To All Delegates and Members

February 17, 2003

The City has fired the first shot in the next round of bargaining, making demands over the table for draconian cuts in Health, Welfare and Pension benefits for all City unions.  See the list of the City's demands, below. 

The most significant cuts include:

Active
  1. Reducing the ITHP by 50% — a benefit we recently enhanced;
  2. Reducing leave and night shift differential;
  3. Instituting co-payments for health and increasing co-payments for other services;
  4. Reducing active welfare fund contributions by $200.00;
  5. Eliminating City funding for LOD Survivor benefits; and
  6. Create New Pension tier for new employees.
Retiree
  1. Instituting co-payments for health and increasing co-payments for other services; and
  2. Reducing Retiree Welfare Fund contributions by 50%.

If instituted, these proposed cuts will have a devasting impact on our Active and Retired Health, Welfare and Pension benefits and will change civil service as we know it.

I am writing now to advise each and every active and retired member and their families that we will be reaching out to you to enlist your support to beat back these terrible proposals.  We are one family and we need to speak with one voice to defeat these proposals.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lynch
President