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PENSIONS
Tier V – For Newly Hired Employees of the State and
Local Governments.
The Proposal calls for all State and local
government employees who are members of the New York
Sate and Local Employees Retirement System (ERS),
the New York State Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCTRS),
the New York City Board of Education Employee
Retirement System (BERS) and the New York State and
City optional Retirement Program (ORP) hired after
March 1, 2009.
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Must be 62 years of age before being eligible to
draw a pension benefit (eliminates 30/50 benefit).
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Permanent 3% employee contribution.
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10 years vesting.
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25 years of service before pension calculation
multiplier increases from 1.66% to 2%.
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Reduces the amount of sick leave allowed to be
used for additional service credit from 200 days
to 165 day (* we believe this is contractual and
must be negotiated).
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Excludes all overtime payments in final average
salary calculations.
STATE WORKFORCE
The proposed budget continues the hiring freeze
instituted in 2008. It calls for agency
consolidations/mergers and facility closures.
Salary / Payroll Proposals:
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Wage Freeze – Elimination of the 3% salary
increase in 2009-10.
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Salary Deferral – 5 day salary deferral for all
employees, a one-day reduction per paycheck for
five payroll periods. Payable upon separation
from service or April 1, 2001.
**
We believe these actions cannot be taken without
negotiations, and CSEA will NOT re-open contracts **
Employee/Retirees Health Insurance:
Sliding scale for health insurance contributions for
future retirees covered under NYSHIP:
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Currently, the State contributes 90 percent of
premiums for individual coverage and 75 percent
for dependent coverage for all employees who
retire with more than 10 years of service.
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Under this proposal the State would pay a minimum
premium share of 50 percent for individuals and 35
percent for dependent coverage for employees who
retire with 10 years of service.
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The State’s contribution would increase 2 percent
for each additional year of service to a max of 90
percent for individuals and 75 percent for
dependent coverage for employees with 30 years of
service.
Medicare Part B Premiums – this proposal would
require active and retired employees to pay a share
of the Medicaid Part B premium. Currently the State
pays 100 percent of the premium. This is only for
those covered under NYSHIP.
The budget includes destructive cuts in state
services and the state workforce, while ignoring
revenue-raising options.
CSEA members work hard in good times and bad.
The average CSEA member makes $40,000 per year and
retirees have pensions of about $14,000.
Over many years and numerous contracts CSEA has
fought to ensure that all formal, current and future
members earn a living wage and have adequate pension
and health care in retirement. This budget seeks to
undo those gains.
Wage Freeze – We will not re-open our contract.
CSEA negotiated a 4-year contract that was both fair
and reasonable for our members and the state.
Salary Deferral – losing one-weeks pay will hurt my
family and only cost the State more in the
long-term.
These proposals violate our contract and we will
fight against these changes.
Isn’t there a better way then making it harder for
the people who do the work everyday!
Contact the Governor and State Legislators – Let
them know that services will suffer if they go
forward with these cuts.
Sample Letter – State
Workforce
OFFICE OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
The proposed budget does away with the 12-month
closure notification law.
6
Youth Facility Closures:
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Adirondack Residential Facility (Clinton County)
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Cattaraugus Residential Center (Cattaraugus
County)
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Great Valley Residential Center (Cattaraugus
County)
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Pyramid Reception Center (Bronx)
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Rochester Community Residential Home (Monroe
County)
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Syracuse Community Residential Home (Onondaga
County)
2
Youth Facilities Downsized:
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Allen Residential Center (Delaware County)
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Tryon Residential Center (Fulton County)
3
Evening Reporting Centers Closures:
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Capital District Evening Reporting Center (Albany
County)
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Buffalo Evening Reporting Center (Erie County)
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Syracuse Evening Reporting Center (Onondaga
County)
Talking Points – OCFS Closures.
OCFS claims the facilities to be closed or downsized
were selected because of high vacancy rates.
However, we know how vacancy rates are manipulated
by the agency through the placement and transfer of
youths.
Due to deceptive actions by OCFS, CSEA ended its
participation in a Labor-Management Task Force
designed to help transform NYS juvenile justice
system.
The proposed closing of youth facilities:
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Undermines labor-management activities
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Violates state law requiring 12 month notification
prior to closures
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Goes against the recommendations of the task
forces consultant who believe more staffing will
be required to transition from a correction model
to a more therapeutic model.
The facilities slated for closure provide the
small-scale environments that research studies
document as enabling improved treatment for youth.
Over one-third of all OCFS-placed youth in private
facilities fail in these placements and are
transferred to OCFS facilities for more appropriate
care.
In
November 2008 alone, 19 youth were returned to
Pyramid from private facilities.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY MERGERS
The state’s economic development programs are
currently administered by three entities:
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The Department of Economic Development (DED) is
responsible for providing policy guidance and for
managing marketing and advertising activities that
promote tourism and new business investment in New
York.
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The Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) is
a public authority charged with fostering and
financing key economic development projects across
the state.
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The Foundation for Science, Technology and
Innovation (NYSTAR) administers programs to foster
university-based research and technology
The proposed Executive Budget proposes to merge
three economic development entities – the Department
of Economic Development (DED), the Foundation for
Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) and the
Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC).
DED and NYSTAR would be eliminated and their core
programs would be assumed by ESDC.
Talking Points – Economic Development Mergers
The state must not allow all of its major economic
development programs to be run by public benefit
corporation – ESDC. It should be run by a state
agency.
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ESDC is run by a board and is not directly
accountable to the Governor or any other public
official.
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Public benefit corporations like ESDC are exempt
form scrutiny and approval of the NYS Comptroller
with respect to contracting.
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ESDC operates outside the civil service system.
Economic Development should be consolidated into the
Department of Economic Development (DED).
Transferring the personnel and functions of ESDC and
NYSTAR into DED:
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Ensures that staffing at all state economic
development activities will be based on merit and
fitness. This protects employee civil service and
union rights.
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The Commissioner of DED is appointed by and
accountable to the Governor, just like any other
state agency.
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As a state agency, DED is subject to greater
public scrutiny, legislative oversight and
transparency.
The state will still benefit from the cost savings,
while public employees and the public are protected.
Contact the Governor and your elected officials and
let them know that the state’s economic development
programs should be run by a state agency NOT
a public benefit corporation.
Sample Letter – State
Workforce
CORRECTIONS
Planned Decrease of 1,342 Full-time Equivalent
(FTE’s) Positions, due to planned consolidations
4
minimum-security camps are slated for closure:
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Pharsalia (Chenango County)
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Gabriels (Franklin County)
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Georgetown (Madison County)
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Mt. McGregor (Saratoge County)
DOCS plans to close several annexes to further
consolidate the system and discontinue Prison Farm
Operations at 12 Correction Facilities.
The budget provides for an accelerated closure
notification to override the 12-month closure
notification law and requires only 90-day
notification in times of fiscal crisis. Fiscal
Crisis is defined as 2 consecutive quarters of
decline in the gross domestic product (GDP).
Authorization for accelerated procedure will remain
in effect until the close of the third year
immediately following the fiscal year of the
economic downturn.
Notice of closures is expected in March 2009 with
the closures effective in June 2009. Staff at
affected facilities will be offered positions at
other correctional facilities or can accept openings
in other state agencies.
Talking Points – Corrections
Closing facilities is dangerous for employees and
inmates.
DOC’s is wrong in their plan to “right size”
corrections:
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The state’s prison population is at 105% of
capacity
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Maximum-security facilities are at 124% of
capacity
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Medium security facilities are at 101% of capacity
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Over 4,000 inmates are “double bunked”
The 12-month notification law must not be
eliminated.
The promise of position in another facilities or
state agency is misleading:
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Are there enough vacancies in nearby facilities
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An offer of a position nearly sixty miles away is
not a genuine offer of employment to our CSEA
member
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There is a hiring freeze for all agencies
HEALTHCARE
The proposed budget calls for $2.5 billion in
overall health care cuts.
Hospitals
$1
billion in cuts for hospitals
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Cut inpatient reimbursements rates by 8% until
March 31, 2009 and than another 2% until 2010.
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Eliminate the remaining trend factor for 2008 and
eliminate it in whole for all of 2009.
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Cut $24 million from GME funding and redistributes
the remaining money.
Nursing Homes
$845 million in cuts for nursing homes statewide.
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Cut inpatient reimbursements rates by 8% until
March 31, 2009 and then another 2% until 2010.
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Eliminate nursing home rebasing.
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Eliminate the remaining trend factor for 2008 and
eliminate it in whole for all of 2009
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Eliminate 6,000 nursing home beds and replace them
with “community based alternatives.”
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Eliminates workforce recruitment and retention
grants.
Other Provisions
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Increase the “covered lives assessment” by $245
million. This assessment, which is charged to
insurance companies for every premium that they
issue, will be passed on to you through an
insurance premium increase.
Talking Points – Healthcare
This budget would cause great harm to those who need
health services by outright eliminating needed
services or reducing the system’s ability to provide
the service.
With the coming spike in the elderly through the
retirement of the “baby-boomers,” the state should
be creating more nursing home beds instead of
eliminating the ones that we already have.
An
increase in the covered lives assessment will raise
our health insurance premiums. Health insurance is
expensive already – the Governor should not be
balancing the budget through fees that he knows will
be paid by the middle-class.
Public hospitals are facing revenue shortfalls
already. Redistributing Graduate Medical Education
(GME) funding will only cause longer waits in the
emergency room and fewer staff to administer
services.
Many of our nursing homes are already
short-staffed. Eliminating the workforce
recruitment and retention grant will cause fewer
people to enter and stay in the health care field.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
The proposed budget calls for stagnant aid to
municipalities, reduction in state reimbursement for
county run programs and a decrease in benefits for
local government employees.
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A 0% increase in AIM funding for most localities.
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Creation of TIER 5 for local government employees.
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Eliminating state reimbursement for various
optional public health projects preformed by
counties.
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Eliminate the $37.60 per diem payment to local
jails for housing “state-ready” inmates and parole
violators.
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Elimination of the STAR rebate program.
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Eliminating the Human Services COLA for 2009-10.
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Increase in the basic welfare grant form $219 to
$387 by January 2012.
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Exempt all school districts for 5 years of WICKS
law.
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Making it easier for towns, villages, and special
districts to consolidate or merge with other
localities.
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Eliminate certain fraud prevention techniques for
people receiving certain social services.
Talking Points – Local Governments
With the cost of gas, groceries, and other household
goods going up well over 3% for the past year,
taking away my COLA of 3% will cause me more harm
than the economy is already doing.
Local government workers are on the front line of
identifying fraud and abuse in social service
programs. By eliminating the need for face-to-face
interviews of social service recipients, our chances
of catching fraud will decrease.
Municipal governments have been hit hard by this
economic downturn as well. Localities need more
help from the state now in order to ensure that
vital services are still r\provided, and the safety
of all citizens is maintained.
Cutting reimbursements to counties and local
governments for services that they provide will only
force local governments to stop providing the
service.
The creation of a TIER 5 retirement system is the
easy way out to deal with a complex problem. The
salaries and benefits of CSEA members are not what
are creating budget deficits.
NURSING HOMES
The proposed budget call for $845 million in cuts
for nursing homes statewide.
-
Cut inpatient reimbursements rates by 8% until
March 31, 2009 and then another 2% until 2010.
-
Eliminate nursing home rebasing.
-
Eliminate the remaining trend factor for 2008 and
eliminate it in whole for all of 2009
-
Eliminate 6,000 nursing home beds and replace them
with “community based alternatives.”
-
Eliminates workforce recruitment and retention
grants.
Talking Points – Nursing Homes
This budget would cause great harm to those who need
nursing home based services by eliminating needed
services or reducing the system’s ability to provide
the service.
With the coming spike in the elderly through the
retirement of the “baby-boomers,” the state should
be creating more nursing home beds instead of
eliminating the ones that we already have.
Many of our nursing homes are already
short-staffed. Eliminating the workforce
recruitment and retention grant will cause fewer
people to enter and stay in the health care field.
EDUCATION
Overall School Aid Cut by $2.5 billion from Expected
Levels
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Eliminates $1.8 billion in expected school aid
increases
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Further decrease of $698 million from 2008-09
funding levels
Deficit Reduction Assessment (DRA) – a one-time $1.1
billion assessment would be taken against the total
formula based aids. Individual school districts
will see reductions of anywhere from 3% to 13%
depending on district wealth.
Pre-School Special Education – shifts approximately
$188.3 million (15%) to school districts.
BOCES Aid – maintains the formula resulting in an
increase of $33 million to a total of $706 million.
Universal Pre-K Frozen at 2008-09 Level
Full phase in extended to 2014-15, but exempted from
the overall Deficit Reduction Assessment (DRA).
STAR – Continues the Enhanced and Basic STAR
exemptions, but eliminates the Middle Class Star
Rebate Program.
Reserve Accounts – allows school districts to
withdraw funds from the employee benefits accrued
liability reserve.
Talking Points – Education
Governor Paterson’s proposal to cut $2.5 billion in
school aid would be devastating to the quality of
education students across New York deserve.
Our schools and students cannot afford these
proposed cuts.
The cuts to school aid meals services will have to
be cut and property taxes will be raised.
Shifting a larger percentage of the cost of
Pre-School Special Education from the state and
counties to school districts will mean put an
additional burden on school districts.
The Governor calls for a “shared sacrifice” from
everyone except the wealthy.
Share the sacrifice of this budget deficit without
putting the brunt of the burden on working and
middle-class families by raising taxes on the
wealthiest New Yorkers.
HIGHER EDUCATION
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SUNY tuition would be increased by $620. SUNY
will retain 20% of tuition revenue, while the
state would take the rest for the General Fund.
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SUNY’s community college base aid would be reduced
by 10 percent.
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Requires SUNY Research Foundation to pay 10
percent of cost for using State-Funded facilities.
Administrative Flexibility
CSEA OPPOSES the budget proposal that also allows
for more flexibility for SUNY and CUNY to have the
flexibility to enter into contracts/procurements
without pre-approval for goods, services and
construction.
Talking Points – Higher Education
Across the state CSEA members deliver essential
services that all New Yorkers depend on.
New York’s
Higher Education system is one of the best in the
country. New Yorkers would benefit by keeping SUNY
schools competitive and bringing more students to
New York.
Investing more in higher education will attract
young people all over the world to come to New York and help keep younger people in the state.
SUNY Flexibility
SUNY could privatize services currently provided by
public employees.
Private vendors are not subject to the same
accountability or oversight as are state employees.
Profit, not quality of service, is the driving
motivator of private contractors.
It
is critical to ensure that only the most qualified
individuals are hired for public services.
