Retired Public Employees Council of WA Working to protect and enhance the pension and health care benefits of Washington retired state, county and local government employees
RPEC Weekly Newsflash, June 2, 2023
Garnering Support for the Social Security Fairness Act
Plan 2 and 3 retirees, who responded to the all-member written survey, have told us that they would like RPEC to become more engaged in federal issues. Federal issues continue to be top priority for RPEC and are detailed in the Legislative Priorities document, which guides our advocacy and legislative affairs activities. Our federal efforts to date have focused on preserving and strengthening Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
AFSCME Retiree Council, our parent organization, has been working tirelessly to broaden the scope of congressional cosponsors for HB 82 & S 597 – these companion bills of the Social Security Fairness Act. These bills repeal provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pensions from state and local governments, eliminate the government pension offset (which reduces the benefits for spouses, widows and widowers who receive government pensions of their own), and eliminate the windfall elimination provision, which in some cases reduces benefits for those who receive a pension from an employer who did not withhold Social Security taxes. Several of our House members and one of our U.S. senators have not yet signed on in support.
Standing in solidarity with AFSCME Retiree Council chapters nationwide and in support of our organization’s standing Legislative Priorities, RPEC will work this summer to broaden cosponsor support of these key bills.
Monthly Leadership Call
Don’t miss the next Monthly Leadership Call on June 16th @ 1:00 PM at which we will touch briefly on the topics from May and any challenges/successes chapter leaders have had regarding these topics and then move into the topics for June. The Monthly Leadership Calls are an opportunity for new leaders to be more connected with the council and have access to additional resources. We highly encourage re-elected leaders to attend as well because they have experiences and alternative perspectives that can be shared with other members. RPEC members may be divided into chapters, but we are standing together for the same cause. Attend the Monthly Leadership Call and partake in working with fellow chapter leaders around the state to expand RPEC’s potential!
Computer/Tablet:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85437458246?pwd=ZFpERk94WmRPMTlFTjkyd2xmdlpPZz09
Meeting ID: 854 3745 8246
Passcode: 035244
Phone:
253 215 8782 US
Meeting ID: 854 3745 8246
Passcode: 035244
Public Employees Benefits Board Meeting, June 8
Do you receive your medical benefits from the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB)? Are you wondering if your premium costs will increase for 2024 or are you interested in learning about any changes to the medications and services covered by your PEBB-sponsored medical plan? If so, mark your calendars today and plan to attend the virtual PEB Board meeting on Thursday, June 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The retiree-related topics are often covered between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The agenda will be posted soon. We will share the website link to the agenda next week when it is available on the Health Care Authority (HCA) website. If you are interested in learning more about the types of issues addressed by the PEB Board, click this link to access past PEB Board materials. RPEC is one of two retiree organizations in the state that have voting members on the PEB Board. Elyette Weinstein has represented your interests very effectively and continues to press HCA to provide improved service to RPEC members.
If you have an interest in health care issues, consider attending the virtual PEB Board meetings in June and July. Meetings are held the second Thursday of the month. Visit https://www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/programs-and-initiatives/public-employees-benefits-board-pebb-program/meetings-and-materials for more information.
Upcoming meetings are as follows:
- June 8, 2023 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- June 29, 2023 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- July 12, 2023 9 a.m. to noon
- July 19, 2023 9 a.m. to noon
- July 26, 2023 9 a.m. to noon
If you have an interest in healthcare issues and want to get more involved in healthcare advocacy at a state and/or federal level, you may also want to consider attending the bi-monthly virtual meetings of RPEC’s Healthcare Workgroup. The workgroup’s meeting schedule and meeting links are available at www.rpecwa.org.
Upcoming Events:
Please refer to our calendar page for more information about each event, including links to Zoom meetings, if available.
- June 8 – PEBB Meeting (9:00 am)
- June 8 – Healthcare Workgroup Meeting (3:30 PM)
- June 9 – Political Action Committee Meeting (10:00 am)
- June 16 – Monthly Leadership Call (1:00 pm)
- June 19 – Council Office closed, Juneteenth
- June 20 – Select Committee on Pension Policy Meeting (10:00 am)
- June 20 – Senior Lobby (10:00 am)
- June 22 – Healthcare Workgroup Meeting (3:30 pm)
- June 23 – Pension Policy Workgroup Meeting (10:00 am)
- June 26 – Leadership Training Part A (10:00 am)
- June 29 – PEBB Meeting (9:00 am)
- June 30 – Leadership Training Part B (10:00 am)
