05/09/2015
Attention Louisiana friends, share this post with everyone!
Senator Barrow Peacock's SB13 is sitting there on the daily digest under "Bills Subject to Call". Which means it can be brought up and voted on at Senator Peacocks leisure. He made it clear that he will not give us a warning as to when that will happen. Told us we'd have to just watch for it. When that does happen, there will be no advance notice or advertisement. We need to remind our Senators that if he moves on his bill we want them to hold the course and support their Firefighters! Please call and email every Senator and ask them to vote against SB13 when it comes back up.
This bill will REDUCE the retirement benefits for firefighters hired in the future. Louisiana firefighters are not eligible for social security benefits when they retire. All we have is our pension and our savings.
No one has asked for this change, not the retirement system, not the cities nor the firefighters.
Firefighters across Louisiana increased THEIR contributions to the pension by 2% 4 years ago to help. That alone has saved cities over $16 million in the past 4 years. Plus the city's contribution rates are dropping by 2% on July 1st. This should save cities another $16 million over the next 4 years.
SB13 is projected to only save $4 million over the next 5 years.
Recruiting is already hard with firefghters not making a whole lot of money and having to work a second job. SB13 will make recruiting even more difficult than it already is.
Why are future firefighters not worthy of the same benefits for risking their lives as current firefighters?
Here is a link to all the Senators. Just click on their name & you'll find their info. http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/
