|
Events, Help, Fundraisers & Benefits:
Contract Negotiation Update
A follow-up meeting has been scheduled for December 5th with the Battalion Delegates in which we expect to finalize our proposals for our negotiations with the City regarding our contract. After this meeting the UFA Executive Board will begin its negotiations as quickly as possible with the City on relevant terms and conditions of the contract. We expect that initial conversations will happen no later than early 2004. Back To Top
Battalion Delegate Meeting December 5th
The next Battalion Delegate meeting is scheduled for Friday, December 5th at 10am in the UFA 4th floor meeting room to discuss a variety of major issues affecting the membership, including finalization of our contract proposals, UFA health benefits, the City's attempts to force all city employees to pay more for health benefits, and the Dept's Involuntary Lift policy. Survey your Delegates and members prior to attending. If you cannot attend for some extremely important reason, try to send the next most knowledgeable / reliable Delegate from your battalion. Back To Top
Municipal Labor Coalition (MLC) Update
The City continues to work aggressively in attempting to gain a number of significant give-backs in healthcare and prescription drug benefits. Just this week, the UFA finally received from the City PICA data regarding our membership's drug utilization patterns. We are currently reviewing the data to determine what negative impact our SBF may face if the PICA program ceases to exist next year. We will continue to develop and refine our strategy on how best to prevent or limit any reduction in these critical benefits. These MLC negotiations will impact all city employees both active and retired. Our attorneys are working closely with us in this area. Back To Top
Involuntary Details: Additional Legal Resources Against Dept.
While the Lift Grievance continues, the UFA has also employed the assistance of prominent law firm, Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC in helping us to evaluate strategies in a number of key federal level issues including the possibility of bringing lawsuits based largely of federal employment discrimination law, especially regarding the Dept's recent Involuntary Detail (Lift) Policy. We continue to work closely with the firm in evaluating the merits of our potential actions and expect to make a determination of how best to move forward in the very near future upon completion of our interview and case documentation process of affected members who are participating.
About Leeds Morelli & Brown, P.C.: The firm has distinguished itself as one of the premiere litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution firms in the New York Metropolitan area and is considered to be one of the foremost authorities in the area of Employment Law, particularly in the area of Civil Rights and Discrimination Law. Leeds, Morelli & Brown focuses on the areas of Employment and Civil Rights Law and represents clients in litigation and before administrative and/or regulatory agencies in matters involving employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, or violations of other federal, state or local laws. The Firm has enjoyed precedent setting verdicts in the area of employment discrimination, with national implications and has earned us a reputation as a leader in the field.
Back To Top
Who Voted? Who Didn't?
A voter list of all members assigned to each company will be mailed to each Delegate by next week. A copy of this list was also included with your company's UFA parking placards. This information is provided to the UFA by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). It indicates if each member's ballot was received at the AAA by the 10/30 deadline. Back To Top
UFA Voter List: Accurate Member Company Assignments
The names and home addresses of all members permanently assigned to your company should appear on this list. If company members are missing, or non-company members are included; please contact Denise Keeley at the UFA Recording Secretary's Office at 212-683-4832 to record the transfer. If your home address is incorrect, please see your Delegate for a change of address form that you can submit to the UFA. Back To Top
Delegates: Fax Teleprinter Tickets to UFA!!!
The UFA urgently needs additional help from all Delegates & FFs in documenting current and future grievance and arbitration cases against the Dept. Since last winter and spring we have been asking for members to fax us the following:
* all 10-75 tickets that show where either the 1st due or 2nd due engine company normally assigned to a box was unavailable and replaced by a 3rd due, 4th due or greater engine
* all CFR-D Ladder Tickets showing Ladders responding for EMS carry downs, EMS forced entry and difficulty breathing/asthma.
* All written denials of inquiries to pay probies OT when ordered to attend mandatory 5th grade medicals.
The need is serious. If more tickets and/or documentation are not provided by members in the field, the UFA's hands will be tied in successfully fighting for these important financial and safety issues. Stay safe and stay union: fax all related documentation ASAP to the Recording Secretary, Joe Miccio at 212-683-4359. Back To Top
RSOT Denials
Members must submit copies of all RSOT denials to insure unused RSOT may be carried over into 2004. Please Fax to 212-683-4359. Back To Top
2004 UFA Parking Placards: Important Info!
Due to the increased number of law enforcement incidents involving counterfeit UFA placards and unauthorized persons acquiring legitimate placards, new security features have been added. Each 2004 placard is embossed with a reflective gold foil UFA logo, which makes it impossible to reproduce with color printers or copiers. Each 2004 placard also has a unique permit number. Any use by unauthorized persons can now be traced back to the original person it was issued to for firehouse and/or law enforcement verification.
* Parking placards were distributed at the 11/20 Union Meeting to eachCompany Delegate, two per company member. A company member list is provided with each placard package. Delegates must sign for the package.
* Members assigned to details must contact the Delegate of their permanently assigned company to receive placards, as they have been accounted for that way.
* Battalion Aids should contact the Company Delegate in your house for placards.
* Fire Marshal Placards will be distributed by the Fire Marshal Representative after December 1st.
* Delegates are asked to return the provided company member list to the UFA Recording Secretary's office no later than 12/31/03, noting the placard permit # given to each member. Also, please keep a copy for your records.
* UFA Placards are for UFA membership use only! Use of UFA parking placards by unauthorized persons only diminishes the respect given to each member's vehicle when parked near FDNY facilities for official purposes. Non-firefighters with UFA Placards have been arrested for impersonating a firefighter. What you may perceive as a friendly gesture, may be viewed by a police officer as illegal. So when approached by non-firefighters you should simply explain the consequences of false impersonation.
* If your placard is lost or stolen, please insure you file a complaint report with the PD. This is required before being issued a replacement placard.
Back To Top
Ladders: Get 96 Hours of CFR-D Training on OT
Second notice: In response to the UFA's request, Chief Cassano has asked us to forward to him a list of all ladder members who are not CFR-D certified, but wish to be (this is NOT for 32 hour recertification). All truck Delegates are asked to survey your members and prepare a list. Fax to the Recording Secretary's Office, ATTN: Joe Miccio at 212-683-4359, or email to lists@ufanyc.org no later than November 30th. They are also being collected today by the Recording Secretary. Back To Top
UFA Health & Safety on Website: New 'Fleet & Tech Services'
The UFA Health & Safety Office has added another new section. Complaints regarding the Quartermaster, apparatus repairs, Mask Services Unit and your tools and equipment can be reported through the site. It will contain a working list of complaints reported by UFA members and/or UFA staff. Complaints will not be removed until the Delegate in the affected firehouse or the Borough Trustee report the issue corrected. If your firehouse is not listed and has problems, report this info to your Delegate, who can fill out our On-Line Web Form on the UFA site, or call the UFA Health & Safety Office for a copy. Documentation is a key component of getting your issues resolved. To fill out a complaint form Click HERE. Documentation is a key component of getting your issues resolved! Questions? Call Health & Safety office at 212-545-6965. Back To Top
FirePAC Forms Available
UFA FirePAC forms were distributed at the 11/20 Union Meeting. All FFs who are not members are highly encouraged to join. Your $1.50 per paycheck investment will go towards political contributions to candidates who are most supportive of firefighter issues. The UFA continues to make significant financial and benefit gains through the legislature, which is outside the purview of many restrictions of the collective bargaining process. Some victories include our work chart, Increased Take Home Pay (ITHP), the heart bill, lung bill and cancer bill. Filling out the FirePAC biweekly deduction form will allow the UFA to more effectively fight legislative battles on behalf of firefighters. If you are uncertain whether you joined, the UFA will soon be publishing a list of contributors so you easily verify your status. Questions, or need a form (Click HERE to download the form)? Contact UFA Vice President Jim Slevin. Questions can also be emailed to VicePresident@UFANYC.org.
Back To Top
Free Las Vegas Trip Deadline is Today (re Cornell Survey)!!!
The extended deadline ended 11/20 for eligibility for the random drawing of free Las Vegas trips among members who have returned their surveys. The free trips will be raffled off at the January Union Meeting. However, please forward any completed surveys even if the deadline is missed, as this info will still be helpful. Back To Top
UFA Scholarship Fund Update
The UFA Scholarship Fund will be awarding over 500 scholarship checks to our families. In its second year of existence, the fund will have given out approximately one-half million dollars to assist our members in their educational efforts. As the fund continues to grow, and depending upon future fund raising opportunities, we hope to continue increasing not only the number of awards, but also the amounts. Back To Top
Win a Vintage '71 Porsche - and Thank America!
A classic professional'Stars & Stripes' detail paint finish! Raffle proceeds will supplement the production of the video, "The New York Firefighters Thank America", created for school children to thank them for the outpouring of support and donations made in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. More than 150 members from 26 different firehouses participated in the project and expressed gratitude for the thousands of letters, cards and drawings sent by children across the country after the tragedy. Raffle tickets for the Porsche will be sold citywide for $50 (3 chances per $50), with a drawing to be held at the UFA Membership meeting January 8, 2004. Make checks out to: 'West Side Cultural Center' and mail to: UFA, c/o Ann Elizabeth / Rudy Sanfilippo, 204 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010. Raffle stubs will be mailed to contributing members immediately upon receiving your check. Back To Top
Line-of-Duty Death Fund (LODD) Trips
Your LODD Fund recently sent 4 FDNY members to the memorial service in San Francisco on November 12 for the FF who died fighting the Cedar Fire in California. Mark Gentile E-264, John Elges L-134, Paul Dieringer E-265, John Komorowski L-121 proudly represented our membership in tribute to the California fallen hero. The next firehouses scheduled to go are E-42 & E-43 L-59.
Back To Top
New FDNY Kickboxing Club Forming
The Art of Traditional Muay Thai Kickboxing. A weekly instructional group kickboxing workout is open to all firefighters and officers for all levels from beginner to advanced. Workouts (lasting about 70 minutes) are every Tuesday at 2:30pm starting December 9th at Five Points Fitness located at 444 Broadway (2nd flr) in Manhattan (1 block north of Canal Street). Free instruction/workout. The gym's fee is only $10 for facility use and towel services for members that present an FDNY I.D for each meeting. For more info call Five Points Fitness at (212) 226-4474 and leave your phone # and/or e-mail address, or call Firefighter Eric Torres L-34 at (212) 928-9691, group 21, or cell at (917) 215-4764. Back To Top
Save 50% off the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
From now thru January 4.Call Ticketmaster Christmas Hotline (212) 307-1000 or visit www.radiocity.com. Note the following discount codes: Just say "JUNION" when you order your select tickets to The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (offer expires Nov. 30th) or "NUNION" when you order tickets to A Christmas Carol - The Musical! (offer expires Dec. 19th). Limit 8 tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges.
Back To Top
Support the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The fund provides $10,000 grants for the dependents of U.S. and United Kingdom service men and women who have fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq defending freedom. Individuals may send contributions to: Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund c/o Intrepid Museum Foundation, West 46th Street & 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036.
Back To Top Fraternally, Stephen J. Cassidy
President
Joseph A. Miccio
Recording Secretary
 |
