Hello Nassau County Elected Officials,

I am fully aware of the Nassau Retirees fight to protect their health benefits they worked for, paid for, and were promised. Public service workers often choose lower-paying jobs in exchange for the assurance of contractual pension and health benefits in retirement. It is essential that public employers uphold these commitments, especially when they are embedded in Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Nassau County and County Executive Blakeman are breaking the law and these commitments, which were guaranteed to you both in writing and orally.  The County Legislature must keep them on the Empire Plan, as well as enact protections to prevent future changes.

I understand and support the following points:        

• Upon retirement, retirees are no longer part of any bargaining unit.  The law prohibits unions from representing both retirees and active employees simultaneously, so you could not have been part of the 2023 MOU negotiated between the County and the union of active employees.
• The CBA in effect at the time you retire governs your rights in retirement.  Your CBA promised you County-paid health insurance that was vested for life with benefits that cannot be reduced, ever.
• The Collective Bargaining Agreement for retirees clearly states that health benefits cannot be diminished.  The Federal Government defines the “benefit” as the healthcare items or services covered under a health insurance plan.
• The current negotiations between the CSEA union and the County has no effect on past retirees.  Retirees are entitled to fully-paid health insurance for life, with benefits at least as good as the NYSHIP Empire Plan.
• The County Executive admits in his letter to CSEA Local 830 members (retirees are not members)  dated 8/5/2024 “FACT: Your Union asked to move all employees out of the Empire plan and into the Excelsior plan.” and in another letter dated 8/6/2024 again to the CSEA Local 830 members “Last year, at the specific request of the CSEA, the county agreed to move all of the employees it represented into the Excelsior Plan." Nowhere does it state anything about retirees. Remember Retirees are NOT EMPLOYEES and are NOT REPRESENTED BY ANY UNION.

We urge the County Executive and the County Legislature to take immediate action to support retirees—who are among the most health- and financially vulnerable members of our community—by publicly standing down and ensuring that retirees are left undisturbed.