WHEREAS:
For nearly four decades, the harmful and unjust Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) have robbed millions of retirees of tens of thousands of dollars in hard-earned Social Security benefits; and
WHEREAS:
The WEP significantly reduces a retiree’s Social Security benefit simply because the retiree is also eligible to collect a public pension — even if that retiree is entitled to a Social Security benefit from work in another non-public sector job; and
WHEREAS:
The GPO deeply cuts and in some cases completely eliminates any survivor benefit a spouse may be entitled to simply because that spouse has earned a public-sector pension — even if that spouse is entitled to a survivor benefit based on their spouse’s work in a Social Security covered job; and
WHEREAS:
These deep cuts in Social Security benefits are made automatically despite the fact that the impacted workers paid the same Social Security tax over their careers as those receiving full benefits; and
WHEREAS:
Given these harmful provisions have been federal law for nearly four decades, the issue is no longer confined to a small group of states and now impacts retirees living in all 50 states; and
WHEREAS:
According to the latest available data from the Congressional Research Service, nearly 1.9 million people residing in all 50 states are hurt by reductions in their Social Security benefit as a result of the WEP; and
WHEREAS:
According to the latest available data from the Congressional Research Service, there are nearly 700,000 surviving spouses residing in all 50 states who are hurt by the GPO and many are the spouses of private-sector union members who are counting on a strong survivor benefit for their spouses should they pre-decease their spouses; and
WHEREAS:
For many private sector workers, this survivor benefit serves as the only form of affordable income protection or ‘life insurance’ for their spouses; and
WHEREAS:
More than 84% of surviving spouses impacted by the GPO are women, many are harmed by both the WEP and GPO, and many are not aware of the GPO until it comes time to apply for survivor benefits; and
WHEREAS:
If this long-standing injustice is not corrected by the U.S. House and Senate, it will strip future retirees of their hard-earned benefits in the future, making this an important issue for our active members as well as our retirees; and
WHEREAS:
Some organizations have appeared to give up on securing a full repeal of the WEP and GPO, opting to place their efforts and support behind legislation filed by Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal that provides only modest relief on the WEP while leaving the GPO fully intact; and
WHEREAS:
As of June 8, 2022, Congressman Neal’s legislation (H.R. 2337) has no bipartisan support with 187 Democratic Party co-sponsors, while legislation (H.R. 82) that would end this injustice once and for all by fully repealing the WEP and GPO has strong bipartisan support with co-sponsorship from 202 Democratic House members and 75 Republicans for a total of 277; and
WHEREAS:
Decades of portraying this problem as an issue that only impacts public-sector retirees in a small group of states is not only inaccurate, but has also proven to be an ineffective approach to solving the problem.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME International will continue to aggressively fight for full repeal by continuing efforts to secure both Democratic and Republican support for full repeal legislation and urging leadership to bring full repeal legislation to the floor for a vote; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME International will consider new approaches to messaging and coalition building in these full repeal efforts including but not limited to:
- Portraying this issue as a problem not just for retired members, but also current active AFSCME members who will surely be economically harmed in the future if full repeal of the WEP and GPO is not achieved; and
- Building support for full repeal in the private-sector labor movement by reaching out to leaders of private-sector national unions to educate these leaders on the GPO, which will impact all private-sector union members who have spouses working in the public sector.
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Bernard, Executive Director and Delegate
AFSCME Council 93
Edward Keefe, President and Delegate
AFSCME Council 93 Retiree Chapter
James Durkin, Delegate
AFSCME Local 72, Council 93
Massachusetts