POAM Secures Significant Legislative Victory; Governor’s Task Force Recommendations Adopted
Via Kenneth E. Grabowski, POAM Legislative Director
After several weeks of discussion and negotiations, the House and Senate amended legislation impacting pension and health care benefits to reflect the Governor’s task force recommendations last night. We thank the leadership of the House and Senate and Governor Snyder for addressing our concerns and passing legislation POAM and the coalition of police and fire organizations supports.
This legislation passed the Senate 36-0 and passed the House 105-5. Your POAM legislative team will continue to monitor action, as the final draft of legislation will not be completed until next week, but we are confident our concerns have been addressed.
The impact of bills are required reporting of pension and OPEB liabilities. If a communities pension is under 60% funded or OPEB is under 40% funded, a plan will have to be developed to properly fund these areas. There are no mandates.
All bills will be posted when finalized.
This is a significant legislative victory for POAM and our members. Thank you for your engagement and for contacting your legislators over the past several weeks. This would not have been possible you.
We have attached bill substitutes for your review below.
Be sure to follow POAM on Facebook &Twitter for updates.
18 responses to “POAM SECURES SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE VICTORY!”
Posted by Jerry Stonebraker
Great accomplishment POAM and Ken Grabowski- protecting the benefits we negotiated in good faith was of paramount concern to all of our retirees.
Posted on January 15, 2018 at 11:04 AM
Posted by Mike Mileski
You had many of us worried of a real back stabber. We received many of those through out the years. Thank you for all involved to get this legislation passed. The POAM has come through once again. Thanks again for your efforts.
Mike Mileski
Posted on December 14, 2017 at 9:38 AM
Posted by D/Sgt. Mark Relich, Grosse Ile POA
Thanks to all at POAM for representing me for the last oh, 30 years or so. I’m retiring this week, and will proudly display the POAM emblem on my vehicle as I have for all these years. Your work, especially this month, has secured retirement benefits for me and my family hopefully for the foreseeable future. Thanks again for YOUR many years of service.
Posted on December 11, 2017 at 1:21 PM
Posted by POAM
Congratulations on your retirement, Mark! Thank you for your kind words. We are proud to have represented you for so long.
Posted on December 12, 2017 at 6:53 PM
Posted by Roger Zoppa
A BIG BIG thank you to the POAM for looking out for the retired. This is so frustrating now when these things come up especially now that I am retired. When I was working I was on the executive board for some time and involved in negotiations. I had more say in what happened to our contract. I never imagined that these things would ever happen. Once again, thank you POAM for not forgetting all of us.
Posted on December 9, 2017 at 9:21 AM
Posted by POAM
Thank you so much for your kind words, Roger! We truly appreciate it.
Posted on December 12, 2017 at 6:53 PM
Posted by Jake VanWormer
Thanks for standing up for us First Responders, we’ve earned these benefits with our BLOOD, SWEAT, and TEARS!! I have but one question!! What happens now??
Posted on December 8, 2017 at 12:48 PM
Posted by Michael Takala
Posted by M.E. Menson
Fred-They promised us last year not to do it again, remember? I hope this doesn’t happen again.
Politicians & promises? Yeah no chance that it could happen again….my eyes just rolled so far back in my head I think the retina’s may have started to detach.
Posted on December 8, 2017 at 4:48 AM
Posted by Kelly Blask
Thank you all at POAM for your hard work on this! Great job! Also BIG thanks to Jim Devries for his outstanding work on our Meridian Township POAM contract that we just won in arbitration! Im retiring in 5 weeks (after 28+ years) and can’t thank Jim and the POAM team enough for making sure my replacement (and the other possible 7-10 hires in the next couple years) have a pension that they can survive on. Again, many thanks!
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 7:15 PM
Posted by POAM
Thank you Kelly!
Posted on December 8, 2017 at 12:31 PM
Posted by MK
Thank you for your hard work in protecting my dad (retired police officer) and all of his retired partners and coworkers! I know this eases a lot of his worries but as he said he hopes this never happens again! Keep fighting the good fight!!!
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 6:47 PM
Posted by POAM
Thank you so much!
Posted on December 8, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Posted by MIKE H
Well done by all parties involved!! We members appreciate your hard work and tireless efforts to secure our collective bargaining right… Thank you, GPFPOA
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 5:46 PM
Posted by POAM
Thank you, Mike!
Posted on December 8, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Posted by Harry Valentine
I would like to thank Ken Grabowski, Dan Kuhn and all the others from POAM that stayed at th capital on the job unti it was finished. Your hard work and dedication to all first responders showed
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 4:44 PM
Posted by Bob Brzak
What are the names of the five people in the House that voted against this . I would like to send them an e-mail. Also I want to make sure that I do not vote for them when election time rolls around . Thank you very much POAM for everything you did as well as all the others behind the scenes.
Bob Brzak
MPD
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 3:41 PM
Posted by M.E. Menson
Fred-They promised us last year not to do it again, remember? I hope this doesn’t happen again.
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 3:26 PM
Posted by Fred
This is great news and thank you for all of your hard work . My only remaining question is does this new legislation at all prevent republicans from coming after pensions and health care again ? Are there any safeguards in the bill to make pensions and health care off limits ? Thanks Fred.
Posted on December 7, 2017 at 3:22 PM