The following NYCERS members are essential workers:
- HHC hospital workers,
- Fire EMS workers,
- MTA subway and bus workers,
- correction officers,
- sanitation workers,
- DEP water and sewage workers,
- DOT highway/street/bridge/ferry workers,
- Police 911 & 311 workers,
- HA maintenance workers,
- TBTA line workers and
- countless others.
Besides getting out the monthly pension checks, NYCERS is required on a critical basis to process retirement applications, disability applications, and death benefit claims.
As of March 15, 2020, NYCERS has been AWOL.
The agency should have been on the front lines supporting the men and women who are risking their lives for people of New York City. The agency has 438 full-time employees and 27 part-timers along with 16 per-diem staff. If you take the time to look up the top salaries at NYCERS, there is no reason that NYCERS should not have committed administrators backing up the city workers out on the street.
These workers are dying and getting disabled. There are also many eligible workers at high risk because of other medical conditions who should be able to quickly and easily retire if their doctors are warning them to stay home.
NYCERS should open its customer service office a la Home Depot. Any member or beneficiary who has a retirement, disability or death claim should be able to directly meet with NYCERS staff and easily get follow up info.
At the very least members should be able file applications in person and receive filing receipts.
There should be at least 50 NYCERS staff on the call center phones every day. Voice messages should be avoided at all costs.
When you give damn, there is always a way.
