Page 2 - CSEA Retiree News Fall 2018

CSEA President Danny Donohue:
We stand together for fairness
Many of you who are retired from New York State or the Unified Court System have been waiting for years for fairness when it comes to your health insurance coverage.
Unfortunately, a
federal judge sided with
the state on a class-action lawsuit that affects thousands of state retirees.
The state raised the health contribution rates in 2011 without negotiating with the affected unions. This decision has harmed many of you financially and I only hope that no one’s health was harmed through the rate change.
You were promised affordable health care as part of a secure retirement. When an employer tries to gut our retirement security in any way, we fight back.
On that note, we filed a federal lawsuit along with a coalition of other unions.
This lawsuit has been a
long fight for us and we were unsuccessful this time, but this fight is far from over as we plan to appeal the decision.
While this challenge is still underway, this case is yet another great example of the resources — and value — that our union offers.
Our in-house Legal Department has been working on this case
since the beginning and we are determined to see this litigation through the end.
While this lawsuit is
one of the largest-scale challenges to our retirees, it is far from the only one that we’re facing. Many of you are facing challenges from former employers who are breaking their promises to
you, the workers who have earned your retirement security.
You all know that employers haven’t handed anything to you because they’re nice people. Again, you have earned your pensions, health care and benefits such as Social Security.
We want to ensure that all employers — not just New York State — are held accountable; that your former employer cannot balance their checkbooks on your backs.
That is just one reason we stand with all of our members, whether they are retired like you or just entering the workforce.
To continue to be able to stand with all of our members and stop injustices like these, we have to stick together. When our union is strong, we will win.
In solidarity,
Retiree Executive Committee Chair Millie Lucas:
WHelp us stay strong
e may be our voices and our votes.
retired, On Election Day on November 6, but we we will elect candidates for state
have the power to help our union stay strong,
As you know,
our union is facing
strong challenges,
including from
anti-union groups that are trying to trick our working brothers and sisters to quit our union. While these groups are telling them they have a “choice” whether to stay union, all they really want to do is silence us.
Our members haven’t been fooled into leaving our union.
They know that without unions,
we wouldn’t have paid leave, employer-sponsored health benefits, workplace safety and health protections and retirement security such as our pensions. This fight matters to us, too, as our opponents think our pensions are too generous, our health care is a privilege and Social Security is a gift.
As you may guess, our former employers are not giving us anything — we have had to fight for everything we have.
We know what it’s like to stand together and work for what is right for retirees. Many of us remember our union’s fight for a permanent COLA. We stood together and used grassroots efforts to help pass that law.
While the other side may have more money, we have each other,
and Congressional offices. Our elected leaders on every level of government have a strong effect on our daily lives. That’s why it’s so important to support candidates who stand with retirees and working people.
That’s why CSEA goes to great lengths in endorsing candidates. Our endorsement process is that it is driven not by political parties, but by who will best stand up for New Yorkers. Union members throughout the state serving on political action committees at
the region, local, and unit levels interview candidates, review voting records and debate very carefully whether any of the candidates will act in our best interest if they are elected.
You can find our endorsements on our website at cseany.org/cseas- 2018-endorsements or on Pages 6-7 of this edition.
While we support candidates who have vowed to stand up for us, the most important thing is to GET OUT AND VOTE. Make a plan — look at the candidates running for office in your area, find your polling location, plan how to get there and bring family or friends.
By getting out the vote, we can help our union stay strong.
In solidarity,
Millie
CSOLA increases announced STocial Security benefits to increase
tate Comptroller Thomas offset inflation.
DiNapoli recently announced COLA payments, subject to
that the 2018-19 Cost-of-Living pension caps and limitations, equal
Adjustment (COLA) increase is 1.2 percent.
This amount equals a maximum annual increase of $216, or $18 per month before taxes.
A Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is a permanent annual increase to your retirement benefit that is based on the cost-of-living index. The COLA is designed to help
2
50 percent of the previous year’s annual rate of inflation, but never less than 1 percent or more than 3 percent of your benefit.
CSEA helped lead the fight for a permanent COLA, which became state law in 2000.
To learn more about COLA, visit www.osc.state.ny.us/retire.
he Social Security The Social Security Act ties the Administration recently annual COLA to the increase in the announced that Social Security Consumer Price Index as determined
and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase 2.8 percent in 2019.
The increase is a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the 67 million Americans who receive benefits from the federal program. The increased payments will go into effect in January.
by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition,
the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $132,900 from $128,400.
CSEA continues to advocate for fixes to the Social Security system that ensures its longevity for generations to come.
CSEA RETIREE NEWS