Notice of pending Local 600 election
JIM TOMA
Nominations for office will be held at the Local 600 meeting on May 9 in Lacey Township at the Lacey Elks. Nominations must be made in person.
For information about how to obtain an absentee ballot, please check our website at www. njspba600. org. All requests are time-sensitive.
Dental plan update
In reference to the Local 600 dental plan, I have been informed that all necessary requirements for the plan to take effect May 1 are in place. Current members will be notified by mail as to the new cost and benefits. The benefits are enhanced, and there is a reduction in cost with the new administrators. All current members will continue as enrolled if they so desire without any requirements for waiting periods or deductibles being met.
All new members will be eligible for enrollment on or about May 1. Check the benefits / dental section of the Local 600 website for complete plan details.
Pension bill update
Information about the pension bill – which would make PFRS an independently run system that transfers management of the pension fund from governor-controlled investors to PFRS-selected professional investors in the best interests of the value of the fund – was discussed at both the State PBA meeting on April 12 and the Local 600 meeting later that day.
As we know, the NJ State Senate and Assembly passed the bill overwhelmingly, and it now sits on the governor’ s desk. He has the option of signing the bill, vetoing the bill or conditionally vetoing, which means he’ s OK with some of it but doesn’ t like other parts. The PBA leadership, along with leaders from other law enforcement and fire unions, have been in discussions with state leadership, and negotiations continue.
Certainly, one of the key factors in the negotiations is our Cost of Living Adjustment( COLA). The state would like more control of whether COLA is reinstated, and to what level. Union leaders are adamant that not only should reinstatement be a labor union decision, but that they would never jeopardize the solvency of the pension system by haphazardly reinstating COLA without funding the system to the correct level and reinstating with a common-sense approach.
Within the next month, we will have more information. The governor has 45 days to make a decision on the bill, and we will keep all retired members advised about the progress through the Local 600 report in NJ Cops Magazine and on our website. I truly believe this is absolutely our best path to reinstating COLA in some form. Under the current system, there is zero chance.
Also, don’ t be fooled by the governor talking about lottery money funding the pension, as that provides very little funding for PFRS. It would be used primarily for pensions of other state employees such as teachers and public workers. Lastly, despite what the governor recently said, at no time were our union leaders involved in any talks about further reducing our pension benefits or other concessions in return for signing the pension bill.
Election update
Remember, primary election season is approaching, and all of us need to stay informed about who we can count on in the state assembly, state senate and governor’ s races. The NJ State PBA has endorsed Democrat Phil Murphy for governor. I ask that all our members learn about the candidates and consider their records. If one person has been the No. 2 person in charge for the past eight years of an administration that has tried to hurt us every step of the way and you expect her to be different, I think that might be foolhearted. As we get closer to the primary and general elections, we will need all our members to help get the information out and the vote out.
Let’ s not be complacent and hope for change. Let’ s make it happen. d
18 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ APRIL 2017