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Workers' Comp Reform
Workers' Comp Reform
The Partnership is encouraged by the agreement announced yesterday by Governor Eliot Spitzer and state legislative leaders to reform the workers' compensation system. We will be reviewing the specific elements of the legislation carefully to determine the overall real impact on workers' compensation premiums.
As you know, the Partnership has had reforming workers' comp as one of its top state reform priorities for some time, and it was then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's promise to fundamentally reform workers' comp in New York that played a key role in our endorsement of him for governor. Workers' comp reform is also a key component of the Unshackle Upstate campaign we founded with the Rochester Business Alliance last year. Unshackle Upstate is a coalition of more than 40 business and trade organizations, seeking legislative reform to make Upstate a more competitive place to do business and to grow and retain private sector jobs and investments.
Yesterday's announcement was particularly timely, as the Unshackle Upstate coalition prepares to launch a large scale public awareness campaign beginning this weekend with rallies taking place across upstate and concluding with a gathering in Albany on Tuesday. I invite you to attend the kick off of that campaign in Buffalo: Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m. at Curtis Screw (50 Thielman Drive, Buffalo, NY).
Among the workers' comp-related reforms Unshackle Upstate has been seeking and that are included in yesterday's announced agreement are:
* Setting a time-limit on the collection of benefits for those with permanent, partial disabilities. New York is one of only eight states that does not already have such limits.
* Raising the minimum and maximum benefits for injured workers, which now are among the lowest in the nation.
* A promise to develop clear medical guidelines.
While the agreement does not completely satisfy all the issues raised by the Partnership and our partners in the Unshackle Upstate coalition, it appears to be a good compromise. We also appreciate the governor's promises to make the system more transparent, a move that will benefit employers and workers and to address fraud.
Legislative leaders have suggested the bill could be adopted into law as early as next week. That said, we need to ensure the key elements presented above get into the final law, and that the final law includes real savings for employers (15% reduction). It's imperative the legislature doesn't pass a watered-down bill. I hope you'll join us at Saturday's rally to help get that message out, and ask that you click here to send an email to your legislators telling them to support real workers' comp reform in New York, and the Unshackle Upstate agenda in general.
Sincerely,
Andrew J. Rudnick
President & CEO
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Workers' Comp Reform
