Membership Report
We know you’re busy. Who isn’t? What we are asking of you should not interrupt our busy schedule. We all have places to go: doctor appointments, lunch with a friend, shopping for groceries, visiting family, volunteering, etc. We all thought that retirement meant loads of free time. It does mean more free time, but sometimes not as much as we’d like. What follows is what we are asking of you and why.
We need a constant flow of members to maintain our strength, and in this way, protect our state pension, COLA and subsidized health care. We have all been spoiled because there does
not seem to be a funding crisis or a current call to change the state constitution eliminating the
pension protection clause. Back in May 2015 the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the pension reform law of 2013, which attempted to solve the state’s $100 billion unfunded liability over 30 years by basically reducing the COLA, was unconstitutional. The state contended that its contractual obligations to the pension were not absolute because it reserved “emergency powers” in a time of crisis that superseded the pension protection clause. Fortunately, the court did not agree. However, another pension crisis that threatens your defined benefit pension can rear its ugly head at any time. Only our strength, as seen through our numbers, can allay that fight. Your insurance against this possible battle is your membership in the IRTA/
WLSU. This is why we must grow our numbers.
We are asking for your help in a few simple ways. First, your family benefits by your pension, and any spouse or significant other should immediately join the IRTA as an associate member.
An associate member has full rights of membership except a vote at the biennial convention in
Springfield. Secondly, ask your former colleagues if they are members of IRTA/WLSU and consistently urge them to join. Let them know how they benefit by joining. Finally, we need information about possible members. We do not have addresses of retirees. We only have, occasionally, a name and school email address until they retire. Once they leave, we lose touch.
Any list of retirees, especially with current contact information such as an address, is very helpful. Doing these few things to help IRTA/WLSU will not take much time from your busy day or add a huge financial drain on your savings. We hope you will help by sharing names of retired teachers and/or current ’24 retirees. Email your list to any Membership person or our Treasurer. See the WLSU Contact Information box enclosed in this newsletter. Take a minute to think about your change of lifestyle if you only had a small IRA account and a Social Security check as your total income- a sobering thought. Isn’t your pension worth fighting for?
Signing up someone for membership is simple using email. Google IRTA and go to the website. Choose ‘Association.’ Go down to ‘Join Now.’ Here it explains the Types of Memberships. Click on the red line for the service you require. Dues deduction is a little cheaper per year, and the dues are taken from your monthly pension check. You don’t even miss the $3.50 per month. For associates, the cheapest choice is becoming a Life Member at $200. You may also call 800-728-4782 for any type of help or questions. Also, both the IRTA and WLSU offer free membership to current teachers who will retire within 4 years. These are referred to as Pipeline retirees. Then, upon retirement, dues will need to be paid if the retiree wishes to remain a member. Sign up is also at the IRTA website.
Recruiting new members is not an easy task. However, it is a most important one. We need your family members and friends to join. Please remember that it is your pension you are protecting by your effort to recruit a new member. In 1857, Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Join the struggle by helping out with recruiting. It’s your pension to lose or maintain.
Thank you for being a member of WLSU.
Tom Szot, Membership Emeritus
We need a constant flow of members to maintain our strength, and in this way, protect our state pension, COLA and subsidized health care. We have all been spoiled because there does
not seem to be a funding crisis or a current call to change the state constitution eliminating the
pension protection clause. Back in May 2015 the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the pension reform law of 2013, which attempted to solve the state’s $100 billion unfunded liability over 30 years by basically reducing the COLA, was unconstitutional. The state contended that its contractual obligations to the pension were not absolute because it reserved “emergency powers” in a time of crisis that superseded the pension protection clause. Fortunately, the court did not agree. However, another pension crisis that threatens your defined benefit pension can rear its ugly head at any time. Only our strength, as seen through our numbers, can allay that fight. Your insurance against this possible battle is your membership in the IRTA/
WLSU. This is why we must grow our numbers.
We are asking for your help in a few simple ways. First, your family benefits by your pension, and any spouse or significant other should immediately join the IRTA as an associate member.
An associate member has full rights of membership except a vote at the biennial convention in
Springfield. Secondly, ask your former colleagues if they are members of IRTA/WLSU and consistently urge them to join. Let them know how they benefit by joining. Finally, we need information about possible members. We do not have addresses of retirees. We only have, occasionally, a name and school email address until they retire. Once they leave, we lose touch.
Any list of retirees, especially with current contact information such as an address, is very helpful. Doing these few things to help IRTA/WLSU will not take much time from your busy day or add a huge financial drain on your savings. We hope you will help by sharing names of retired teachers and/or current ’24 retirees. Email your list to any Membership person or our Treasurer. See the WLSU Contact Information box enclosed in this newsletter. Take a minute to think about your change of lifestyle if you only had a small IRA account and a Social Security check as your total income- a sobering thought. Isn’t your pension worth fighting for?
Signing up someone for membership is simple using email. Google IRTA and go to the website. Choose ‘Association.’ Go down to ‘Join Now.’ Here it explains the Types of Memberships. Click on the red line for the service you require. Dues deduction is a little cheaper per year, and the dues are taken from your monthly pension check. You don’t even miss the $3.50 per month. For associates, the cheapest choice is becoming a Life Member at $200. You may also call 800-728-4782 for any type of help or questions. Also, both the IRTA and WLSU offer free membership to current teachers who will retire within 4 years. These are referred to as Pipeline retirees. Then, upon retirement, dues will need to be paid if the retiree wishes to remain a member. Sign up is also at the IRTA website.
Recruiting new members is not an easy task. However, it is a most important one. We need your family members and friends to join. Please remember that it is your pension you are protecting by your effort to recruit a new member. In 1857, Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Join the struggle by helping out with recruiting. It’s your pension to lose or maintain.
Thank you for being a member of WLSU.
Tom Szot, Membership Emeritus