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, May 26, 2023
AFSCME President Lee Saunders & Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown lead the Alliance For Retired Americans Tele-Townhall Meeting
AFSCME is partnering with The Alliance for Retired Americans for an urgent Tele-Town Hall Meeting with AFSCME President Lee Saunders and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown on Tuesday, May 30th at 12:00pm PT.
They will be discussing the looming default crisis and how you can take action to make sure Congress lifts the debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic U.S. credit default.
Who: AFSCME President Lee Saunders & Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown
What: The Alliance for Retired Americans Tele-Town Hall on the Debt Ceiling Fight
When: Tuesday, May 30th at 12:00pm PT
Where: Live on your phone! Just dial 1-855-840-6970 and you’ll be connected to the call.
Please note: This is a rapidly evolving situation and if the debt ceiling is lifted, we will be canceling the call.
In the meantime, please call your members of Congress using our toll-free line and tell them to pass a clean debt ceiling increase NOW: 1-866-685-7833
State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti visits RPEC Chapters
There are many reasons to attend your local Retired Public Employees Council chapter meetings. You can get the latest news about issues that impact your retirement security, take action at the local level, learn from interesting guest speakers, and enjoy food and fellowship. You might also get to meet the State Treasurer.
State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti has recently visited nine RPEC chapters and is planning to visit more. As the elected official responsible for overseeing the state’s assets, including the $178 billion invested in public employee pensions, he is uniquely positioned to share insights on the long-term health of our pension systems.
2023 Leadership Training for All Chapter Leaders
With most chapter elections wrapping up, it is time for new leaders, re-elected leaders, and those who may be considering taking a leadership position in the future to come together and participate in our annual Leadership Training. We will be providing tools, information, and resources for you to be a successful and supported chapter leader.
The training will be held in two parts: Part A on Monday, June 26th for all chapter leaders, and Part B on Friday, June 30th for all chapter leaders involved with chapter finances. Part A will be hosted and led by the Council Office. Part B will be hosted and led by the Auditing Department at AFSCME.
For more information and to register, please visit: https://rpecwa.org/2023-leadership-training/. Registration closes Monday, June 5th.
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.
- May 29 – Council Office closed, Memorial Day
- June 2 – Monthly Legislative Update Call (2:00 pm)
- 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 9 – 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)
Final Health Care Authority Listening Sessions
- May 30 – HCA Virtual Listening Session (10:00 am)
- May 31 – HCA Virtual Listening Session (10:00 am)
