OEA, how 'bout the lack of flexibility retirees had when spousal subsidies were taken away overnight after retirees' careers had ALREADY ended?

From John Curry, February 22, 2011

And the OEA said, "We believe that the cuts are too deep and do not offer sufficient flexibility to teachers who are nearing the end of their careers."

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/21/teachers-unions-oppose-boosting-retirement-share.html?sid=101

Teachers unions oppose boosting retirement share

February 21, 2011
By Darrel Rowland
The Columbus Dispatch
With all the furor over collective bargaining, proposals to revamp Ohio public employees' pension plans almost have gotten lost.

Legislative hearings continue this week, but no action is expected until spring at least.

Both the Ohio Education Association and Ohio Federation of Teachers oppose a proposal that would force teachers to pay more into their retirement fund. The educators' share would go from 10 percent to 13 percent under a measure approved late last month by the State Teachers Retirement System.

The teachers federation newsletter for this month said that while the union "understands and supports the need for changes that will stabilize the pension fund for the long term, we are greatly concerned that there be a balanced approach to any solution. We do not believe the new STRS board plan accomplishes that."

And the OEA said, "We believe that the cuts are too deep and do not offer sufficient flexibility to teachers who are nearing the end of their careers."

The OEA still favors a plan from last fall that would have increased the government employers' (taxpayers') share to 16.5 percent from the current 14 percent.

drowland@dispatch.com

Note from John....readers, if you click on the link at the beginning of this article and go to the actual Dispatch article, you can read the reader comments and even add comments of your own.