Pensions, Health Care Dominate Discussion in New Orleans

Photo by Matt Ferguson

Against a backdrop of Medicare battles and troubled state pension systems, NEA-Retired members at the Annual Meeting in New Orleans took an activist stance. In debates and new business items passed at the Annual Meeting and at the NEA Representative Assembly a few days later, members called upon NEA--and one another--to hammer home the message that all active and retired public education employees deserve affordable health care and adequate pensions.

The intensity of the debate was apparent whenever the topic turned to Congress' action to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. At press time, lawmakers were still negotiating details of their compromise legislation (see "Reconciling Congress' Prescription Drug Proposals").

"I spent $266 here in New Orleans, not including tax, for one prescription I need to use while I'm here," said Florida Retired member Joan King. "That should not happen. Prescription drugs should be reasonable for everyone to purchase." Whatever the final results of the Medicare compromise, she noted, the new legislation "does nothing to address the price of drugs," which have risen far faster than inflation as they have become an increasingly critical element of the health care system.

"No man, woman, or child in this country should have less health care coverage that our Congress has," Wisconsin retiree Gerald Martin said at a workshop on prescription drugs at the NEA-Retired Annual Meeting. "That's a program worth fighting for." Walt Munsterman, a member of Education-Minnesota-Retired, vowed that he and other Retired and Active members would continue pressing for more action to address the nation's health care crisis. "Our main goal in the upcoming year will be to get retirees more active in the political world," he said.

With the support of Retired and Active members alike, delegates at the NEA RA adopted a new legislative amendment declaring that "NEA supports the provision of low-cost prescription drugs for all residents." Delegates also approved an NBI calling for NEA to form a coalition of groups to advocate for "a universal quality health care system, consistent with NEA's position on health care?"

In state after state, Retired members are finding that rising health insurance premiums are eroding their pension checks. "Since I retired nine years ago, my pension check is lower than when I retired," Massachusetts member George Larson, Jr., told delegates at the NEA RA. While he was at the RA, he said, his health premiums increased another $20 a month, and the governor vetoed a cost-of-living increase. Larson and other delegates passed new business item directing NEA to work for changes that would allow retired members to pay for health care premiums on a pretax basis, as Active employees can do.

Retired members also were instrumental in pushing through several new business items aimed at enhancing public employee pension systems. One NBI ensures that NEA will provide affiliates with materials to defend against attacks on defined-benefit pension plans, and another says that NEA "will act to protect the assets of public employees' retirement systems to ensure actuarially sound funding." A third NBI on pensions commits NEA to providing affiliates with materials, including model language, to support efforts to undergird pensions with constitutional protections.

At the NEA-Retired Annual Meeting, President Jim Sproul announced that membership has climbed to 211,000 (as of May 31)--the highest ever. Participation in the annual meeting also set a new high, with 376 members attending.

--John O'Neil

Kudos to...

• Kathleen Roberts, winner of the 2003 Distinguished Service Award. Roberts, former president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, is a tireless contributor to NEA's Read Across America program and other causes. "If it seems I've done a lot, remember, I've been around a long time," quipped Roberts, 87.

• Adam Moore of Manchester College, Indiana. Moore received the first-ever Jack Kinnaman scholarship to support a worthy young person studying to be a teacher. Moore is president of the NEA student chapter at Manchester, which has rapidly grown to 132 members. (To help fund next year's scholarship, send a check to John F. Kinnaman Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o NEA-Retired, 1201 16th St., N.W., Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036.)

• NEA-Retired fundraisers. Under the leadership of Barbara Matteson, NEA-Retired worked all spring and through the NEA Representative Assembly to raise a total of xxx for the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education. A good chunk of that money--$9,500--was donated through the giveaway of a beautiful quilt (at location) made up of NEA tee shirts.

• Newsletter Award winners. The following groups were honored for their publications excellence in the 2003 NEA-Retired Newsletter Awards Competition:
  Established State Newsletter--
  Illinois Education Association-Retired (First place), Washington Education Association-Retired (Runner-up);
  State Newsletter Published Less Than Three Years--
  NEA/NY-Retired (First place); Georgia Association of Educators-Retired (Runner-up);
  Established Local Newsletter--
  Kaua'i Chapter of the Hawaii State Teachers Association-Retired (First place), Sewanhaka Federation of Teachers, New York (Runner-up);
  State Active Newsletter Covering Retired Issues--
  Michigan Education Association (First place), Nebraska State Education Association (Runner-up).

The Proof is in the Work

They've left the classroom, but they're still connoisseurs of student work.

We're talking about members of the York/Adams Pennsylvania State Education Association-Retired, who are partners in a popular local program to showcase excellent student work--building local support for public schools in the process. That's volunteers Bill Swanger and Lynn Gault (back) and Joan Swanger and Jeanette Martz (front), who raised money and shuttled projects to the county courthouse and to an awards dinner. Students' best work in such areas as photography, writing, and computer and video production was recognized.

"Seeing these proud young folks with their projects, their parents, and their teachers are definite signs that public education is working!" beamed local newsletter editor Dot Dickert.

In Ohio

The Ohio Education Association, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and other partners recently helped educators belonging to the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) avoid some of the most draconian cuts to their healthcare benefits. The STRS board last year proposed changes that would have tripled the monthly premium of a typical retiree. OEA and NEA joined with other partners in a coalition that got expert help to develop alternatives to the board's recommendations. In May, the retirement board accepted a key coalition recommendation under which STRS will contribute more to the premium payment made by retirees, significantly reducing the amount of the proposed increase for members. The coalition will continue working with STRS to bolster the healthcare funding account and preserve insurance coverage for retirees.

In New Jersey

Started by a handful of forward-thinking organizers in 1963, the Middlesex County Retired Educators Association (MCREA), just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The local, which now numbers 950, works to protect health and pension benefits, as well as participating in food drives, providing scholarships, and serving nursing home residents, says Peggy Yatauro, MCREA president.