IAFF 53rd Conference

Re-elected General President, Harold A. Schaitberger, provided the State of the Union that can be viewed on YouTube at this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr2DYoNBIg. The State of the Union is about 50 minutes long. A section of the State of the Union covers the decision of the IAFF not to endorse a Presidential Candidate in 2016. THat is a five minute video and can be viewed here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObmWUWY-KKI&list=PLid8i4Cga6mD2hNos2_-e43VSjI_lRX8O&index=4. The last llink is to the acceptance speech of Ed Kelly as General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PopwYxxW12w&index=15&list=PLid8i4Cga6mD2hNos2_-e43VSjI_lRX8O.

IAFF Online Learning Center

The IAFF offer online classes for members. One of the newest classes is a Behavioral Health Awareness Class. These classes have video modules for learning. Attached below (Online Programs.png) is a list of the available courses for Local 2542 members. Here is the link: http://lms.iaff.org/

KCPR sent an update this afternoon about KPERS.

That update is attached below as Image1.jpg. The image is difficult to read so the below article has been uploaded. A more detailed article can be found using this link:

http://cjonline.com/news/2016-02-08/kansas-senate-panel-approves-budget-changes-kpers-ku-targeted

Contact your legislators.

Senate Budget Allows Kansas To Delay KPERS Payments

By STEPHEN KORANDA • 5 HOURS AGO

A Kansas Senate committee has voted to let Gov. Sam Brownback delay making payments into the state pension plan.

Republican Sen. Jim Denning says delaying state payments into the retirement fund could help Kansas manage a tight budget.We need to have some working capital to catch our breath, and this maneuver will give us that,” Denning says.

The proposal says the delayed payments should be paid back into KPERS, with interest, over the next two years.

Democratic Sen. Laura Kelly says the move looks like a loan being taken out of the retirement fund for state workers and teachers.

I have never seen it being used essentially as a credit card, and that’s what we’re doing here,” Kelly says.Kelly is also concerned lawmakers may choose not to pay the money back into KPERS. The pension plan currently faces a long-term deficit, although lawmakers have reduced the shortfall in recent years.

The budget in the Kansas House also contains a provision allowing the governor to delay KPERS payments.

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