TSEU Organizer Contact:
ANY TSEU office (or contact our main office in Austin at 512.448.4225)
ABOUT OUR CAUCUS: We are TSEU members of the Retiree Organizing Committee (ROC). We are TRS and ERS retirees from state agencies and universities. We are building a strong union of retirees to fight for: a cost-of-living increase for TRS and ERS annuitants; keeping the ERS and TRS pensions secure; keeping the health care benefits affordable.
Caucus Legislative Goals 2021-22
As voted on by caucus delegates to the 2020 TSEU General Assembly. These goals will carry us through our next General Assembly in 2022.
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Enact pension increases for ERS and TRS that reflect the cost of living since 2001 by making an immediate cash infusion; fully fund the state pension system; provide ongoing cost of living increases.
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Oppose any conversion to defined contribution plans for pensions or healthcare.
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Continue payroll deduction of union dues for ERS retirees and active state employees.
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Allow retirees who worked for the State of Texas to serve on the ERS Board, including trustees already serving to continue on the Board after they retire.
DEAR FELLOW RETIREE
We hope you are enjoying your well-deserved retirement from the state; but retiring from state service doesn’t mean you’re on easy street. Today, it’s more important than ever for retirees to get active in the Texas State Employees Union to protect our health care benefits, win a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and to protect the integrity of our pension fund.
As most of you already know, the state does not provide automatic cost-of-living raises for either active or retired state employees. Because of that, retiree pensions have not increased since 2001. During the same time, the cost of living has increased by more than 26%.
The only way for retirees to get pension increases is to convince lawmakers to provide more money for the pension fund. ERS must be 100% actuarially sound before the retirees can receive a COLA. In order for this to happen, we need a large contingent of retirees who belong to TSEU, who can bring organized pressure to legislators to fully fund our pension. This last legislative session, TSEU retiree members successfully pushed lawmakers to put more money into ERS by raising the state’s contribution to the fund to 7.5% of active employee pay. This is its highest level since 1985, bringing us that much closer to winning a COLA for ERS retirees. We have to keep pushing on this issue.
In addition to a monthly pension, you will continue to receive the same healthcare coverage that you had as an active duty employee. It is now being stated that our health care benefits are not guaranteed, even though many of us were promised that they would be when we started our careers in state service. During the last session of the Legislature, attempts were made to diminish our healthcare benefit. TSEU defeated these attempts and preserved our comprehensive healthcare coverage.
But the same people who tried to reduce our healthcare benefit will try again in the current legislative session. Some lawmakers have already discussed making retirees pay more for their health care. The threat is real and only a determined effort by retired and active state employees will stop it. TSEU will be there to push back and we need your help.