JUNE-JULY 2007

WPEA Files Lawsuit in Battle for Fair Pensions!

When the legislature voted to take away their pension commitment, WPEA members were ready to take action. On May 24, 2007, WPEA became the first state employees union to file a lawsuit on the state’s broken promise to its employees. To see WPEA’s press release describing the lawsuit and our position on the repeal of gain-sharing click here.

Holding lawmakers accountable

The legislature must hold up their end of this bargain and their commitment to public employees. Public employees who were given information by the State about the benefits of gain-sharing. So, many switched to PERS 3 assuming gain-sharing was a permanent benefit of this alternate plan, which WPEA worked very hard to get for our members.

	WPEA prepares to show the legislature how many of our members supported the PERS 3 bill that included tthe gain-sharing benefit. From left: Mark Baca, Revenue; Marian Gonzales, Field Services Director; Luis Moscoso, Govnernment Relations; Josh Calvert, Political and Legislative Specialist; and Herb Harris, WPEA Organizer.

Public employees faithfully paid contributions to the pension fund even when rates rose. The State, however, decided that skipping payments in past years was a good cost savings approach. And, with such a large deficit, they chose to renege on their promise, and once again balanced the budget on the backs of public employees.

WPEA had been working with the legislature prior to this session to find a way to keep this benefit intact. When rumors of plans to repeal gain-sharing started spreading, we went to our lawmakers hoping to find a fair and comparable alternative if they were set on repealing the gain-sharing benefit.

Former WPEA Government Relations Director, Lynn Maier, took the issue to heart as she led the fight for better pension plans for Washington public employees throughout the years.

Biggest fight of the session

During the 2007 Legislative Session, WPEA’s legislative staff, Luis Moscoso and Josh Calvert, worked with many member activists (see right) who agreed that this benefit take-away is unfair. We worked every angle to pursue fair compensation for those in the PERS system. Unfortunately, the legislature ignored all our hard work, forgot about the promises they made, and took away this benefit.

Public employees should be able to retire with dignity

It is clear by the legislatures choice to eliminate this benefit, that they do not believe Washington’s public employees deserve to be rewarded for their service to the State.
Our members want and deserve to have a retirement plan that will ensure they have enough money to pay for food, housing, and costly medications many cannot live without. Not by an unreasonable amount, but enough to live in dignity, not poverty.

After being a civil servant for most of their adult lives, these retired employees DESERVE to live out their twilight years comfortably and with dignity!

APRIL 20, 2007

You Decide…

What Will Be Next Week’s Pension Headline?

WPEA Achieves the Impossible Gain-Sharing Survives!

OR

Legislature Passes Equitable Replacement for Pension Take-Away

OR

Legislature Stiffs Public Employees on Pensions!

In the next 72 hours, the Washington State Legislature will be making one of the most highly anticipated decisions on their remedy to the state’s pension systems funding problem. Lawmakers have been bombarded with phone calls, letters, e-mails and personal visits from their constituents demanding that they not hijack money in the public workers’ pensions. The ramifications of the legislature’s final decision will reverberate in public employees’ minds for years to come, but most especially in November 2008. Will they strip a massive benefit away and give them nothing in return or will they do what’s right and provide an adequate replacement?

WPEA and our members have been on the forefront of this issue for ALL public employees. We don’t understand how our state legislature – which is working with the largest surplus in state history – can propose the largest benefit take-away to its hardworking public employees. This is a fight that WPEA must take on to send a message to those in office that they must be held accountable for their actions towards public employees!

On Monday (4/16), WPEA, with the help of Representative Marylyn Chase, brought a blown up picture of the actual PERS 3 bill that was signed in 2002 to the floor of the House of Representatives. This blow up was signed by WPEA members who had worked hard and supported getting this bill passed. In clear view of all Representatives, they were forced to face the facts and remember what they had promised to so many public employees.

WPEA members have been the talk of the town with all your calls and e-mails. You are forcing lawmakers to have a thorough discussion with each other before they officially release their final proposal on “fixing” the pension crisis.

Time is of the essence! Keep calling your local Representatives and House Leadership and demand AN EQUITABLE BENEFIT!!!

Speaker of the House Frank Chopp - (360) 786-7920

House Appropriations Chair Helen Sommers - (360) 786-7814

Your District Legislators - Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

See 4/20/07 Olympian Blog quoting WPEA>>

APRIL 18, 2007

Changes in the Pension Debate Happening Rapidly