Grassroots Lobby Alert!

As public workers, we’ve deferred our wages for a guaranteed pension that allows us to retire with dignity. But our retirement security is continually under attack by politicians.
The latest pension attack happened Monday when the House Government Operations Committee approved a “sustainability measure” for the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS). We must stop this legislation before it’s fast-tracked onto the House and Senate floors this week.

The measure would reduce the retiree COLA (cost of living adjustment) from 2 percent to 1.75 percent for one year, effective January 1, 2017. It would also remove the COLA trigger for MSRS General and Correctional plans, so there would be no automatic increase in the cost of living if specific funding thresholds are reached.

Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) is the mastermind behind this pension attack. He chairs the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement and says the COLA reduction is only a start.
It’s a bad start that puts the entire burden on retirees with no shared sacrifice from the employer.

Rest assured that MSRS is well managed and in much better shape than critics suggest. AFSCME members have taken responsible actions to ensure that there are funds sufficient to pay promised benefits to retirees. There’s no reason for public workers, taxpayers or legislators to panic.

Text PENSIONS to 237263 to be connected to your state legislators, or call your senator at 1-855-402-6561 and your representative at 1-855-974-4273.
ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO: Protect retirement security for public workers. Don’t reduce the retiree COLA for MSRS.

Download and print a copy of this lobby alert HERE.