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To the editor:
The Council of Municipal Retirees Organization (COMRO) has been advocating for all 250,000 New York City municipal retirees’ benefits since 1995. This includes Pension COLA, Medicare Part B Reimbursement, and Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA).
We were the first organization to oppose former Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposal to convert our hard-earned Medicare coverage to the scandal ridden Medicare Advantage Program and continued our opposition with several other advocacy groups at two City Council hearings during the Eric Adams administration. We supported Intro 1096 to protect our Supplemental Medicare coverage in the last City Council and now endorse Intro 1008.
“This bill would maintain the health insurance coverage of eligible retired employees of the city of New York and their dependents by prohibiting the City from increasing the total costs for healthcare above the rate paid by each retiree as of December 31, 2021, or by decreasing the level of coverage that was provided to each such retiree as of December 31, 2021," the bill summary reads.
The Municipal Labor Committee opposed Intro 1096 and now 1008.
They are pressuring City Council members to not join 16 Democratic and Republican members to co-sponsor Council Member Chris Marte’s bill. The MLC falsely claims the bill interferes with collective bargaining rights.
The bill specifically says, “Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to impair the ability of employee organizations to negotiate the terms and conditions of employment, including those concerning future retirement benefits, for their employee members.”
We urge all past and current employees to contact their council members to co-sponsor Intro 1008 to protect current and future retirees’ health insurance coverage.
Stuart Eber
The author is president of The Council of Municipal Retirees Organization
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corodriguez2000
The reason The MLC under the leadership of mulgrew opposes intro 1008 is simply. Its not because it hinders unions contract talks. It because mulgree and the top committee president want to trade away retiree health care benefits for better contract benefits for active members. They are willing to hurt retirees so they can claim they negotiated a great contract and get re elected. They tried to put retirees 65 and older in a sub par medicare advantage and so far failed. No doubt they try again. They instituted co pays. For many it's unaffordable. It a shame what mulgrew and the steering committee have done already. Who hurts the elderly and cares nothing for them. THE MLC.
Wednesday, September 23 Report this
DOTHERIGHTTHING
Shame on UFT/DC37 All the Unions who sold out its own retired dues paying members to fund Active Raises… Now they are trying to sell out more earned Retiree Benefits AGAIN ! Why doesn't the NYC Council PASS BILL 1008 to stop them ???
Because UFT Mulgrew/DC37 Garrido own the NYC Council……..
SHAME ON THEM ALL!
Friday, September 25 Report this