A full-page ad placed in local newspapers this weekend by the Government Employees Retirement System board of trustees says salary increases for 18 unclassified employees were fully warranted.
The ad notes, among other things, that the 18 exempt employees have received no salary increases since 1995, while their unionized subordinates have, placing the unionized employees' earnings above the salaries of their supervisors.
GERS members who attended a Dec. 8 board meeting complained about a lack of information regarding the financial status of the system, according to a Daily News report.
GERS member Gonzalo Rivera said he requested copies of the minutes of board meetings for the past year and financial statements for 1997 and 1998. He was advised copies of those public documents would cost him $4,259.25.
The full-page ad says the issue of unfunded liability does not stem from an increase in operational costs. It says they are separate issues.
The ad did not list the names or titles of the exempt employees who got raises or the amount of their increases. Earlier reports indicated some raises ranged from $25,000 to $56,000.