Newsday (New York), December 24, 2005, Saturday

Copyright 2005 Newsday, Inc.
Newsday (New York)

December 24, 2005 Saturday
ALL EDITIONS

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A20

HEADLINE: Q & A;
Analyzing pension plan's role in labor talks

BYLINE: BY WILLIAM MURPHY. STAFF WRITER

BODY:
A last-minute pension demand by the MTA, an issue that is still on the table, is the main
reason the union gave for walking off the job Tuesday morning.
Does the State Legislature have to approve any pension changes agreed on by the negotiators?
Yes. All changes in public employee pensions must be approved by the legislature. Typically, a union and the government employer agree on the pension change and jointly support legislation to legalize it.
Are the negotiators required to talk about pensions?
No. Pensions can be negotiated if both parties agree, but they are not mandatory subjects of bargaining.
What's in it for the MTA to change the pension?
Reduced pension cost for years to come.
What's in it for the union to accept changes to the pension?
No clear benefit. "It's not in my interests to negotiate away pension benefits. The value of the concession down the line is almost impossible to measure," said labor attorney Michael Axelrod of Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman of East Meadow.
Is the pension issue the make-or-break item on the negotiating table?
It has become the most publicized, but the negotiations are private and very little, with the notable exception of salary increases, has become public. "We just don't know if there are other items on the table," says Lee Adler, who teaches public sector collective bargaining at Cornell University.