WEDNESDAY AM News on Pension - TAKE ACTION!!!

Below is the newest report from the MEA regarding the Lame Duck Session intentions of the Michigan Legislature on PENSION ACCOUNTS!

Please Take ACTION!

 

TAKE ACTION NOW BY CLICKING ON THIS LINE!

 

By using the link above, it will take you to the ACTION NETWORK.  Fill in your residential information.  The site will then provide you a preformatted letter about pensions (you can change it if you want), but it will automatically SEND THE LETTER TO YOUR LEGISLATOR!!!

"While the House and Governor’s intentions on pension reform in lame duck are less clear, Senate leaders have now publicly stated they’re going to attempt to pass SB 102 before year’s end, which would move all new school hires into a defined contribution, 401(k)-style retirement plan. 

 

Not only would this have a huge impact on new hires, but cutting off funding into the pension threatens to destabilize the system for current employees and retirees as well – everyone has a stake in this fight.

 

For his part, Gov. Snyder and his administration have been opposed to this change thus far, with a PowerPoint presentation making the rounds with lawmakers and superintendents saying that the total extra cost of this change will be $24 billion dollars over 30 years – MEA did a story about that last week via Capitol Comments, the website and Facebook.

 

That PowerPoint provides us our message with lawmakers that members and the public can share: State budget experts are saying this bill will cost taxpayers an extra $24 billion -- where will that money come from?  Tax increases?  Or cuts to my child’s education?

 

For 2017 alone, closing the pension system would cost an extra $1.2 billion – that equates to a cut of $820 per student!

 

The Senate Appropriations Committee has scheduled a meeting for 9 a.m. tomorrow about SB 102 (the bill that would put all new hires in a defined contribution system), as well as SBs 1177 and 1178 – bills that would spread out the state’s pension costs over 50 years, instead of the current 22 years.  This is an attempt to make the increased costs of closing the pension system appear smaller by spreading them out until 2067 – long after every current employee has retired and passing the buck on to future legislators and taxpayers."

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TAKE ACTION NOW BY CLICKING ON THIS LINE!

 

By using the link above, it will take you to the ACTION NETWORK.  Fill in your residential information.  The site will then provide you a preformatted letter about pensions (you can change it if you want), but it will automatically SEND THE LETTER TO YOUR LEGISLATOR!!!

POSSIBLE PENSION ATTACK COMING in the Legislature’s “Lame Duck” Session

Beginning Tuesday, November 29^th, the Michigan Legislature will be in session for three weeks.  This seems like a very short period of time, but it has proven in the past to be one of the most destructive times for Michigan’s public education system.  This time period is the last three weeks of the current legislature’s “reign” before newly elected officials are sworn in for the next session in January of 2017.

There have been numerous rumors about what will happen during this 3 week period, and as of this morning the legislature’s agenda has not been published.  What is known is that the DeVoss family (of Amway fame and major Republican campaign contributors, as well as Betsy DeVoss, current appointee of Donald Trump) has announced a plan to move Michigan public employees into a 401(k) styled defined contribution plan. 

The premise is that the current pension system is “broken”, and that there are dangerous unfunded liabilities that need to be addressed.  The truth is that the economic crash of 2008 was more detrimental to pension funds than any other factor.   However, recent changes have dramatically increased employee contributions into the system.  You all know that your contributions increased in 2012!    Also, in 2012 a “hybrid” system was put into effect for all school employees hired after that date.   The hybrid system is fully funded.  

The 2012 law also eliminated healthcare benefits for anyone hired after that date.  These changes will also bring relief to the retirement system over the next several years.
So, what’s broken?   And, what’s the problem?

Here’s what the MEA has researched and found:

1)      First, no one is getting rich off public school employee pensions.  45% of public school employees receive a pension of less than $14,500 a year.

2)      Some people do not realize that retirees receive less than 45% of their Final Average Compensation as a pension payment.

3)      Hedge fund managers and other Wall Street corporations are the real winners in eliminating traditional pensions plans and moving the money to their 401(k)s.  Please ask around; how many people lost more than half of their retirement funds when these accounts were devastated by the 2008 Wall Street collapse?  In retirement, people need secure funds!

4)      Numerous studies have shown that, in addition to being much less secure than a traditional pension, any savings to the state for making such a change would not be realized for more than 30 years. 

  SEE THE CHART ABOVE FOR THE COSTS OF CLOSING THE CURRENT SYSTEM.

What Have Educational Employees Done to Sustain the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS)?

1)       In 1986 the MIP plan was introduced that required members to make contributions to their retirement benefits

2)      In 2012 the 1.5% multiplier was reduced to 1.25% unless a member chose to pay from 1 to 4% more into their retirement fund

a.       Basic members increased from 0 to 4%

b.      MIP Fixed increased from 3.9 to 7%

c.       MIP Graded members increased from a graded percentage of up to 4.3% to 7%

d.      MIP-Plus members increased from a graded percentage of up to 6.4% to 7%

3)      In 2012 new employees hired after PA 300’s effective date were placed in a “hybrid” system.  These employees will receive a smaller guaranteed monthly pension that will be combined with an individual retirement account. 

4)      Healthcare in retirement was ended for those hired after September 4, 2012.  Employees can choose to contribute up to 2% in a health account with an employer matching contribution.

Currently, public school employees are likely contributing almost 10% of their income to funds for a pension and to get some sort of health benefit in retirement. Add this to the cost of student loans many of our young teachers are paying, plus the cost of a place to live, transportation, and continuing costs for the education credits they must have to maintain their certifications…it is overwhelming.

 

CLICK HERE!

Please call or email your state representative today to make that case, and encourage others in your community to contact lawmakers as well

 

 

 

 

 

Member Call to Action: School Calendar Bargaining Prohibition

TAKE ACTION!!!   USE THE LINK IN THE ARTICLE BELOW!!!!
-----This article is from today's (April 19th) "Capitol Comments"

A bill to prohibit school calendar as a topic of bargaining could pass the House as soon as tomorrow. It’s urgent that school employees, parents, and other education stakeholders in communities across the state contact lawmakers on the issue immediately! 

Not only should MEA members call their legislators, but school employees should encourage community members, friends, and family to voice opposition to the loss of local control in educational decision-making represented by House Bill 5194. 

Educators are the experts on the front lines, and we know what our students need in terms of a calendar and schedule. Prohibiting calendar from bargaining is yet another example of the state overstepping its role and usurping local authority. 

As schools move forward with innovative programs and individualized learning plans, administration and educators need to jointly plan, prepare, and solve problems together to achieve best practices and create an effective learning environment for children

.

CLICK HERE!

 Please call or email your state representative today to make that case, and encourage others in your community to contact lawmakers as well

Copy and Paste this message:

Educators are the experts on the front lines, and we know what our students need in terms of a calendar and schedule. Prohibiting calendar from bargaining is yet another example of the state overstepping its role and usurping local authority. 

As schools move forward with innovative programs and individualized learning plans, administration and educators need to jointly plan, prepare, and solve problems together to achieve best practices and create an effective learning environment for children

 

TAKE ACTION to keep Bargaining Rights for Calendar!

House Bill 5194 just passed out of the House Education committee.  This bill makes CALENDAR and SCHEDULES PROHIBITED subjects of bargaining!  If your bargaining unit nor any of your fellow union members have a voice in the creation of the calendar nor the schedule, can you imagine what might happen?   We ARE professionals.   We are on the front line every day and we know what works as we create programming and lessons for the students!  We MUST have a voice in these decisions.

Please contact your HOUSE representative and let them know that this HB 5194 should NOT be passed.

To make it simple, please COPY the message below and then go the MEA Legislative site!  Just put in your zip code and the site will let you send the message to your own House representative.

CLICK HERE for the MEA Legislative site: 

  http://capwiz.com/nea/mi/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state

COPY AND PASTE this message into the site’s message box:

“Teachers in our public schools do much planning to create new and innovative programs for students.   We work cooperatively with our administrators to create plans, schedules, and programming for our students.   We need to be able to plan with as much flexibility as possible.   The needs from district to district, and from school to school, vary greatly, and flexibility will allow us to create programs that best meet our communities’ needs.   Making this a prohibited topic of bargaining will not serve to improve education for children.  PLEASE VOTE NO on House Bill 5194.”