Section 4 - Resources and General Information. Table of Contents

Transcription

1 Section 4 - Resources and General Information Table of Contents Subject Page No. Resources RPEC Membership Committee 3 RPEC Chapter Membership Chairs 4 RPEC Chapter Presidents 5-6 RPEC Officers and Board Members 7 Chapter Meeting Schedule 8-9 General Information General Information About RPEC 11 RPEC s Significant Accomplishments 12 Washington Annuitants by County Washington State Investment Board Flyer Q & A on Retirement Security 23 RPEC Opposes Defined-Contribution Retirement System Changes 24 AFSCME Piece on Medicare ARA Piece on Social Security and Medicare Tips on Getting More Members Signed Up for RPEC Action Steps to Get Prospects To Join RPEC 31 Page 1

2 Page 2 RESOURCES

3 RPEC Membership Committee 2017 Chair Bob Bandarra Cedar CT Lynden, WA Phone: (360) Ken Turner Road 20 NE Soap Lake, WA Phone: (509) Pam Miller nd ST E Lake Tapps, WA Phone: (253) Deborah Axelson dlaxelson@outlook.com E Treasure Island Drive Allyn, WA Phone: (360) Colleen McGinn trefrgfrmr@aol.com th Ave S Seattle, WA Phone: (206) Christine Clark Denison39@gmail.com W Hamilton Road Deer Park, WA Phone: (509) John Pierson fjpierson@gmail.com N Brooks Road Medical Lake, WA Phone: (509) Bill Ziegler flzwez@hotmail.com S Roxbury ST Seattle, WA Phone: (206) Jim Brandley JS.Brandley@gmail.com nd DR SE Everett, WA Phone: (425) Charleen Goodrich charleengoodrich@gmail.com 2 PO Box Olympia, WA (360) Dan Underwood danuwood@charter.net N Underwood ST Kennewick, WA Phone: (509) Kandy Kraig, RPEC President kkraigspok@comcast.net North G Street Spokane, WA Phone: (509) Revised: 5/26/17 Page 3

4 CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP CHAIRS CH LAST NAME FIRST NAME Home_e_mail Home_phone 03 MCGINN COLLEEN M TREFRGFRMR@AOL.COM (206) BRANDLEY JAMES A JS.Brandley@gmail.com (425) HALL JOEL D hey_joel@hotmail.com (360) MCCLURE VERNA A (360) SMITH JOHN M jmyronsmith@gmail.com (360) HIGGINBOTHAM JUNE E (253) AHRENS AUDREY audrey.ahrens@yahoo.com (253) CLARK CHRISTINE E denison39@gmail.com (509) PIERSON JOHN F fjpierson@gmail.com (509) ALSETH IRENE H bobbia61@hotmail.com (509) ROBBINS CRAIG D cbrobbins78@gmail.com (360) STRAUGHN PAULETTE I bpstraughn@comcast.net (360) UNDERWOOD DANIEL danuwood@charter.net (509) JORGENSEN CAROL R eric_jorgensen_501@msn.com (360) ZINDEL ROBERT A bobzindel70@gmail.com (360) TURNER KENNETH chesawturners@gmail.com (509) HAND BRENDA J bjjhand@gmail.com (509) PEELE KAREN A. karenpeele@gmail.com (509) EDWARDS LUELLA frankedgaredwards@gmail.com (509) MOZZONE DONNA dmozz@gmx.com (253) LEE CYNTHIA I. leegardens@msn.com (425) JOHNSTON DARLENE A dajohnston@frontier.com (425) WELLER ERNESS E (509) FREY JUDITH L freybroughton@aol.com (425) Revised 5/25/17 Page 4

5 RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES COUNCIL CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Chapter 1 East Pierce County Pam Miller nd ST E, Lake Tapps, WA (253) pmiller4rpec@yahoo.com Chapter 2 Olympia Dennis Johnston 1303 Central St SE Olympia, WA H C wsu74@comcast.net Chapter 3 - Seattle Ellen Carmody 954 Broadway E Apt 203 Seattle, WA (206) esc1633@comcast.net Chapter 6 Everett James Kresge th St NW Stanwood, WA jamesallenkresge@gmail.com Chapter 7 Whatcom County Joel Hall 3605 Galiano Dr. Ferndale, WA Hey_joel@hotmail.com Chapter 8 Skagit/Island County John Smith PO BOX 337 Clear Lake, WA (360) jmyronsmith@gmail.com Chapter 9 Vancouver Kent Meyer 8608 NW Old Orchard Dr, Vancouver, WA (360) Kmeyer1932@comcast.net Chapter 10 Ft. Steilacoom Evelyn Bogrand 1302 Browns Pt Blvd Tacoma, WA ebogrand@aol.com Chapter 11 Walla Walla Michael Vinti Page 5 81 NE 14 th AVE, Milton-Freewater, OR smithchet@q.com Chapter 12 - Tacoma Carol Dotlich TH ST E Spanaway, WA (253) wfsecarol@comcast.net Chapter 13 - Spokane Gail Spaeth 2534 E Central, Spokane, WA Zona4gs@q.com Chapter 14 Medical Lake John Higgins PO Box 531, Medical Lake, WA (509) Chapter 16 Yakima Helen John 1011 Goodlander Dr. Selah, WA Chapter 17 Lewis County Jon Gust 1673 S. Market Blvd. #103, Chehalis, WA unclesmiley@centurylink.net Chapter 18 Grays Harbor Jeannine Bramstedt PO Box 499, Cosmopolis, WA laetarelady@yahoo.com Chapter 19 Kitsap County Sandie Reynolds PO Box 43, Vaughn, WA sandielee@comcast.net Chapter 20 Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Judy DeVoe 3256 Ocean Beach Hwy Longview, WA judyjod@aol.com Chapter 21 Tri-Cities Area

6 Pat Underwood 602 N Underwood ST, Kennewick, WA patsings@charter.net Chapter 22 Jefferson County Michael Marston PO Box 2006 Port Townsend, WA marston@cablespeed.com Chapter 23 Clallam County Robert Zindel 508 South H St Port Angeles, WA bobzindel@msn.com Chapter 24 Mason County Earl Mallinger 173 E PHILLIPS LAKE LOOP RD Shelton, WA (360) earlm@hctc.com Chapter 25 Grant County Ken Turner 2150 ROAD 20 NE Soap Lake, WA (509) chesawturners@gmail.com Chapter 27 Chelan/Douglas/Okanogan County Don Boxford 1021 Lindy St Wenatchee, WA dbox@nwi.net Chapter 28 Univ. of WA Mary Marbles th Ave S Seattle, WA C_marbles@msn.com Bill Ziegler 5002 S Roxbury St Seattle, WA flzwez@hotmail.com Chapter 37 Lynnwood Brenda Williams 6028 NE 203 rd St Kenmore, WA Kdhbmw4@comcast.net Chapter 39 Asotin-Garfield Darrell Russell th St Lewiston, ID dkrsar@cableone.net Chapter 40 Pacific County Edith Shire O Lane, Apt 117 Ocean Park, WA Chapter 44 Ritzville Callie Moore 204 E 10 th Ave, Ritzville, WA Chapter 45 - Republic Bobbi Weller 25 PETES RETREAT RD Republic, WA (509) weller@rcabletv.com Chapter 46 Bellevue-Eastside Judith Frey 3024 Hunts Point RD Hunts Point, WA (425) freybroughton@aol.com Chapter 29 Colville Rose Gotham 341 Hwy 395 S, Colville, WA Chapter 30 So. King County Buz Chromy RD PL SE Kent, WA (253) jchromy13@gmail.com Chapter 35 King County Metro Page 6

7 Page 7 RPEC Executive Board and Officers

8 PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT Kandy Kraig Brenda Williams 5732 North G St NE 203rd Street 37 Spokane, WA Kenmore, WA (509) (425) cell: (206) SECRETARY TREASURER Mary Marbles c_marbles@msn.com Kenneth Williams kengert45@comcast.net th Ave S th St. E 1 Seattle, WA Puyallup, WA (206) cell: (206) (253) cell:(253) Board Members District #1 District #2 Bob Bandarra bbandarra@comcast.net Kenneth Turner chesawturners@gmail.com 8501 Cedar CT Road 20 NE 25 Lynden, WA Soap Lake, WA (360) cell: (360) (509) Chapters: 6,7,8,37 Chapters: 15,25,27,45 District #3 District #4 Karol Hoffman karol.hoffman@gmail.com Daniel Underwood danuwood@charter.net PO BOX N Underwood ST 21 Spokane, WA Kennewick, WA (509) (509) Chapters: 13,14,29,32,44,48 Chapters: 11,16,21,36,39 District #5 District #6 Duane Thompson duanecarolthompson@q.com Michael Marston marston@cablespeed.com PO Box PO Box Kelso, WA Port Townsend, WA (360) (360) Chapters: 9,17,20,40 Chapters: 18,19,22,23,24 District #7 District #8 Nancy Heley naheley@comcast.net Carol Dotlich wfsecarol@comcast.net 3623 Surrey Dr NE th ST E 12 Olympia, WA Spanaway, WA (360) cell: (360) (253) cell: (253) Chapter: 2 Chapters: 1,10,12 District #9 District #9 Alma-Jean Marion alma-jean@comcast.net Claude Burfect Clburfec2@outlook.com 5304 S Avon ST nd Ave S 3 Seattle, WA Seattle, WA (206) (206) Chapters: 3,28,30,35,46 Chapters: 3,28,30,35,46 Updated 5/12/17 Page 8

9 RPEC Chapter Information Chapter Information Meeting Place President Name Board Name 1 East Pierce County 2 nd Thursday Monthly 10:00 am Sumner Senior Center nd Street Court E in Sumner Pam Miller (253) Carol Dotlich Olympia 2 nd Thursday Monthly Sept-May 1:30 pm The Olympia Center 222 N Columbia Ave, Room A -- Olympia Denny Johnston Nancy Heley Seattle 3 rd Tuesday Monthly Sept-May Noon 6 Everett 1 st Tuesday Monthly Sept-June 1:30 pm 7 Whatcom County 1 st Tuesday Monthly Sept-June 10:00 am 8 Skagit County 2 nd Thursday Monthly Sept-June 1:00 pm 9 Vancouver 3 rd Thursday Monthly 1:00 pm 10 Western State Hospital 1 st Thursday Sept-July 11:30 am August Picnic 1 st Friday 11 Walla Walla 1 st Tuesday Sept-May 12:00 pm 12 Tacoma 2 nd Wednesday Monthly Sept-June 11:30 am 13 Spokane 2 nd Thursday Mo except Jan & July 11:00 am 14 Medical Lake 4 th Wednesday Mo Sept June Noon 15 Ellensburg INACTIVE 16 Yakima 3 rd Wednesday Mo Sept May 11:45 am 17 Lewis County 1 st Wednesday Monthly 11:45 am 18 Grays Harbor 2 nd Tuesday Mo Sept May 11:30 am 19 Kitsap County 2 nd Tuesday Monthly 11:30 am 20 Cowlitz-Wahkiakum 3 rd Tuesday Mo Sept-May 1:00 pm 21 Tri-Cities 4 th Tuesday Monthly 11:00 am 22 Jefferson County 2 nd Tue Quarterly - Jan Apr July Oct Noon 23 Clallam County 3 rd Thurs Mar May Oct Dec 12:30am 24 Mason County 1 st Thursday Monthly 11:30 am Page 9 Razzi s Pizzeria 8523 Greenwood Ave N -- Seattle Carl Gipson Senior Center 3025 Lombard Ave -- Everett Bellingham Senior Center 315 Halleck St -- Bellingham Sedro-Woolley Senior Center 724 State Street -- Sedro Woolley Immanuel Lutheran Church 8310 MacArthur Blvd -- Vancouver AAA Buffet South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, WA Smith Family Restaurant 1425 W Pine Walla Walla Denny s th Ave-- Tacoma Round Table Pizza/Town & County Mall 1908 West Francis Ave -- Spokane Medical Lake City Hall 124 S Lefevre St Medical Lake Sea Galley 25 East Valley Mall Blvd Union Gap Centerville Café 111 North Tower Ave -- Centralia Golden Dragon Restaurant 710 Simpson Ave -- Hoquiam All Star Lanes Silverdale Way NW -- Silverdale Shamrock Bar & Grill th Ave--Longview The Old Country Buffet 1321 Columbia Center Blvd -- Kennewick Hwy 20 Road House 2152 Sims Way -- Port Townsend Ellen Carmody (206) Jim Kresge Joel Hall John Smith Kent Meyer (360) Evelyn Bogrand Michael Vinti Carol Dotlich Gail Spaeth John Higgins (509) Helen John Jon Gust Jeannine Bramstedt Sandie Reynolds Judy DeVoe Pat Underwood Michael Marston Alma-Jean Marion Claude Burfect Bob Bandarra Bob Bandarra Bob Bandarra Duane Thompson Carol Dotlich Daniel Underwood Carol Dotlich Kandy Kraig Kandy Kraig Daniel Underwood Duane Thompson Michael Marston Michael Marston Duane Thompson Daniel Underwood Michael Marston North Olympic Skills Center 905 W 9 th Street -- Port Angeles Bob Zindel Michael Marston Pine Tree Restaurant Earl Mallinger Michael Marston 102 S 1st St, Shelton, WA Grant County Don s Restaurant Ken Turner Kenneth Turner

10 3 rd Thursday Monthly Sept.-May 14 Canna N -- Soap Lake Noon 26 Okanogan County INACTIVE 27 Chelan-Douglas-Okanogan County 2 nd Thursday Sept May 11:00 am 28 UW Retirees 3 rd Tues Feb Apr Jun Aug Oct Dec Noon 29 Colville 2 nd Wednesday Sept.-May 11:30 am 30 South King County 2 nd Wed Feb Apr June Aug Oct Dec 12:15 The Eagles Lodge 1208 N Wenatchee Ave. -- Wenatchee Sizzler s Restaurant Southcenter Pkwy -- Tukwila Eagles Lodge 608 N Wynne -- Colville The Old Country Buffet 1816 S 320th St Federal Way 32 Whitman County INACTIVE 35 King County Retirees Sizzler Restaurant Jan Apr June Oct 11:00 am Southcenter Pkwy -- Tukwila 36 Klickitat County INACTIVE 37 Lynnwood 1 st Thursday Monthly Sept June 1:00 pm Terrace 39 Asotin-Garfield 3 rd Wednesday Monthly Noon Mountlake Terrace Library th Ave W Mountlake Varies 40 Pacific County Varies 3 rd Tuesday Monthly Jan-Oct Noon 41- Island County INACTIVE 44 Ritzville Ritz Roadhouse 2 nd Tues Mar Jun Sep Dec 9:00 am 1604 Smittys Blvd -- Ritzville 45 Republic Area Esther s Restaurant- 90 N Clark Ave-- 1 st Monday Apr & Nov, 3 rd Monday in Republic June & Sept. Noon 46 Bellevue-Eastside 3 rd Wednesday Monthly Aug May 12:00 pm 48 Newport INACTIVE Family Pancake House Redmond Way -- Redmond Revised: 5/25/17 Kenneth Turner Mary Marbles Rose Gotham Buz Chromy Bill Ziegler Brenda Williams Darrell Russell Edith Shire Callie Moore Bobbi Weller Judith Frey Kenneth Turner Alma-Jean Marion Claude Burfect Kandy Kraig Alma-Jean Marion Claude Burfect Alma-Jean Marion Claude Burfect Bob Bandarra Daniel Underwood Duane Thompson Kandy Kraig Kenneth Turner Alma-Jean Marion Claude Burfect Page 10

11 Page 11 GENERAL INFORMATION

12 General Information About RPEC RPEC is an independent not-for-profit organization, affiliated with the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Washington State Labor Council. RPEC is a member of the National Council of Senior Citizens, the Alliance of Retired Americans, and the Washington Senior Citizen Lobby. RPEC works with the Employee Retirement Benefits Board, the Department of Retirement Services (DRS), and the Legislature on behalf of retired public employees. RPEC clout comes from the strength of being a large organization with members who vote! RPEC is divided geographically into 33 local chapters, each with its own elected officers and budget. New members are assigned to the chapter in their home area unless they retired from one of these employers: Western State Hospital, University of Washington, or King County. Members who move are automatically reassigned to the chapter nearest their new residence, but they may make a request to remain with their old chapter. RPEC membership dues are $7 per month, and can be deducted monthly from a members pension check. Many AFSCME locals will pay up to one year s dues upon request. Chapters should contact locals in their areas reminding them of this and urging them to do so. The ideal way to accomplish this is to have the retiree fill out a deduction form and give it to the union to send in with the check for the first year. RPEC has an active PAC to help political candidates who support our issues. RPEC represents over nearly 10,000 retired state, city, counties, municipalities and political subdivisions. RPEC has local chapter meetings, an annual Legislative Day, a biennial convention. RPEC has a website and regular newsletter with legislative updates and news that matters to you. The web address is Page 12

13 Retired Public Employees Council of Washington Significant Accomplishments The Retired Public Employees Council focuses on issues important to retired public employees. These include, but are not limited to the full funding of pensions, cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), erosion of purchasing power, rapidly rising health coverage costs, access to health coverage, retirement age, and more. RPEC took a leadership role in promoting the following accomplishments, most of which required lobbying the state Legislature for new legislation. RPEC currently represents its members on the following boards, committees & coalitions: Select Committee For Pension Policy Public Employees Benefit Board Washington State Investment Board DRS Pension Advisory Committee Public Employees for Pension Responsibility Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans Washington Senior Lobby Healthy Washington Coalition Due to RPEC s efforts in the Legislature: In Defeated efforts to study transferring the health insurance retirees who have access through the Public Employees Benefit Board (PEBB) onto a Medicare Advantage Plan, which is not offered in at least ten counties in Washington and would eliminate existing health care choices. If acted upon, this plan would have also taken away state oversight as the Office of the Insurance Commissioner is strictly forbidden from regulating Medicare Advantage plans. The 2015 proposed budget cut of $40 per month to the subsidy for Medicare eligible retirees covered through the Public Employee Benefit Board was defeated. This effort was also defeated in The legislature had cut the subsidy from $ to $150 in In 2015, the legislature passed HB 1168, the bill correction that would continue to allow PERS 1 members to return to work for up to 867 hours, which would not have been allowed after 2016 otherwise. In the legislative session, we defeated SB 5851, the proposed bill creating a Plan 4 pension, which would have undermined current pensions and cost the state a significant amount to set up. From 2010 to 2015, the state legislature has been fully funding their contribution to the pensions Legislative Session RPEC was instrumental in the passage of the Healthcare Authority Ombudsman via the Office of the Insurance commissioner. Currently, volunteer RPEC members are available to answer questions that retirees and seniors have on health care issues, and direct them if needed to the appropriate agency for further assistance. Page 13

14 Washington Annuitants by County Total Total Monthly County System Active Inactive Annuitants Members Benefit ADAMS SERS ADAMS LEOFF ADAMS PSERS ADAMS PERS ADAMS WSP ADAMS TRS ADAMS Total: $566, ASOTIN SERS ASOTIN LEOFF ASOTIN PSERS ASOTIN PERS ASOTIN WSP ASOTIN TRS ASOTIN Total: $729, BENTON SERS BENTON JUDICIAL BENTON LEOFF BENTON PSERS BENTON PERS BENTON WSP BENTON TRS BENTON Total: $7,278, CHELAN SERS CHELAN JUDICIAL CHELAN LEOFF CHELAN PSERS CHELAN PERS CHELAN WSP CHELAN TRS CHELAN Total: $4,615, CLALLAM SERS CLALLAM LEOFF CLALLAM PSERS CLALLAM PERS CLALLAM WSP CLALLAM TRS CLALLAM Total: $3,659, CLARK SERS CLARK JUDICIAL CLARK LEOFF CLARK PSERS CLARK PERS Page 14

15 CLARK WSP CLARK TRS CLARK Total: $10,852, COLUMBIA SERS COLUMBIA LEOFF COLUMBIA PSERS COLUMBIA PERS COLUMBIA WSP COLUMBIA TRS COLUMBIA Total: $327, COWLITZ SERS COWLITZ JUDICIAL COWLITZ LEOFF COWLITZ PSERS COWLITZ PERS COWLITZ WSP COWLITZ TRS COWLITZ Total: $4,440, DOUGLAS SERS DOUGLAS LEOFF DOUGLAS PSERS DOUGLAS PERS DOUGLAS WSP DOUGLAS TRS DOUGLAS Total: $2,062, FERRY SERS FERRY LEOFF FERRY PSERS FERRY PERS FERRY WSP FERRY TRS FERRY Total: $327, FRANKLIN SERS FRANKLIN LEOFF FRANKLIN PSERS FRANKLIN PERS FRANKLIN WSP FRANKLIN TRS FRANKLIN Total: $1,906, GARFIELD SERS GARFIELD LEOFF GARFIELD PSERS GARFIELD PERS GARFIELD WSP GARFIELD TRS GARFIELD Total: $138, Page 15

16 GRANT SERS GRANT LEOFF GRANT PSERS GRANT PERS GRANT WSP GRANT TRS GRANT Total: $3,594, GRAYS HARBOR SERS GRAYS HARBOR JUDICIAL GRAYS HARBOR LEOFF GRAYS HARBOR PSERS GRAYS HARBOR PERS GRAYS HARBOR WSP GRAYS HARBOR TRS GRAYS HARBOR Total: $4,065, ISLAND SERS ISLAND JUDICIAL ISLAND LEOFF ISLAND PSERS ISLAND PERS ISLAND WSP ISLAND TRS ISLAND Total: $3,830, JEFFERSON SERS JEFFERSON JUDICIAL JEFFERSON LEOFF JEFFERSON PSERS JEFFERSON PERS JEFFERSON WSP JEFFERSON TRS JEFFERSON Total: $1,476, KING SERS KING JUDICIAL KING LEOFF KING PSERS KING PERS KING WSP KING TRS KING JUDGES KING Total: $57,338, Page 16

17 KITSAP SERS KITSAP JUDICIAL KITSAP LEOFF KITSAP PSERS KITSAP PERS KITSAP WSP KITSAP TRS KITSAP JUDGES KITSAP Total: $8,481, KITTITAS SERS KITTITAS LEOFF KITTITAS PSERS KITTITAS PERS KITTITAS WSP KITTITAS TRS KITTITAS Total: $2,286, KLICKITAT SERS KLICKITAT JUDICIAL KLICKITAT LEOFF KLICKITAT PSERS KLICKITAT PERS KLICKITAT WSP KLICKITAT TRS KLICKITAT Total: $906, LEWIS SERS LEWIS LEOFF LEWIS PSERS LEWIS PERS LEWIS WSP LEWIS TRS LEWIS Total: $4,252, LINCOLN SERS LINCOLN LEOFF LINCOLN PSERS LINCOLN PERS LINCOLN WSP LINCOLN TRS LINCOLN Total: $729, MASON SERS MASON JUDICIAL MASON LEOFF MASON PSERS MASON PERS MASON WSP MASON TRS MASON JUDGES Page 17

18 MASON Total: $3,924, OKANOGAN SERS OKANOGAN LEOFF OKANOGAN PSERS OKANOGAN PERS OKANOGAN WSP OKANOGAN TRS OKANOGAN Total: $2,135, PACIFIC SERS PACIFIC LEOFF PACIFIC PSERS PACIFIC PERS PACIFIC WSP PACIFIC TRS PACIFIC Total: $1,324, PEND ORIELLE SERS PEND ORIELLE LEOFF PEND ORIELLE PSERS PEND ORIELLE PERS PEND ORIELLE WSP PEND ORIELLE TRS PEND ORIELLE Total: $569, PIERCE SERS PIERCE JUDICIAL PIERCE LEOFF PIERCE PSERS PIERCE PERS PIERCE WSP PIERCE TRS PIERCE JUDGES PIERCE Total: $29,455, SAN JUAN SERS SAN JUAN LEOFF SAN JUAN PSERS SAN JUAN PERS SAN JUAN WSP SAN JUAN TRS SAN JUAN Total: $574, SKAGIT SERS SKAGIT LEOFF SKAGIT PSERS SKAGIT PERS SKAGIT WSP SKAGIT TRS SKAGIT JUDGES SKAGIT Total: $5,542, Page 18

19 SKAMANIA SERS SKAMANIA LEOFF SKAMANIA PSERS SKAMANIA PERS SKAMANIA WSP SKAMANIA TRS SKAMANIA Total: $352, SNOHOMISH SERS SNOHOMISH JUDICIAL SNOHOMISH LEOFF SNOHOMISH PSERS SNOHOMISH PERS SNOHOMISH WSP SNOHOMISH TRS SNOHOMISH JUDGES SNOHOMISH Total: $22,954, SPOKANE SERS SPOKANE JUDICIAL SPOKANE LEOFF SPOKANE PSERS SPOKANE PERS SPOKANE WSP SPOKANE TRS SPOKANE JUDGES SPOKANE Total: $18,511, STEVENS SERS STEVENS JUDICIAL STEVENS LEOFF STEVENS PSERS STEVENS PERS STEVENS WSP STEVENS TRS STEVENS Total: $1,568, THURSTON SERS THURSTON JUDICIAL THURSTON LEOFF THURSTON PSERS THURSTON PERS THURSTON WSP THURSTON TRS THURSTON Total: $26,442, WAHKIAKUM SERS WAHKIAKUM LEOFF WAHKIAKUM PSERS WAHKIAKUM PERS WAHKIAKUM WSP Page 19

20 WAHKIAKUM TRS WAHKIAKUM Total: $254, WALLA WALLA SERS WALLA WALLA JUDICIAL WALLA WALLA LEOFF WALLA WALLA PSERS WALLA WALLA PERS WALLA WALLA WSP WALLA WALLA TRS WALLA WALLA Total: $2,717, WHATCOM SERS WHATCOM JUDICIAL WHATCOM LEOFF WHATCOM PSERS WHATCOM PERS WHATCOM WSP WHATCOM TRS WHATCOM JUDGES WHATCOM Total: $6,771, WHITMAN SERS WHITMAN LEOFF WHITMAN PSERS WHITMAN PERS WHITMAN WSP WHITMAN TRS WHITMAN Total: $1,734, YAKIMA SERS YAKIMA JUDICIAL YAKIMA LEOFF YAKIMA PSERS YAKIMA PERS YAKIMA WSP YAKIMA TRS YAKIMA Total: $9,266, OUT OF STATE SERS OUT OF STATE JUDICIAL OUT OF STATE LEOFF OUT OF STATE PSERS OUT OF STATE PERS OUT OF STATE WSP OUT OF STATE TRS OUT OF STATE Total: $27,276, OUT OF COUNTRY SERS OUT OF COUNTRY LEOFF Page 20

21 OUT OF COUNTRY PSERS OUT OF COUNTRY PERS OUT OF COUNTRY WSP OUT OF COUNTRY TRS OUT OF COUNTRY Total: $326, DRS TOTAL Total: $285,571, Page 21

22 Washington State Investment Board FAQ Q. What agency should I contact for questions about my pension plan or the Deferred Compensation Program? A. The Department of Retirement Systems provides detailed information on the state s pension plans and deferred compensation supplemental savings program. The tools and publications on DRS Web site can help members determine which plan best meets their investment preferences, risk tolerances, and retirement goals and expectations. DRS also provides information on how participants who decide to move money from one self-directed investment option to another can do so. Visit DRS Web site ( or for telephone assistance, call (360) in Olympia or toll-free at Q. What should participants of Plan 3 systems, Deferred Compensation Program, or the Judicial Retirement Account do to protect their self-directed investments from volatility in the markets? A. We understand market volatility creates more challenging investment decisions for Plan 3 retirement system members, as well as those in the DCP and JRA. Because these plans are partially or completely self-directed, depending on the investment choices one makes, market fluctuations may have a greater and more immediate impact on investment performance. The Plan 3 and DCP investment guides provided by the Department of Retirement Systems are designed to help you determine which investment option, or combination of them, best meets your tolerance for risk and your retirement goals. Before making any decision about switching from one investment option to another, please review the investment guides, which are available through DRS at Q. How are my investments in the Deferred Compensation Program s Savings Pool invested? A. The DCP Savings Pool is comprised of Guaranteed Investment Contracts (GICs) which are a fixed rate, fixed maturity contract always valued at par. GICs are issued by insurance companies with a financial strength rating of Aa3 or better when the investment is made. These companies are heavily regulated by state insurance departments which require each company to keep a certain amount of cash reserves based on their liabilities. The GICs rate pari passu with policy holders in the capital structure of the companies. That means we are first in line to get our money back should one of them fail and go bankrupt. As a result of the market crisis, the majority of the insurance companies providing guaranteed investment contracts (GICs) to the Savings Pool have been downgraded to below Aa3, the policy s minimum rating. The WSIB has developed a transition plan for the Savings Pool until the markets stabilize. The plan consists of investing the maximum allowed under policy with the insurance companies rated Aa3 or better. The remaining cash will be invested in a money market fund. If ratings do not improve over time, the investment strategy for this investment option will be reviewed. Q. Why doesn t the WSIB more frequently change its investment strategies for the state s retirement Commingled Trust Fund? A. The WSIB has a globally diversified portfolio of high quality assets that is built focused on the long-term. One of the profound lessons of the past is that a steady and determined focus on one s investment plan, combined with the courage to stick with it, will be rewarded. Diversification really is the best response to weathering market volatility and uncertainty. Q. Why doesn t the WSIB s website provide daily performance results for each fund? A. Although we constantly track market data, the WSIB is a long-term investor and does not calculate and provide fund performance numbers on a daily basis. The measurements of longer period performance are more relevant in making important strategic decisions. We do publish monthly, quarterly, and annual performance Page 22

23 reports which, to ensure complete accuracy, must undergo a rigorous review and accounting process before they are posted to our website. Q. How does the WSIB ensure transparency and integrity in managing investments? The WSIB has one of the most rigorous and transparent governance structures in the country. The Board members, as fiduciaries, and WSIB staff are legally held to the highest standard of care when making and monitoring investments, which is for the sole benefit of the beneficiaries of the public retirement and other trust funds that we have been entrusted to manage. We take this responsibility very seriously. The Board has voluntarily adopted one of the strictest conflict of interest policies of any pension fund in the nation, and adherence to this policy is audited annually by the State Auditor. The Board practices the maxim that prudence is process and runs all investment decisions, managers, and contracts through extensive due diligence. This is conducted by staff and often times, independent consultants are used so the Board receives two independent sets of views before committing capital or renewing commitments with any existing partner. Decisions are made in open public meetings and results are promptly reported on our web site to ensure absolute transparency. Once an investment contract is signed it is monitored by compliance staff, independent of the investment division, who tests all the terms and conditions of the contracts to ensure compliance with investment policies, fee schedules, and reporting requirements. Finally, the State Auditor s Office has audited the investment service contracts in three of the last four annual audits, and for 18 consecutive years the WSIB has received clean audit reports from the SAO with absolutely no findings. The Board has also contracted with two independent third parties to verify our financials and performance. Peterson Sullivan LLP is the Board s independent financial auditing firm and has had no audit findings or any adjustments to the financials. Cost Effectiveness Measurements, a benchmarking firm out of Toronto, looks at how well WSIB performance compares to 167 other U.S. funds. According to CEM s latest report, the WSIB s five- year total return of 6.7% was in the top quartile of our U.S. universe and, compared to our peer funds, we remain a high performance, low cost organization. The combination of a robust governance structure, strong fiduciary standard, ethics policy and thorough due diligence and independent monitoring have kept the WSIB far afield of the scandals that have rocked other funds and we expect will serve us well in the future. Page 23

24 Q & A on Retirement Security Question #1 What is the average public employee pension benefit in Washington? Answer: PERS 1 s annual average was $24,096, PERS 2 s average was $18,204, PERS 3 s defined benefit average was $10,404, PSERS average was $7,008, SERS 2 s average was $10,308, and SERS 3 s defined benefit portion average was $5,604. Question #2 Where will I get my health insurance? Answer: While only a few county or municipal employers provide their retirees health insurance through the Public Employee Benefit Board (PEBB), all state retirees have that access. Most retirees who have access, choose to take part in the Uniform Classic plan which in 2017 cost them $577 per month ($6,924 per year) if they were not Medicare eligible, and $278 per month ($3,336 per year) if they were Medicare eligible. Question #3 What is the financial standard for Retirement Security? Answer: According to the National Council on Aging, the standard for a senior in Washington to be considered economically secure is $33,756 if the senior pays a mortgage. A senior couple would need to have $ $44,988 if they were paying a mortgage. Question #4 Are our pensions fully funded? Answer: Washington state pensions are 86% funded overall, though PERS 1 has the lowest funding level at 58%. Question #5 Will I get an annual COLA to help keep up with inflation? Answer: All retirees in plan 2 and 3 receive a base cost-of-living adjustment every year. The base COLA adjusts the benefit based on the change, if any, in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area. There is no COLA for PERS 1 members. Nothing is guaranteed! To learn more visit our web-site at Page 24

25 RPEC Opposes Defined-contribution Retirement System Changes The Retired Public Employees Council of Washington (RPEC) opposes efforts to create a new definedcontribution retirement system (Plan 4) in the State s retirement systems for public employees. We oppose both a new voluntary option (SB 5851) and a mandatory approach (SB 5856), which depart from traditional defined-benefit retirement plans that are well-funded and cost-effective. The creation of a Plan 4 is unnecessary and bad for State and local governments, their current and retired employees, and the state s economy. Washington s current pensions system is the 4th highest funded the U.S. The only underfunded plan is Plan 1 which is due to the state not making their full payment over a number of years even though employees continued to make their full contributions. Other Plans are currently projected to be more than adequately funded. A new plan will not help address historic Plans 1 underpayments and will negatively affect the funding levels of Plans 2 and 3. Pension Reform Is Not Necessary Washington s public pension systems are fiscally sound, overall the 4 th best in the nation, according to The Pew Charitable Trust State investment Board (SIB) investment earnings leads the nation because of the pooled fund approach and predictable flow of funds under existing plans In recent years, 84% of the typical DRS pensions paid in Washington come from SIB investment earnings Defined Benefit provides more Bang for the Buck- Independent studies consistently show that definedbenefit plans earn more per dollar invested because of the long-term pooled investment approach made possible (as in the approach of the SIB) New Defined-Contribution Plan Is Bad Policy The current system already includes a hybrid pension plan (Plans 3) that combines characteristics of a defined-benefit and defined-contribution pension. Plans 3 are more than adequately funded. Diverting the flow of funds from the current Plans 2 and 3 into new defined-contribution plans would underfund Plans 2 and 3 to an extent similar as Plans 1. State and local budgets would be severely impacted because employers (State, Counties, and Municipalities) will have to increase their contribution as less money is coming in. Self-directed defined-contribution plans force the State Investment Board to keep more of the funds in liquid short-term investments to allow employees the flexibility to change investment options. This reduces the overall returns to support pensions. Public employees would have no guaranteed pension benefit Reduced pensions mean reduced spending by retirees who turn each dollar contributed by taxpayers into $9.60 in total output to the state and local economy. Page 25

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30 Tips on Getting More Members Signed Up for RPEC 1. Use your lists of Public Retirees in your area that Headquarters sends out periodically. Who do you know on the lists? Who has retired from your worksite? (you have a connection with them already). These lists have many good prospects to contact; some will join if contacted. 2. When phoning a male prospect, his wife could be your prime helper; women are sometimes more receptive to RPEC than some men. 3. One woman I spoke with four years ago let her husband veto her decision to sign up. Just last month, she finally sent in her completed application. It had taken several reminders in the intervening four years when I happened to see her in the grocery store or Y. So it may take repeated contacts to encourage a prospect to join. 4. When a prospect says No, it just means Not this time. Try again several more times; the answer could be different. 5. Emphasize that RPEC is not a union. It s an association of retirees from your worksite, plus other fellow state, county, and city retirees, all of whom want to protect their hard-earned pensions and benefits. 6. Some prospects are ready to join RPEC but just haven t been asked. It took me only 30 seconds to say where do I sign? There are others in similar situations. 7. Chapter luncheons/meetings are social events; you ll see fellow retirees that you once worked with. Make this a good social outlet to enjoy and appreciate. Many retirees are looking for more socializing. 8. You don t have to attend chapter luncheons/meetings, but you ll probably like them. Enjoy them while you still can get around. 9. RPEC members share retirement tips: you can express your gripes, you can even rant. Others will understand; we re all in the same boat. 10. By promoting RPEC, a member is not selling, but sharing. 11. See if you can locate a larger facility/restaurant that will accommodate a larger number in attendance, as well as provide an improved menu. We moved from a downtown restaurant with parking problems, to a Shari s, with more room, an improved menu, and more on-site parking. This move increased our attendance by 50%. 12. Schedule a high caliber of guest speakers that will lead to greater member attendance, as well as being more appealing to guests/prospects. 13. Feel and show true Empathy for the prospect. Put yourself in the other person s shoes. What is his/her experience that I can picture and experience? What can I say that will demonstrate sincere Empathy? If he sees you showing empathy towards him, he s more likely to join RPEC. Page 30

31 14. Here are Stephen Colbert s suggestions for convincing another person to act: a. First, you must delight/entertain the other person with a warm greeting, so that the other person s attention can be gripped and made to listen. b. Next, instruct the other person, so that the listener hears the truth, and understands what he/she hears. c. Last, persuade the prospect, so that the person internalizes the truth they learned, and makes a personal decision to join RPEC. Page 31

32 Action Steps to Get Prospects To Join RPEC I. Identify Prospects: IV. Follow-Up with Prospect From your place of employment If I may ask, where did you retire from? Ask for referrals from friends etc. Call friends, and friends of friends II. Approach Prospect Telephone call or visit Letter after Telephone Call or visit Letter without Telephone Call Stop by the prospect s address on cold call Call to make another contact, to ask for sale If needed, call again to make another contact, to ask for sale If needed, make a visit to ask for sale Invite prospect to a luncheon/meeting as a guest (have Chapter pay for guest s lunch) V. Fill out the Application with Prospect Work with the prospect to complete the application (you can do this after a luncheon/meeting) Have the prospect sign the application Give the completed application to your Chapter President III. One on One with Prospect Share Your Passion for RPEC Tell Your Story; Why You Belong to RPEC More Reasons for Belonging to RPEC Ask Questions of Prospect Share Brochures Find his/her sweet spot or need that RPEC can fill Ask for Sale Page 32