Nationwide Call to Action
CTA, NEA Fight for Federal Fairness for Public Employees
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Volume 17, Number 11: 17 April 2006
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Nationally, hundreds of thousands of teachers and other public employees could have a rude awakening as they plan for their retirement. They may be shocked to learn that Social Security retirement or disability payments they or their spouses have earned could be cut by as much as half or eliminated totally unless federal legislation is changed.
CTA and the National Education Association (NEA) and other public employee organizations are working for changes in the U.S. Capitol to these two provisions of law, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).
The WEP reduces the earned Social Security benefits for retired or disabled workers who receive government pensions from non-covered employment. It could cut the federal benefit in half under some circumstances. Specifically, the WEP reduces the factor used to calculate the federal benefit.
The GPO reduces Social Security benefits due to spouses or dependent children of a retired, disabled or deceased worker who herself/himself would have been eligible for Social Security benefits. Specifically this provision reduces the benefit by two-thirds of the amount of the employee's public pension. If that amount is more than the amount of the Social Security benefit, then that benefit is eliminated, with survivors and dependents receiving nothing from the federal system.
These reductions come despite the fact the covered employee or spouse paid into the Social Security system before, during, or after their public employment.
The loss of earned and anticipated Social Security has the capacity for forcing retirees and dependents into poverty. The GPO alone is estimated to be costing 300,000 individuals an average of $3,600 a year due.
The reductions are patently unfair, advocates for teachers and other public employees point out. They harm dedicated public employees by reducing or eliminating benefits they have earned. The GPO robs more than 90% of the public employees it affects of their entire spousal benefit - even though their spouse paid Social Security taxes for at least 10 years. The WEP causes hard-working people to lose benefits they earned themselves. The two measures that would eliminate these provisions or federal law are S. 619 and H.R. 147.
In California, both U.S. Senators - Barbara Boxer (D) and Dianne Feinstein (D) - have signed on as co-authors of the measures. Almost every California member of the U.S. House of Representative has also signed on as a co-author. The few exceptions as of this writing are:
CD 22 -- Bill Thomas R
CD 26 -- David Dreyer R
CD 48 -- John Campbell R
CD 49 -- Darrell Issa R
CD 50 -- (Position Vacant until filled via Special Election)
CD 52 -- Duncan Hunter R
CTA Members:
From now until April 21, federal lawmakers will be in their home districts while Congress is in recess. That's a great time to get in touch with the six members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have not yet signed on as co-authors on the CTA/NEA-backed federal measures. Urge them to support S. 619/HR 147 to repeal the unfair treatment of public workers. Feel free to thank your Senators and your Congress member for their support.
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The 340,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National
Education Association.