Cuomo Administration Attacks New York State Retirees

ALBANY, NY (06/16/2011)(readMedia)-- Stan Winter, President of the Retired Public Employees Association representing 40,000 public service retirees, is calling on the Governor to curtail his ill conceived and illegal attack on New York State's public service retirees.

Based on the release of the Cuomo administration's contract proposal by the Public Employees Federation (PEF), Cuomo is calling for the elimination of the sick leave credit offset for current state retirees.

The administration's proposal to unions representing active employees ignores the reality that retirees are not employees within the meaning of the law as clearly stated by the Public Employees Relation Board and the courts. And, strangely contradicts the administration's own rules for retirees as stated in the State's Orientation Handbook recently promulgated in March 2011. The sick leave provision for retirees is also clearly stated in the information provided to employees by the State's Health Insurance Program.

RPEA is asking for assurance that this administration will not violate the rights of retirees under the cover of contract negotiations of which they have no part by definition.