Last session LELS Legislator of the Year Rep. Dan Wolgamott put forward Bill HF 4796   to add Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan. MNCORA fought this. The Bill didn't pass last session but resulted in a study that is to explore a better pension for Dispatch and Probation. We hope that doesn't include another swing at our Corrections Plan. As of today it's not listed on the LCPR's Workgroup page so we don't know. We were told the issue is not over. Last session LELS Executive Director Jim Mortenson was very upset MNCORA was collecting petitions opposing HF4796. LELS CO's were blindsided by their Union's support of this threat to the Correctional Plan. MNCORA has members statewide. We're hearing from some CO's LELS doesn't support adding Dispatch to our plan and from other groups they're telling dispatch they do.  LELS has a history of treating Correctional members different than others. For instance they collect dues for the MPPOA, but ...

 

Representatives Dan Wolgamott, Brion Curran and Luke Frederick have authored Bill HF4796 which will add 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan.  Those behind the raid are AFSCME Council 5, LELS and Teamsters Local 320 . They are all ignoring the study the MN Senate paid for in 2022 which did not recommend adding dispatchers to the Correctional plan. To our knowledge none of these Unions have consulted their Correctional Plan members. Adding them could jeopardize the health of the PERA Correctional Plan. Below is the letter MNCORA sent the PERA Board for their hearing on March 14 opposing it. AFSCME, LELS and Teamsters all submitted letters supporting this! Contact Rep. Wolgamott and ask him to withdraw the Bill!   rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn.gov   ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Mr. Anderson and PERA Trustees: The Minnesota Correctional Officer Retirement Association (MNCORA) opposes the  addition of 911 Dispatch...

MNCORA is hearing that there is another Bill being drafted to yet again try to add Dispatchers to our PERA Correctional Plan.  There was an attempt last year and there was a Senate 911 Telecommunicator Pension Benefits Working Group that studied the issue and concluded NOT to recommend adding them. MNCORA's President was an advisor to that group and testified against it. LELS and the MPPOA backed the previous effort and we hear rumors that they are behind this one too. We will let you know if that turns out to be true. Interestingly enough and probably unbeknownst to them is that on January 1, 2025 all State and Local Corrections Officers will be recognized by the Federal Government as Public Safety Officers. How can you have two different designations in one pension for disability and taxes once that occurs? MNCORA will fight this tooth and nail. UPDATE: It is LELS  Jim Mortenson,   Executive Director of Law Enforcement Labor Services ( LELS ) ,  has been reaching ...

The LCPR has posted  Information from Stakeholders  on it's work group site. At this point only one Union bothered to respond to the Working Group's inquiry and that is  LELS ! On first glance it looks like support for adding them, but a close read reveals otherwise. The letter is in favor of enhanced benefits for 911 Dispatchers but NEVER mentions adding them to the PERA Correctional Plan. They then do something very curious. They (LELS) attach 7 testimonial letters allegedly from dispatchers and people in the industry, but there are NO NAMES with the letters! Anyone can write anonymously, even the same person. These letters do support adding 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Plan. There's also a Workers Comp Claims sheet attached to the LCPR Working Group page.  It shows between 2003 and 2020 Dispatchers had 92 claims and Corrections Officers had 2,610 ! It doesn't show what the claims are for but we all know CO's are subject to assault and disease and dis...