Letters to the editor....Firefighters `clarify' Bill 206

Dear editor, There has been an incredible amount of misinformation associated with Bill 206--the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Systems (OMERS) Act, 2005. We feel it is important to clarify the matter of costs as they relate to "optional benefits" as described within the Bill for police, fire and paramedic sectors. To begin, Bill 206 was amended to limit the number of benefits available to three areas-- increased accrual rate, retirement factors and better averaging salary formula. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario still insist to count on a wide variety of costly benefit scenarios that are now prohibited within the legislation. Accessing these benefits will not even be a reality until 2008, should the Bill be passed this spring. Further, Bill 206 limited the parties to negotiating only one benefit every 36 months. It is also important to note that the employee will be responsible for 50 per cent or the same cost associated with the benefit as the employer, thereby limiting the desire due to our own financial restrictions. With the reality of this Bill clearly before us, it is our hope that this council will no longer support the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's attempts to mislead the public regarding the financial effects of this legislation. IAFF Local 3327, Halton Hills Firefighters Association