RPEC On Air Podcast Episode 3: Volunteer for SHIBA! – Featuring Tim Smolen
Episode 3 of RPEC On Air, our new podcast, is out now!
The Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program is a free, unbiased, and confidential service offered through the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner made up of volunteers trained to help people understand their Medicare options. Tim Smolen, SHIBA Program Manager, joins us to discuss how you can become a SHIBA volunteer and make a difference in the life of people on Medicare.
RPEC On Air is available on the RPEC website and on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Pandora. Listen from the comfort of your home while you’re cooking or cleaning, and even when you’re on the go, like walking or driving!
If you have questions or suggestions for an episode of RPEC On Air, contact podcast@rpecwa.org. Enjoy!
RPEC Launches Redesigned Member Website
Our new website is live! RPEC has spent the past year meeting with Council leaders, chapter leaders, and members, determining their needs and wishes in a redesigned organizational website. This new site provides our leaders and members with the tools, resources, news, and information that will help RPEC continue to grow and align with our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan.
Please note that most areas on our new website are password protected to give value to the information available to you as a member of RPEC. Gaining access is a simple process.
- Navigate in your browser to https://rpecwa.org/
- On the blue menu bar, move your cursor over to Member Area and the menu will expand.
- Move your mouse over My Account, and then click on Register New Account. (Or just click this link: https://rpecwa.org/register/).
- Enter your name and email address and choose a password (please write this down so you do not forget), then click Submit.
That’s all there is to it! We will verify your membership and approve your registration within one business day so that you can then log on to the website (again, on the menu under Member Area, My Account, select Member Login or through this link: https://rpecwa.org/member-login/). Once logged in, you have access to all content on the website, including news stories, our digital content featuring recorded videos, webinars & the new RPEC podcast, and much, much more.
We also recorded our Sneak Peek event, which walks through the various features of the new website. That video is viewable here: https://rpecwa.org/rpec-website-sneak-peek/
If you have any problems along the way, please let us know at info@rpecwa.org and we will be happy to assist you. We hope that you enjoy this reformatted and redesigned communication tool.
Convention Delegates
The biennial RPEC Convention is an essential aspect of our organization and its governance structure. At Convention, Executive Board members are elected, proposed resolutions are considered, RPEC’s priorities are set for the next 2 years, and members enjoy the experience of working and socializing with fellow members.
Each chapter is allotted a number of delegates based on their total membership, and it is crucial that as many delegates as possible attend the convention. Your chapter needs sufficient representation when RPEC’s direction is being decided for the 2 years following Convention. Any member, new or not, is encouraged to consider being a delegate for their chapter.
If you’re interested, please reach out to your chapter president. If you don’t have your president’s contact information, you can contact the RPEC office at (360) 352-8262, ext. 106.
The registration deadline for chapters to submit delegate registration and registration fee payment is July 1.
For more information, please visit: https://rpecwa.org/convention/
AFSCME Annual Retiree Council Meeting and International Convention
AFSCME Retirees will be hosting its annual meeting in Los Angeles at the Biltmore Hotel from Saturday, August 10 through Monday, August 12. The annual meeting aligns with the AFSCME International Convention, which will take place August 12-16. RPEC is entitled to send two Executive Committee officers as delegates.
Chapters may send members as guests at the chapter’s expense. Guests may attend the International Convention as observers. Guests cannot access the convention floor but will sit in the guest section and will not have voting privileges.
This is a friendly reminder to complete your registrations by Monday, June 17, 2024. Please remember that every attendee, i.e. your guests, roommate, spouse, etc., must register separately through this link. They must use their own email address as this will serve as the way information is received regarding the Retiree Council Meeting and International Convention.
WSARA Lawsuit Protects Voting Rights
From thestand.org – by Jackie Boschock, WSARA President
Say you’ve been a Washington resident all your life, but are moving to a new home within a month of an election. Or suppose you just moved to Washington state two weeks before the election.
Until recently, that meant you could have been denied the right to vote.
But thanks to an important agreement reached with state election officials in March as a result of a lawsuit brought by the Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans (WSARA), eligible voters will not be turned away when they show up at the polls.
The law in Washington state, we believe, placed an unnecessary burden on older voters and violated the federal Voting Rights Act and U.S. Constitution. So we sued and on March 15 a federal judge approved an agreement WSARA reached with the Washington Secretary of State so that this provision of state law will no longer be enforced for upcoming elections.
Because of the agreement we reached, Washington voters will no longer have to attest to satisfying the 30-day residency requirement on voter registration forms and will be able to register to vote on or before Election Day regardless of how long they have resided in the state.
Upcoming Events:
Please refer to our calendar page for more information for each event, including links to Zoom meetings, if available.
- June 10 – Leadership Training Part A (10:00 am; room opens at 9:30 am)
- June 13 – Public Employees Benefits Board (9:00 am)
- June 13 – Healthcare Workgroup (3:30 pm)
- June 14 – Leadership Training Part B: AFSCME Financial Standards (10:00 am)
- June 14 – Political Action Committee (2:00 pm)
- June 18 – Select Committee on Pension Policy (10:00 am)
- June 19 – Council Office closed, Juneteenth
- June 27 – Public Employees Benefits Board (9:00 am)
- June 27 – Healthcare Workgroup (3:30 pm)
- July 4 – Council Office closed, Independence Day
- July 5 – Legislative Update Call (2:00 pm)
- July 11 – Public Employees Benefits Board (9:00 am)
- July 11 – Healthcare Workgroup (3:30 pm)
- July 12 – Legislative Committee Meeting (10:00 am)