Automatic Death Benefit Bill Has Council Thinking

By REUVEN BLAU

A proposed bill to automatically provide continuing health insurance benefits to families of all city Correction Officers and Sanitation Workers killed on the job has hit a snag in the City Council, sources said last week.

RAFAEL CONCEPCION: Family coverage up in air.

The measure was introduced by the Bloomberg administration after years of lobbying from the unions representing those titles. But making the benefit automatic would eliminate the positive press the Council and the Mayor receive each time authorization is granted to an individual widow or surviving family member.

Mayor Still Supportive

Stu Loeser, Mayor Bloomberg's chief spokesman, called the legislation "uncontroversial," but acknowledged that the Council's "concerns" were being discussed. "The health insurance bill is our bill and we strongly support it," he said in an e-mail. "Administration officials met with the Council last week about their concerns on it."

The measure would grant surviving spouses and children of those employees the same aid that currently exists for cops and firefighters. Under the proposal, spouses would receive health benefits until they die; children would be covered until at least age 18.

Officials from the two unions representing the affected titles, the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association and the Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association, said they were unaware of any problems.

"I look at the legislation and I see Rafael Concepcion's widow," said Tom Bishop, the USA's legislative director. "I don't want to do anything to jeopardize her from getting the health benefits she's entitled to." Mr. Concepcion died Dec. 15 when he was thrown from the cab of his truck after his co-worker lost control while rounding a corner.

An Apple Pie Appeal

Currently, the city provides health benefits to surviving family members of Sanitation Workers, Correction Officers, and civilian employees on an individual basis. That allows the Mayor and the Council to hold a press conference each time the benefit is extended to include the surviving family of a newly deceased city worker. "It's like putting the Mayor in with motherhood and apple pie," said one insider.

But that process has caused the grieving families some unnecessary anxiety, as they have to wait for the Mayor to introduce the legislation amending the current law, union officials noted.

"It puts the widow through tremendous stress in a time of need," Mr. Bishop said. "On the other hand, no Mayor has ever not granted the benefit."

It took the city close to two months to provide health insurance to the widow and child of Department of Transportation worker Nicky Antico, who was killed in September 2005 by a hit-and-run driver while repaving a street in Staten Island.

As for Mr. Concepcion, his family is currently receiving the extended health insurance while lawmakers haggle over the bill, sources indicated.

Some insiders have speculated that Council Speaker Christine Quinn is personally holding up the bill. "They are worried it eliminates them from the picture," said one source, referring to her staff. Ms. Quinn declined to comment.

Keeping a Tight Rein

By all accounts, Ms. Quinn has taken a hands-on approach regarding what bills are introduced and which topics are addressed at Council hearings. "Any Council Members' hands are tied unless they have the okay from the Speaker's Office," said another insider. "That's a hard thing to get."

Civil Service and Labor Committee Chair Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. reiterated that he wants to hold a hearing on the health insurance measure as soon as possible. "Regardless of the reason of its being held up, we need to pass this sooner than later," he said during a phone interview.

USA Not Worried

Mr. Bishop said he was confident the bill would in the end be signed into law. "Nobody's called me and expressed any indication that it's not going to be acted on by the Council," he said. "What I think is going to happen is that ultimately the Council will vote for this legislation; it's about making sure Ms. Concepcion gets the help she should get."

Dick Dadey, executive director of the good-government group Citizens Union, questioned the holdup. "Relieving the families' anxiety during a time of personal turmoil is more important than any elected official getting credit," he said during a phone interview. "This will create uniform treatment of important city employees who die in the line of duty and should not be used as an opportunity to create political theater."