October 6, 2011 - President Chad Major

*** This is happening NOW!!! - NOT last year***

Brothers and Sisters,

I am sending out this email after spending the day at the Capital where I attended the Funding Review Panel Committee meeting. I wish that each and every one of you could have been in attendance. The panel has voted to study two separate items. The first item is to change benefit structures for all new hires which we all have heard before and we expected to come up again. The second item was to look at restructuring benefits for present employees. 

What does this mean you may ask. What it means is setting a mandatory minimum retirement age, (and I heard them mention age 60), changing the three year average and making it a five year average, changing the accrual rate from 3 1/3 % down to 2 1/2 or 3 %, and who knows what else they will come up with? Elimination of the DROP? Employees pay a higher percentage? A defined contribution plan instead of our define benefit plan? 

Of course none of these things will nor can take place until the legislature is in session and I assure you that we will be ready to fight. In mentioning the legislature I feel that it is my duty and responsibility as your President to educate you on the fall elections. It is more important now than ever that we elect firefighter friendly people to office. With that said allow me to say to you that "Tea Party Candidates are not firefighter friendly". My job is not to tell you who to vote for rather it is to educate the membership as to which candidates support us and our issues. I recently learned that a small group of our members are out supporting Representative Montoucet's opponent. When I first heard this I thought that the person saying it was pulling my leg. After I realized that they were not joking I sat there thinking of how a firefighter in this state could support someone over a person who has not only supported us 100%, but has been a floor leader on firefighter issues. It is beyond me to understand the logic, or lack there of. 

I am asking each and every one of you to look into all of the candidates backgrounds, their campaign finance reports, their voting record if they are incumbents, and how they stand on our issues before you make your decision as to whom you are going to support. Understand that our futures are at stake. All that we have worked and sacrificed for over the years is in jeopardy. I truly do not care if the person is a republican or a democrat just as long as they support the issues that pertain to firefighters. If you are not certain call the candidate and ask them what their position is on our issues. Make them answer the question. You have a right to know and should know before you pull the lever for a person. 

In closing let me say one more thing. Too often today we get caught up in what we see on the news or read in the paper. We are unable to see the forest because the trees stand in our way. Well allow me to clear the way for you and tell you like it is. If more moderate/progressives are not elected to the Louisiana Legislature in this fall's election cycle, some if not all of the things that I mentioned above may come true.

Fraternally,

Chad