Lynne Bracy to Pat Frost-Brooks: OEA has never been the friend of retirees; why now?

From Lynne Bracy, September 6, 2009

Dear Ms. O’Donnell and Ms. Frost-Brooks,

I write in regard to your letter of 9/4/09 to those of us who are OEA retired, among others. Your letter was a response to the recent actions taken by the STRS Board in an effort to get the unfunded liability back to 30 years as required. As an OEA member during my active years and since retirement and as an eleven year retiree in the STRS retirement system, I found a number of surprising comments in that letter.

First, OEA backed Board members voted for this plan 100%. It seems a bit odd to me that you would now disagree with them and plan a foray to Columbus to try and block their decision. You apparently spent thousands of dollars to get them elected but now choose to try and thwart their best efforts to do their jobs.

There seems to be a hint of whining in this letter, which speaks of “life altering effect(s)” if this plan is passed by the Ohio legislature: What about the life altering effects already suffered by us retirees such as losing the 13th check and the escalating healthcare costs every year of retirement and now the loss of at least part of our COLA?

You state that the plan asks too much of active teachers. I take that to mean that retired teachers should bear more of the burden. So you are suggesting that those already retired lose the benefits they thought they had when they retired? What about the sacrifices retirees have already made? What about the fact that most retirees have no job and no chance to take any actions to give themselves more retirement income.

OEA has controlled the STRS Board for many years. Those OEA Board members voted the implementation of the “enhanced benefits program” that created a two tier retirement system. They did this without an actuarial study to determine the impact of what they were doing. Nearly all of those OEA Board members then capitalized on the enhanced benefit themselves. That enhanced benefit has cost STRS to date at least six billion dollars. Where was OEA’s outrage then?

Herb Dyer negatively impacted the system and all retirees when he decided that a dedicated stream of revenue was not required for health care. The OEA dominated Board said nothing. Where was OEA’s outrage then?

While OEA never questioned teachers working up to 10 years longer than 30 years in order to receive the “enhanced benefit,” why is it now worrying about the mental and physical health of teachers who may be required to work longer than 30 years in order to receive their benefits? Where was your outrage then?

There is no question I am deeply concerned about these proposed changes to my retirement and that of others. I worry about the students I once taught who followed my path into education and now have ten or more years in and will wonder what to do next. I might even feel compelled to suggest they leave teaching and try something else. They can earn more money and start a 401K plan. It breaks my heart, but they may not even HAVE healthcare coverage when they retire. I have a granddaughter who is talking about teaching as a career. What should I tell her?

We have come to a sad place, and my point here is this: Maybe OEA should have done something long ago to see that the welfare of retirees was safeguarded. It had the power to do so. It controlled the STRS Board. Maybe OEA should have written retirees a letter sooner, demonstrating their sincere concern for our losses over the past eleven years and should have tried to do something to alleviate them.

OEA has never been the friend of retirees, and I find it quite ironic that you are trying to be one now. I am not sure that OEA is even the friend of active teachers.

Most sincerely,
Lynne Bracy
1999 retiree
Former English teacher
Coldwater Exempted Village School District
Now resident of Mason, Ohio
[Not to mention that for six years OEA waged an intense battle against the very person who was seeking to the protect retirees and actives and prevent the STRS board from making unwise decisions: Dennis Leone. Together they could and they did! KBB]