Unions Blast Pension Plan at Rally
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Chants of “enough is enough” and “keep the promise, we did” rang out as 4,000 public sector employees and retirees turned out at the State House Tuesday to rally against the pension reform legislation proposed by Governor Lincoln Chafee and General Treasurer Gina Raimondo.
The plan, which could be voted out of the House and Senate Finance Committees as soon as Thursday, will freeze cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for some retirees for up to 19 years, raise the retirement age and switch current employees over to a 401k-style hybrid plan. Treasurer Raimondo has called the legislation essential to creating a well-funded pension system.
But union members claim the plan disproportionately affects the neediest pension recipients and say that a freeze on COLAs is unacceptable. Several attendees of the rally said they were willing to make concessions, but that the proposed plan goes too far.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“It’s pitiful, I was a corrections officer for over 20 years and I just can’t believe they’re doing this to us. I really can’t” William Berube said. “At this point I know there’s no money. I would be willing to pay more and hopefully reamortize this thing until 30 years and there are a few other concessions [I would make].”
Berube said he voted for both Chafee and Raimondo, but now he feels let down by the two leaders.
“She lied so she does not have my support,” Berube said. “Chafee was the same thing and he turned around as soon as he got into office.”
Criticism for Chafee, Raimondo
A chorus of boos could be heard every time any speaker brought up Chafee and Raimondo. J. Michael Downey, president of AFSCME Council 94, said nothing about the proposed plan includes shared sacrifice.
“They say they’re going to share the pain equally,” Downey said. “Well they’re going to share the pain equally by keeping COLAs for people making $100,000. If you call that shared pain, they don’t know what pain is.”
Downey said he no longer trusts Governor Chafee.
“I guess I have to trust that by the time he’s done I won’t have a pension and we won’t have a pension,” he said. “That’s not the kind of trust I’ll put in a politician.”
Crisis Created by Management at State House
Union officials vowed to continue to rally against the legislation and warned that they will not forget the fight during election season. The group urged the crowd to contact their legislators and tell them to vote against the bill.
According to Philip Keefe, president of the Rhode Island Alliance of Social Service Employees, the proposed plan will affect all union members.
“This is an issue that is going to impact every single one of us and our family members and it should not be taken lightly,” Keefe said. “This crisis was created by the management here at the State House.”
Not Just a Math Problem
Raimondo maintains that pension reform will save taxpayers $3 billion over the next decade and keep taxpayer contributions to the pension system next year at about $300 million. But union officials argue that the plan is not “fair and equitable.”
“This plan as proposed if passed will create a hardship not only for our current retirees but for all future retirees as well,” Frank Flynn, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Healthcare Professionals, said.
While none of the speakers offered an alternative to the proposed bill, the group blasted politicians for thinking too much about numbers and not enough about people.
“This is not a simple math problem as some people describe it,” Flynn said. “This is a civil and human rights problem.”
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