Local 2067 Executive Board UPDATE
from the IAFF 2067 Executive Board

May 11, 2012 - The recent E-board meeting brought several changes to the Board. Until such time when our officer elections are held in late June, the following has occurred. President Butch Crawford, due to his retirement late last month, has left the position of Union President unfilled at this time. Also, 1st Vice Nick Turhune has submitted his resignation from to the Executive Board as well.

To temporarily fill the gaps in the Board until the election, Matt Hart was asked and accepted a seat on the E-board to fill Nick Turhune's position. In addition, he was asked to step up and lead the Negotiating Team as well as be the Union Liaison for the membership.

If you as members have questions, concerns or comments, please address them to the E-board via the 1st Vice President, Matt Hart.

Firefighters Gather in Support of HB 2320
(Oklahoma State Firefighters Association)

May 16, 2012 - More than 300 stickers and pamphlets were distributed to concerned firefighters and their families who gathered at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Tuesday, May 15. They were there to show support for House Bill 2320 -- the firefighters' pension reform bill -- and to let their Senators know how important it is to have the bill heard this session.

Governor Fallin has already indicated that if the legislation lands on her desk, she will sign it.

HB 2320 passed the House of Representatives (93 ayes and 1 nay) with the title on and passed the Senate (38 ayes and 0 nays) with the title off. But now it is being stalled in the Senate. The 2012 Legislation session will adjourn May 25 or earlier.

It's OSFA Convention Time!

May 8, 2012 - The 118th OSFA Annual Convention is coming up quickly, so be ready! Neighboring Fire Departments have come together, working with Slaughterville FD, for this year's convention to be at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman, OK, June 6-9, 2012. Get more information HERE! Each Delegate is asked to bring a Door Prize to Convention! Special Room Rates end on Tuesday, May 15th! Go to the hotel's website to reserve your room and use the code, "OSF". (More OSFA news...)

UPDATE: HB2320 - Firefighters Pension Reform Bill - (OSFA)

May 3, 2012 - FIREFIGHTERS, FAMILIES OF FIREFIGHTERS AND FRIENDS OF FIREFIGHTERS WE NEED YOUR HELP!

House Bill 2320, the Firefighters Pension Reform bill, has been sent to a joint conference committee of the Senate and the House. We are being told that this legislative session could end as early as My 18, 2012, so we must act now to move this extremely important bill forward which only leaves 2 weeks left.

The Governor has indicated that if this bill gets to her desk she will sign the bill. The House of Representatives has passed this bill once and is ready to send it to the Governor as soon as they can.

So…, call or e-mail your Senator ASAP and tell them to urge Senate leadership to move this bill forward because:

1. The bill increases active firefighter’s pension contributions by 1%.
2. The bill increases employer pension contributions by 1%.
   (Note:  Most cities in Oklahoma are currently paying a higher % of salary for retirement for non-uniformed employees than for firefighters.  Cities are paying 6.2% for social security plus as much as 10% for their municipal retirement plan (16.2% of salary) while only paying 13% for firefighter retirement.  OKLAHOMA FIREFIGHTERS HAVE NO SOCIAL SECURITY!
3. The bill reduces the rate of return for firefighters leaving a DROP plan balance with the system.  This is unique in that this agreement affects all firefighters and retirees not just new hires.
4. The bill increases the portion of the insurance premium tax, which has been dedicated to the firefighters pension since the early 1900’s, from 34% to 36%.
5. The bill will not place a burden on the taxpayers of the cities.
6. The bill has been endorsed by the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association, The Oklahoma Retired Firefighters Association, The Oklahoma Fire Chief’s Association and the Professional Firefighters of Oklahoma.

PLEASE INSIST THAT HOUSE BILL 2320 BE HEARD AND PASSED ON TO THE GOVERNOR! You can find your senators email address at the senate website: www.oksenate.gov. If you are not sure who your senator is, click HERE, or look at the bottom of the Senate home page of the Senate website is a “find my senator” link.

EVERYONE!  PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND ASK THEM TO URGE LEADERSHIP TO MOVE THIS BILL FORWARD!

IAFF Succeeds in Easing Normal Retirement Age Regulations
(International Association of Fire Fighters)

April 20, 2012 - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced April 18 that it has agreed to overhaul proposed regulations that would have created significant problems for many public sector pension plans. Under the original regulations, all public sector pension plans would have been required to specify a “Normal Retirement Age,” and would not have been allowed to define retirement based on years of service or a combination of age and years of service. For example, plans that defined normal retirement as “age 50 with 25 years of service” would have been in danger of losing their tax exempt status. The proposed revisions represent a significant victory for the IAFF, capping a five-year campaign to protect fire fighter pension plans.

Under the proposed revisions, pension plans would not be required to maintain a specific normal retirement age unless the plan allowed for “in-service distributions” before age 62. In-service distributions, which are generally not used in public safety occupations, occur when a person who has reached retirement age draws a pension benefit while they continue working and receiving their salary.

The revised regulations contain other important provisions advocated by the IAFF, including delaying the effective date until January 1, 2015. This will give pension plans ample time to make any necessary changes to their plan documents to assure they are in full compliance.

There are still a number of details that need to be clarified, including the precise definition of in-service distribution, and the IAFF will be working with the IRS in the coming months to ensure that these technical issues are resolved in a way that assures the regulations do not interfere with public safety pension plans.

“The decision by the IRS to heed the concerns raised by the nation’s professional fire fighters is a victory for common sense government,” says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. “After too many years of uncertainty, the IRS has now taken the necessary steps to ensure that fire fighters pension benefits will not be endangered.”

Public Safety Fact Sheet
Why Saving the Income Tax is Critical for Public Safety in Oklahoma

The income tax is essential to public safety funding.  The income tax provides the Department of Corrections with $141.2 million, or 30.7 percent of its total appropriations. This is equivalent to the cost of incarcerating more than 9,300 inmates, or about 36 percent of the state’s entire prison population. Over one in three dollars appropriated to the Department of Public Safety comes from income tax revenues.

Oklahomans are less safe due to recent budget cuts. Three consecutive years of budget cuts have restricted the ability of the state’s public safety agencies to operate effectively. The number of troopers on Oklahoma highways is at its lowest level in 22 years. The Department of Corrections is at over 95 percent of inmate capacity but just 70 percent of staffing capacity. DOC needs at least $31 million restored to its budget for vital infrastructure, including new electronic locks at four prisons.  The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has freezed filling 35 vacancies at the agency

Oklahoma’s public safety retirement systems are already underfunded. The Firefighters Pension System has assets equal to less than 65 percent of its liabilities, one of the worst funded ratios of any pension system. The Law Enforcement Pension System is also underfunded. If the revenues needed to shore up these systems become scarcer, the Legislature may chip away at the benefits for those who keep Oklahomans safe.