News Archive: 1/1/06 - 6/30/06
6/29/06 - Please note that we have changed our email address. OMCE's new email address is: nysomce@gmail.com. Technical note: Clicking on the email address will open your default email program. However, if you are using a Web-based email service (e.g. AOL, Gmail, Hotmail), the link may not work.
6/27/06 - The Comptroller's Office has notified us that retirement allowance adjustments resulting from retroactive payment of the M/C performance advances that were withheld in April 2003 will be included in the pension checks mailed on June 30, 2006. Approximately 550 retirees are affected.
6/24/06 - The Senate passed the 55/25 retirement incentive bill in the final hours of the session yesterday. The bill, the provisions of which are described below, passed in the Assembly on Thursday. Next, it will be sent to the Governor for signature. The Senate also passed, but the Assembly did not act on, the Governor's targeted retirement incentive bill (S.8472). The Legislature has adjourned, subject to recall. There is talk of the Legislature coming back in the Fall, but it's too early to speculate on what the Legislature will take up if it reconvenes. We will continue to post updates here. OMCE members with questions are invited to call us at 1-800-828-6623 (456-5241 in the Albany area).
6/23/06 - A.9804/S.4752A, an OMCE bill to establish a 25 year retirement program for police investigators assigned to the Attorney General's Office, has passed both houses. Next step is for the bill to be sent to the Governor for signature. A.6511B/S.4511A, a bill to increase the maximum salary used in the calculation of final average salary for a Tier 3 or Tier 4 retiree from 110% to 120% of the average of the salary for the previous two years, has passed in the Assembly and been sent to the Senate. No further action to report yet on the 55/25 retirement incentive bill that passed in the Assembly yesterday.
6/22/06 - The Governor has again vetoed the retiree health insurance protection bill (S.6397/A.9722). Click here to send an email to Senate Majority Leader Bruno and Senator Farley, the bill's sponsor, urging an override of the Governor's veto.
6/22/06 - The Assembly has passed the 55/25 retirement incentive bill (described below). We will post further updates here, as soon as information becomes available,
6/21/06 - An “age 55/25 years” retirement incentive bill (S.8408/A.11805) is moving forward in the Legislature. The bill has cleared the committees in both houses and is awaiting action by the full Senate and Assembly. Discussions are continuing on the Governor’s budget cleanup bills and among them is a targeted retirement incentive bill similar to the bill proposed in the Governor’s 2006-07 Executive Budget, but no action has been taken in the Legislature yet on that bill. We will provide updates on the progress of both bills as additional information becomes available.
The 55/25 bill consists of three parts: Parts A and B would provide employees aged 55 with 25 years the opportunity in fiscal years 2006-07 (Part A) and 2007-08 (Part B) to retire without the age and service related penalties provided for in Tiers 2, 3 or 4. Part C would provide an additional employer contribution upon retirement in calendar year 2006 to SUNY, CUNY, community college, etc employees participating in optional, defined benefit retirement programs such as TIAA-Cref (and others).
For Executive Department employees, Parts A and B provide for a 90 day retirement window to be determined by the Director of Employee Relations and commencing no later than 1/1/07 (Part A) or 1/1/08 (Part B). Participants must have continuously active service from 2/1/06 (Part A) or 2/1/07 (Part B) and be eligible for retirement as of the effective date of retirement. The Director of Employee Relations can deny participation on grounds of public health and safety; denied employees can pursue review via the courts under Article 78.
Part C provides for a determination to made on or before 8/31/06 by the “campus employer” of a 30 to 90 day retirement window ending no later than 12/31/06. The additional employer contribution will be in an amount not to exceed 45% of salary, calculated on the basis of one month’s salary for each year of service multiplied by 15%. Participation in the Part C incentive can be denied based on public health and safety considerations and/or loss of “significant” revenue or “substantially” increased overtime or contractual costs. The bill does not address how employees may pursue review of denials to participate.
6/16/06 - The Governor's Office of Employee Relations has announced an increase in the maximum amount of M/C tuition reimbursement to $1,750 per fiscal year, effective April 1, 2006. Information on the M/C Tuition Reimbursement Program, including eligibility/course criteria, etc. and downloads of the tuition reimbursement forms, is available by clicking on the following link: http://www.goer.state.ny.us/mc/mctuition.html
6/2/06 - Last call for this year! Nominations/applications for seats on the OMCE Board of Directors close June 15, 2006. We are looking for additional candidates to run for the six seats that are available. Call OMCE for more information (800-828-6623).
5/19/06 - Pursuant to the authorization contained in Budget Bulletin D-1118, dated 3/20/06, the Office of the State Comptroller has issued guidelines and processing instructions (Payroll Bulletin #641, dated May 19, 2006) for the payment of M/C cash merit award payments in fiscal year 2006-07. The cash merit award is a lump sum payment and not added to the employee's basic annual salary. As in the past, agencies can submit merit award payments for processing any time during the fiscal year. The eligibility period is 4/1/05 to 3/3/1/07. An employee may receive more than one cash merit award, but the cumulative value of all such payments earned and paid in fiscal year 2006-07 may not exceed 5% of the employee's basic annual salary.
4/13/06 – On March 30, 2006, the State Supreme Court denied and dismissed the lawsuits filed by OMCE and others (PEF, NYSCOPBA, NYS Police Investigators Association and UUP) challenging the State’s change in policy concerning reimbursement of Medicare Part B premiums. (See earlier 3/21/06 News update below for background information.) We and the other parties are in discussion concerning a possible appeal. In the meantime, we have filed a notice of intention to appeal, in order to preserve our appeal rights. We will keep you advised.
4/3/06 - The Governor's Office of Employee Relations has announced the availability of the M/C Vacation Exchange Program in fiscal year 2006-07, whereby eligible M/C employees may elect to exchange up to 5 days of accumulated vacation credits (annual leave) for monetary compensation. To be eligible to participate, an employee's accumulated vacation credits must total at least 35 days during the election period, which runs from April 1 through either July 5, 2006 for employees on the Institution payroll or July 12, 2006 for Administration payroll employees. The election form is available from your human resources office. The salary base for computing payment is October 1, 2006 and payment will be made during the first week of December 2006. Compensation received is in addition to and not part of base annual salary, and is not considered salary for the purpose of computing retirement benefits.
3/30/06 - OAG (Office of the Attorney General) "Police" Investigators bill S.4752A-Spano/A.9804-Abbate, which would provide an optimal 25 years of service/regardless of age special retirement plan, was voted out of committee unanimously on March 28, 2006 and has advanced to the 3rd reading (ready for vote) calendar. Passage of the bill in the Senate is imminent. The Assembly is expected to act upon its passage in the Senate.
3/27/06 - The Division of the Budget has authorized payment of the April 1, 2006 general salary increase (3%) and 2006-07 performance advances, merit awards and longevity payments for Managerial and Confidential (M/C) employees (Budget Bulletin D-1118, dated 3/20/06) and the Office of the State Comptroller has issued payroll processing instructions (Payroll Bulletins #633 and #634, dated 3/23/06). These payments will not be subject to a salary cap.
The general salary increase and 2006-07 performance advances will be paid effective 3/30/06 (Institution payroll) and 4/6/06 (Administration payroll) beginning with paychecks dated 4/27/06 (Institution) and 5/3/06 (Administration). The longevity payment, which is available to M/C employees in grades M/C-17 and below, is effective from the first day of the payroll period following completion of five or ten years of continuous service at or above the job rate. Merit awards are payable, at agency discretion, at any time during the fiscal year.
Location pay will also increase to $1,302 for employees in NYC, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties and to $651 for employees in Orange, Dutchess and Putnam counties. The location pay for employees in Monroe County remains at $200 annually.
3/21/06 - Oral argument is scheduled Friday, March 24, 2006 in State Supreme Court on the lawsuits filed by OMCE and others challenging the State’s change in policy concerning reimbursement of Medicare Part B premiums. Effective January 1, 2006, employee and retiree health insurance premiums increased, as a result of the change. OMCE joined with PEF, NYSCOPBA (NYS Correction Officers Police Benevolent Association) and the NYS Police Investigators Association in the lawsuit filed on January 13, 2006. UUP (United University Professions) filed its own suit; CSEA had previously filed its own suit. RPEA (Retired Public Employees Association) is not a party to the lawsuits, but has been working closely with all parties. RPEA has been granted amicus status in the CSEA lawsuit and is doing an amicus brief in the other suits. We will post updates here as the case progresses.
3/15/06 - The Director, Bureau of Payroll Services in the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) has notified us that, because of errors in many salary plans submitted by agencies, some employees (less than 100) will not receive payment of the 2003 M/C Performance Advance in their March 22 or March 30 paycheck. OSC has corrected a number of the errors but, where significant errors have been found, agencies are being directed to submit revised plans to the Division of the Budget (DOB) for approval. Payments based upon these revised plans will be paid no earlier than April 5, 2006 (Administration payroll) or April 13, 2006 (Institution payroll), or later if pay cycle deadlines are not met.
2/14/06 - Employees eligible for retroactive payment of the withheld 2003 M/C Performance Advance who have retired or otherwise separated from State service will receive the payment in checks drawn on the same dates as for active employees--either March 22 (Administration payroll) or March 30 (Institution payroll). Payments resulting from retroactive adjustments of retirement allowances will be made subsequently--once a specific pay date has been identified, we will post it here.
2/6/06 - We
have been receiving a number of inquiries about the retirement incentive
proposed by Governor Pataki in the 2006-07 Executive Budget. For those in state
service in the Executive Branch agencies (or Authorities/Commissions where the
majority of the governing board’s members are appointed by the Governor), age 50
and with ten or more years of service, the proposed incentive:
--Will have an open period (or periods) of 30-90 days duration to be determined
by the Director of State Operations. (Any open period must end by 3/31/07.)
--Calls for the targeting of specific positions or eligible titles to be
abolished because of “economy, consolidation, or abolition of function or
curtailment of activities.”
Participating
agencies will submit a plan listing eligible titles and anticipated abolished
positions to the Director of State Operations for approval. As in the past,
participating employees will be awarded one month of credit for each year of
pension service up to a maximum of three years, and there will be the usual
age-related reductions.
OMCE, a member of the AFL-CIO Pension Task Force through our affiliation with
OPEIU, is engaged in discussions with the unions on the proposed incentive. As
additional information becomes available, we will post it here.
2/1/06 - Deferred Compensation Plan
participants who expect to receive a retroactive M/C performance advance payment
in their March paycheck may wish to adjust their deferral percentage.
In order to do, you must
act quickly! Employees who will be paid on the March 22nd administrative
payroll must notify the Deferred Compensation Plan of any deferral changes no
later than March 8th to be effective for that payroll. Employees who will be
paid on the March 30th institutional payroll must notify the Deferred
Compensation Plan of any deferral changes no later than March 15th to be
effective for that payroll. (Click
here for instructions on how to make changes.)
1/17/06 - The Comptroller’s Office, Bureau of Payroll Services, has issued instructions to agency payroll offices on the procedures for restoring the 2003 M/C Performance Advances and subsequent required adjustments, as provided for in settlement of our lawsuit with the State. The procedures, contained in a bulletin sent to agency payroll offices, are complex and although the Bureau of Payroll Services will use automatic processing in most instances, manual calculations involving agency payroll staff and the Bureau of Payroll Services’ Salary Determination Unit will be required in many cases. Eligible employees should look for retroactive payment in the regular biweekly paychecks they receive on March 22, 2006 (Administration payroll) and March 30, 2006 (Institution payroll). We will be able to provide members with a general estimate of the payment they can expect to receive, if eligible.
1/9/06 - The Department of Civil Service
has announced changes in its administration of the promotion test batteries:
--Effective December 31, 2006, battery scores will be banked for four years
instead of the current ten years. This change will be applied retroactively. All
battery scores from the 2002 and earlier battery holdings will expire December
31, 2006.
--Testing for each level of the promotion test battery is scheduled for 2006.
The “Mid-level and High-level Managers and Administrators” will be held on June
3, 2006 and the “Supervisors and Specialists” on September 16, 2006. Thereafter,
each level of the promotion test battery will be held in alternating years. The
“Supervisors and Specialists” will be held in 2007 and the “Mid-level and
High-level Managers and Administrators” in 2008.
--To ensure candidates are aware of and maintain active promotion test batteries
scores, battery scores will now be available to candidates on the Department of
Civil Service website (Click
Here). Candidates will be able to log-on with a user ID and password, and
view their own battery score(s).
Agency personnel, human resource and affirmative action offices have been
provided with an informational notice of the changes for distribution to
employees.