Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/479293
SPRING 2015 | wyoea.org 5 Ron Sniffin WEA Executive Director rsniffin@wyoea.org EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE WEA: Protecting YOUR Retirement Information is power. Wyoming Retirement System Director Ruth Ryerson provided valuable information to legislators and members of the WEA and WPEA during a Wyoming Coalition for a Healthy Retirement System Town Hall Meeting in Cheyenne February 2 nd . More Town Hall meetings are planned this coming year. The Wyoming Education Association will ALWAYS be vigilant protecting the Wyoming Retirement System (WRS). We have had attacks in the past and, based on national trends, we anticipate attacks in the future. Why are we so adamant in wanting to protect your retirement system? One significant reason that many education employees enter into this profession is the benefit of belonging to a high-quality state retirement system. WEA has nearly 6000 members who are in the system, either already retired, or in the workforce. Fortunately for Wyoming, our system is actuarially strong and considered among the top 12 state pension plans in the nation. Despite this fact, the potential for attacks on the system continues. In addition to education employees, state employees, firefighters, law enforcement and others are in the system. As a result, we have created the Wyoming Coalition for a Healthy Retirement System. Representatives from all these groups, as well as the Wyoming Chapter of the AARP, are working as a strong coalition to protect the WRS. The Equality State Policy Center (ESPC), a coalition of non- profit organizations including WEA, is leading the coalition effort. Our main goal of this project is to defeat any pension-related legislation. Although none was introduced this year, we want to be proactive in case one is ever filed in the future. Our plan is to educate legislators, as well as members of the WRS. We want everyone to know the importance of public employee pensions, and prevent legislation from ever being introduced. Who is leading this attack? The Wyoming Liberty Group has published articles in favor of gutting public pensions in our state. They are a member of the State Policy Network, which The Center for Media and Democracy investigated and found: "[T]hat network and its member think tanks are major drivers of the right-wing, American Legislative Exchange Council-backed corporate agenda in state houses nationwide, with deep ties to the Koch brothers and the national right-wing network of funders." In addition, Reason Foundation, conservative think-tank, is working on this. Based on information from the national AARP, this issue will not end with this legislative session. Protecting YOUR retirement system is just one example of how the WEA is fighting for the rights and benefits of education employees in Wyoming.