Fire Pension trimmed down

By: Tristram DeRoma, Bard Editor 11/02/2007

According to Stratford Mayor James Miron, the days when town employees retired on an annual pension that was on average, many tens of thousands of dollars above what their take-home pay was, are just about over.

The announcement came at a press conference held at town hall this Monday, where he said the Stratford firefighter's union (Local 998) was the last town agency to accept the town's new rules regarding the pension fund.

"This is going to save the town $15.2 million over the next 23 years," Miron said, adding the figure factors in all other town employees, including the Police Department.

Miron also said he wished he could take credit for it, work on the arbitration agreement actually dates to 1997, when the town had a town manager-council government, entered into negotiations with the Stratford Fire Department to hammer out a deal to reduce Stratford's unfunded pension liability, which has grown to about $68 million today.

"One of my goals as Stratford's first mayor is to focus on enhancing labor relations, strengthening pro-management and taxpayers' positions and removing from labor contracts provisions that do not serve the town well," said Miron.

Under the new agreement, Stratford's firefighters, during their employment, will have to contribute more to their pensions, and will potentially draw smaller pensions than what the firefighters before them could.

According to a fact sheet distributed at the press conference, all firefighters will be contributing 8 percent from each paycheck to fund their pensions. Before it was 6 percent.

The fact sheet also highlighted changes to how a disability pension is formulated, and how a "normal" pension is formulated.

According to Miron, a "normal" pension, one where a firefighter finishes out his career uninterrupted by an injury that would force his retirement will be based on the average of the last two years of his or her career. This change also goes for a disability pension and the town's death benefit pension. Also, each employee must contribute to his or her pension as long as he is a firefighter, even if he or she continues beyond the normal 30-year limit. The maximum compensation benefit for a "normal" pension is 70 percent

The disability pension, according to Finance Director John Norko, who also was at the press conference, offered more money than a "normal" pension in many cases. The maximum amount of compensation for that pension has been now cut to 50 percent. Miron said this is a significant victory for the town and its taxpayers. Although Miron said there wasn't any concrete proof, he said having the disability pension in some cases figure higher than a "normal" pension may have tempted some employees to try for the disability pension. Miron stopped short of assigning any guilt to any specific individual or agency, however.

"All we know is that the number of disability pensions have decreased since this policy was implemented with the other departments," said Miron

However, when asked why it took 10 years to come to an agreement, the town's "labor remediation consultant," David Dunn, who was there throughout the negotiations, the delay was due mostly due to schedule conflicts between the department's union, the town and the arbitrators. He also said though that the "firefighters met us with resistance."

The Stratford Bard could not get any of the past and present union presidents to comment. The union's current president, Kevin Lantowsky, could not be reached at his work. The president that was there throughout the entire negotiation process, John Conway, said he did not want to speak over the current president, unless he had his permission.

When the question was put to Miron and Dunn if they felt comfortable giving a firefighter that became severely disabled in the line of duty a 50 percent disability pension, they said special cases would be considered. But for the majority of aches and pains and injuries however, 50 percent would be the norm.

Fire Chief John Cybart, who also was at the press conference, hoped so.

"My job is to provide the highest level of service to the town of Stratford, yet I also have to look my firefighters in the eyes," said Cybart.