, clarification and consolidation of all prior regulations, including the heart and stroke benefits, take effect September 11, 2006. The effective coverage dates of the PSOB law and all subsequent legislative amendments to the act, however are unchanged. Thus certain heart attack and stroke line of duty deaths are covered by the benefits beginning on December 15, 2003.

“We are very pleased that these regulations have finally been released,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “It is unfortunate that the families of fallen fire fighters have waited so long, but we needed to ensure that our members’ families are fully protected and receive due benefits in the event of a line-of-duty death.”

The DoJ’s first draft of the regulations – released for comment in September 2005 – would have made it nearly impossible to collect benefits from deaths caused by heart attack or stroke. The IAFF provided extensive comments and, through bipartisan political outreach, was successful in educating the Department of Justice on several areas of concern and in garnering the support of Senator Bill Frist (R-TN), Representative Roy Blunt R-MO), Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to revise the regulations.

“It was a long battle, but has ended in another success and serves as one more example of our ability to achieve results against long odds,” says President Schaitberger. “The new regulations ensure that the intent of Hometown Heroes is met and that the families of fire fighters who perish as a result of a heart attack or stroke receive PSOB benefits.”

The new regulations provide that if a public safety officer dies as a result of a heart attack or stroke, the death may be presumed to have been the result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty. The law requires that the heart attack or stroke occurs while the officer is on duty and engaged in an emergency response activity or training exercise, or within 24 hours of such activity or exercise.

Click here to download the new rules for the PSOB program.

Attention all 4^th District members:

I am pleased to announce to you that the IAFF is forming a Union Sportsman’s Club.

The IAFF has joined several other trade unions in affiliation with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to give IAFF members a voice in an organization that focuses on conserving, maintaining, and enhancing access to land for hunting, shooting and fishing. TRCP offers television programs on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN) that features union members participating in these activities.

In the coming months, the unions within the TRCP will roll out a union-focused sportsman’s club that will have its own magazine, website, radio show and affinity programs (such as discounts on UNION American-Canadian made guns, hunting and fishing gear and adventure trips).

IAFF G.P. Harold Schaitberger attended the first meeting of a working group of union presidents at the worlds largest outdoor event, the shoot show, to develop the parameters of, the union sportsman’s club.

In the meantime, IAFF members can signup (IT’S FREE!!) to be a union sportsman club member. Visit www.trcp.org or call (877) 770-8722.

The IAFF is also participating in a promotion that allows IAFF members to enter to win a hunting trip to be featured on TRCP/OLN’s television show

“Wildest Dreams”. For more information, visit, www.olntv.com/wildestdreams.

Fraternally,

Terry Castille,

4^th District Vice President

(337) 412-6034 (H)

Castillefire619@cox.net