Things To Know
Thinking About Retiring-Important Info:
Did you know that UB has an in-house retirement planning resource
person who runs retirement information sessions?
Ann Bielinski, in Human Resources, is UB's in-house expert on SUNY
retiree health insurance and other benefits.
From January through August, 2006, Anne will conduct retirement
information sessions on the third Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m.
in 142 Crofts Hall.
For personal consultation, contact her at 645-5000, ext. 1272, or by
e-mail at abielinski@business.buffalo.edu.
All employee contacts with Ann regarding retirement planning
information are confidential. No information will be shared with your
school, division or department until you actually file the paperwork
to retire.
[Ezra Zubrow, Chapter President, Jan 26, 2006]
Departmental "Codes of Conduct" and You:
Did you know that departmental "codes of conduct" can take your rights
away?
In the last several months, UUP members in various units have shared
with with us new departmental "Codes of Conduct" or similar rules with
different titles. The codes that we have seen can impact the terms and conditions of
your employment and limit your rights.
If any UUP member is given a new "Code of Conduct" to review or implement, please share it with Tara Singer-Blumberg,
UUP Labor
Relations Specialist (tsinger@nysutmail.org ) and/or Ezra Zubrow, UUP Chapter President
(zubrow@buffalo.edu ) right away. UUP works very hard every day to preserve and protect members' terms
and conditions of employment. Don't permit them to be taken away!
[Tara Singer, UUP Labor Relations Specialist, Jan 26, 2006]
The New Medicare Bill and You:
I contacted the benefits office to find out what impact the new Medicare bill will have on you. This information is
particularly relevant for:
- active members over 65, active members planning to retire
- active members doing long-term planning and
- retired members.
The most important advice is that you should not sign up for any "private insurance Medicare add on" policies
without contacting the UUP benefits office. Furthermore, most of you should NOT participate in the Medicare Part D
prescription plan.
Please read the following information from a recent NYS Department of Civil Service (DCS) mailing urging those
enrolled in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) not to participate in a Medicare Part D prescription
plan.
"DCS says that NYSHIP enrollees or covered dependents who are eligible for Medicare, should consider joining a
Medicare
prescription drug plan only if (they) are eligible for extra help provided by the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy.
Those who qualify for Social Services or Medicaid may fall into this category, as well as those for whom the NYSHIP
prescription co-pays are a hardship."
Also from the DCS mailing:
"NYSHIP provides prescription drug coverage to you and your covered dependents through the Empire Plan or a NYSHIP
health maintenance organization (HMO).
Effective Jan. 1, 2006, Medicare will begin providing prescription drug coverage to those who join a Medicare Part D
prescription drug plan. You may receive information and notice advertising these plans. Most NYSHIP enrollees and
covered dependents should not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.
The prescription drug benefits provided under your NYSHIP coverage, in most cases, gives you better coverage and
lower out-of-pocket costs than the coverage offered under a Medicare prescription drug plan. *NYSHIP does not require
thatyou join Medicare Part D for prescription drug coverage.
As a NYSHIP enrollee or covered dependent eligible for Medicare in 2006, you will continue to receive the full
NYSHIP prescription drug benefits available to you under the Empire Plan or an NYSHIP HMO if you do not enroll in
Medicare Part D.
If you do enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan:
- You will not be reimbursed the monthly premium for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, as you are for
the premium for Medicare Part B medical coverage.
- There will be changes in your NYSHIP prescription drug coverage and the way you receive prescription drug
benefits.. E.g. a) Your NYSHIP prescription drug coverage will become secondary and the Medicare prescription drug plan
will be primary, b) You will continue to be billed the full NYSHIP monthly premium, which will include the cost of
NYSHIP prescription drug coverage."**
** Quotes are from DCS and the UUP Active Retiree Newsletter.
[Ezra Zubrow, Chapter President, January 26, 2006]
Agency Fee Payor:
Do you know how to tell if you are an agency fee payer? Look at your paystub. The box titled "after tax deductions"
will say either UUP member" or "UUP agency fee". If you are a fee payer, it means that you are in the bargaining unit,
but are not a member of the union. That means, you pay the same dues as everyone else, but you:
- CANNOT vote on the Contract;
- CANNOT hold union office;
- CANNOT elect union leaders on your campus and choose your representatives at the State and national levels;
- CANNOT join UUP or NYSUT AFTER RETIREMENT, which means you will NOT be able to continue ANY benefits that either
UUP or NYSUT provide to members (e.g. Davis vision, dental, discounts, auto insurance, life insurance, long term care,
catastrophic care)
If you are an agency fee payer, and want to become a member, please contact Chris Black, via e-mail at
cmblack@buffalo.edu, or via telephone at (716) 645-2013.
[Ezra Zubrow, Chapter President, Dec 12, 2005]
New Vision Provider Locations:
Hamburg: Empire Vision Center, McKinley Milestrip Plaza, 3540 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg, NY 14219 (as
of September 13, 2005).
Cheektowaga: Empire Vision Center, Tops Plaza, 3836 Union Road, Cheektowaga, NY 14225 (as of October 18,
2005.
Williamsville: Empire Vision Center, East View Plaza, 8236 Transit Road, Amherst, NY 14221 (as of
October 18, 2005).
Amherst: Empire Vision Center, Maple Crossing, 4080 Maple Road, Amherst, NY 14226 (as of December 20,
2005).
[Chris Black, Oct 26, 2005]
Presidential Sick Leave:
If you are sick, injured, or infirm and are going to exhaust all sick leave accruals, Article 23.4(g) entitles
employees to request additional sick leave from the College
President. This leave can be at full pay, partial pay, or no pay.
Leave at full or partial pay cannot exceed six months (including the
time off already taken with pay using the employee's accruals).
Leave with no pay cannot exceed one year.
The request should be made in writing, to your supervisor. The
supervisor must then make a recommendation, and forward that
recommendation along with your request, to HR for a determination on
whether you are eligible. The request is then forwarded to the
President for consideration.
If you are off on sick leave, and believe you will run out of accruals
before you are cleared to return to work, please contact UUP for
assistance. You should apply for this leave WELL BEFORE your days run
out.
[Ezra Zubrow, Chapter President, Dec 12, 2005]
Annual Pay Raises:
The present Contract provides that every year, all UUP employees,
including part-time employees, should receive a raise. The amount of
the raise is based upon a percent of your salary, and is a negotiated
benefit, contained in Article 20 of the Contract. It can vary from
year to year.
Whatever the annual amount of your raise is, it must be added to your
base salary. This applies to part-time and adjunct employees as well.
If you are hired from year to year, your salary should go up every year,
as your base increases with every year's salary increase. If this is
not being done, please contact UUP.
[Ezra Zubrow, Chapter President, Oct 26, 2005]
Charging Time When The Office Is Closed:
UB cannot "close" an office, only SUNY can. Any time an office sends
out a notice that they will be "closed", e.g. for Christmas Eve,
employees can ask to be assigned to an alternate work site, rather then
be forced to charge accruals and go home early.
[Tara Singer,NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist, Sep 23,2005]
Time Sheet Entries for Short Absences:
If you are a professional employee who has been required to charge
time off when you are away from work for less than two hours (or 1/4 day),
read on:
Some employees, when they have to take off an hour to see a doctor,
for instance, have been told
a) To charge that time to their vacation or sick time
accruals immediately OR
b) To "save up" these short periods of time off until they
total two hours or 1/4 day, and THEN charge their accruals.
Professional employees who are told to do this are being treated as
hourly employees, which makes them subject to the Fair Labor Standards
Act, something SUNY does not want. Professional employees do not need
to charge accruals for absences of less than 1/4 day. Employees,
however may be expected to make up the time they missed, if that time off has
an impact on their professional obligation.
[Tara Singer,NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist, Sep 14,2005]
Use of Alumni Arena:
UUP employees are entitled to free access to the athletics facilities
(except the fitness center) from 7-8 a.m. and
12-1 p.m. The UUP fitness center is on the second floor now, and is
available any time at no charge.
[Tara Singer,NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist, Sep 16,2005]
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