RH Jones: Proud, but not proud
From RH Jones, March 19, 2010
Subject: Proud to be a member of the SummitCRTA, but not ORTA
To all:
As a proud member of the SummitCRTA, I would like to take this opportunity to report that in the April, 2010, SCRTA NEWS the editor wrote: “ ‘Apparently ORTA hopes the 2% COLA for current retirees (and the 1.5% for future retirees) is retained as any bills are introduced and moved through legislature. This is the ORTA position on the Long-term Solvency Plan of STRS’. I would urge you to contact your ORTA board and your STRS board. Our 3% COLA is our only inflation protection STRS pensioners receive.”
As a “tell it like it is” person, I take that to mean that the editor, on behalf of the SCRTA members and correctly so, wants the readers to contact and then to protest the ORTA’s and the STRS’s position to allow the 1% take-away to happen.
The Legislative Chair, K. Fluke, PhD report on the State Legislation states: “There is no state action on STRS or other Ohio state pensions legislation. There is, at present, a proposal to reduce our 3% COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance). This is the only inflation protection STRS retirees receive. In 2002 legislation was enacted that gave retirees in the five Ohio pension systems, a 3% COLA. With federal stimulus funding, it is only a matter of time until inflation may escalate. I urge you to write to your STRS Retirement Board members and to the Executive Director and express your feelings, especially since there has not been, for many years other inflation protection, i.e. like the ‘13th check’ and ‘Ad-hoc raises‘ which temper inflation for the STRS retiree. If our STRS investments turn positive, these legislatively permissible items should be given top priority with health care funding continuation”.
In my opinion, the present ORTA officials do not seem to understand. After all the hard negotiating work done by ORTA officials in 2002, to get the fixed flat 3% COLA, that work will be discarded. This “take away” is very unpopular with retired teachers. It is no less popular than the “take back” some of the promised HC/Rx deferred compensations.
RHJones, a proud member of the SummitCRTA
Subject: Proud to be a member of the SummitCRTA, but not ORTA
To all:
As a proud member of the SummitCRTA, I would like to take this opportunity to report that in the April, 2010, SCRTA NEWS the editor wrote: “ ‘Apparently ORTA hopes the 2% COLA for current retirees (and the 1.5% for future retirees) is retained as any bills are introduced and moved through legislature. This is the ORTA position on the Long-term Solvency Plan of STRS’. I would urge you to contact your ORTA board and your STRS board. Our 3% COLA is our only inflation protection STRS pensioners receive.”
As a “tell it like it is” person, I take that to mean that the editor, on behalf of the SCRTA members and correctly so, wants the readers to contact and then to protest the ORTA’s and the STRS’s position to allow the 1% take-away to happen.
The Legislative Chair, K. Fluke, PhD report on the State Legislation states: “There is no state action on STRS or other Ohio state pensions legislation. There is, at present, a proposal to reduce our 3% COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance). This is the only inflation protection STRS retirees receive. In 2002 legislation was enacted that gave retirees in the five Ohio pension systems, a 3% COLA. With federal stimulus funding, it is only a matter of time until inflation may escalate. I urge you to write to your STRS Retirement Board members and to the Executive Director and express your feelings, especially since there has not been, for many years other inflation protection, i.e. like the ‘13th check’ and ‘Ad-hoc raises‘ which temper inflation for the STRS retiree. If our STRS investments turn positive, these legislatively permissible items should be given top priority with health care funding continuation”.
In my opinion, the present ORTA officials do not seem to understand. After all the hard negotiating work done by ORTA officials in 2002, to get the fixed flat 3% COLA, that work will be discarded. This “take away” is very unpopular with retired teachers. It is no less popular than the “take back” some of the promised HC/Rx deferred compensations.
RHJones, a proud member of the SummitCRTA
posted by Kathie Bracy at 12:35 PM
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