The time has come for our brotherhood to unite and follow the lead of the IAFF recommendation. IAFF President Shaitberger has stated, and is politely requesting that all IAFF members take a hard look at were your hard earned deferred income is going. As President of Local 246, I am recommending that we all follow the direction of the IAFF President Shaitberger in this endeavor. Many of us have already exercised that option.

 For information regarding this information from the IAFF, you can go to their web page and view the 2007, Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference. Please take the time to listen to the whole web cast . Listen carefully to the dialogue in which the IAFF President decries current and future attacks on our pension system, and who is spending your money to attack our pensions. Click on the link below. 

You can either copy or cut and paste this in:

http://www.iaff.org/events/2007LegCon/coverage.htm .

Next,  find the Legislative Conference Coverage which is at the top of the page and click View Video. If you have any additional questions, feel free to call me anytime.

Derek L. Tisinger, President

Bakersfield Firefighters Labor Organization, local 246

The IAFF is urging its affiliates and members not to participate in deferred compensation programs sponsored by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) – the chief opponent of the recently passed NFPA 1710 Standard.

General President Schaitberger outlined the IAFF’s position in a letter he sent to the CEO of the ICMA Retirement Corporation. The company oversees pension funds for public employees, including many fire fighters, and maintains extensive official ties to the management group. The letter to Girard Miller was in response to recent erroneous claims by ICMA RC representatives that the IAFF actually supported the funds.

"Over the past two weeks, two IAFF local affiliate leaders have been contacted by representatives of the ICMA Retirement Corporation concerning the IAFF’s position on our members participating in deferred compensation programs sponsored by ICMA," Schaitberger wrote. "In each correspondence the ICMA representative insinuated that the IAFF - specifically referring to me - did not object to IAFF members utilizing the ICMA product."

"This assertion is both presumptuous and untrue," Schaitberger continued. "In fact, the IAFF is categorically opposed to its members participating in your plans and utilizing your services when they have another option. While the International would never encourage its members not to participate in deferred compensation if ICMA is the sole option, in all other circumstances the IAFF will actively encourage its members to utilize other providers."

Schaitberger added that, in his role as a Vice President of the AFL-CIO, he was preparing to communicate the IAFF’s position to all unions representing public sector employees.

The IAFF’s position is based on the fact that the ICMA – which has extensive ties to the investment subsidiary – has intentionally positioned itself as an enemy of the IAFF and of professional fire fighters. The most recent, and egregious, example was its active opposition to the NFPA 1710 Standard.

The ICMA Retirement Corporation has paid royalties to the ICMA since 1972, and money derived from this arrangement flows directly into the coffers of the group. Countering claims by the company that it has erected a management barrier from its parent, the General President wrote: "The reality is that you trade under their name, benefit from their influence, and provide revenue for their use."

Schaitberger went on to say that he considered the representations of the IAFF’s position an honest mistake. Nevertheless, he asked that Miller immediately inform his company’s field representatives of the accurate position of the IAFF and that he provide a courtesy copy of that correspondence to the IAFF.