AFL-CIO Government AffairsState Government Relations
• Pensions• April 8, 2013• Via Webinar
• Speakers:
• Jordan Marks, Exec. Director, National Public Pension Coalition
• Naomi Walker, Asst. to the President, AFSCME – Retirement Security for All Coalition
AFL-CIO
Pension WebinarApril 8, 2013
National Public Pension Coalition
NPPC National Partners
Upcoming 2013 Battles
• Pennsylvania• Illinois• Nevada• Texas• Mississippi• New Jersey• New Mexico• Louisiana• Florida• Kansas• Kentucky• Wyoming• Maine• Arizona• Montana
3 Key Take Aways
- NPPC Has Resources for your state pension battle
– Financial– Organizational– Communications– Research
- Pew Is A Dangerous Enemy- Early Organizing is Essential
Elements of a Campaign Plan• Legislative Targeting• Member Education• Member Mobilization• Communications
– Earned Media – Release of White Papers– Letters to the Legislature– Constituency Groups
• Consider Research Needs• Timeline and Budget
Coalition Building and Strategy• Labor Must Prepare
– Organize Early and Pay Attention to Pensions– Focus on lobbying, communications, member
education and mobilization– Engage allies
• Coalitions Should Hold Regular Meetings on Lobbying, Tactics, Organizing and Communications
• Use Opposition Research to Drive Strategy and Rapid Response
• Line up 3rd Party Surrogates, Economic Validators• Expose the Hypocrisy of Politicians Who Call on Public
Servants to Sacrifice but Do Not Sacrifice Themselves
How to Talk About Pensions• Move to Fire Fighters VS politicians• Keep the message simple• Highlight the fact that average pension is modest• Workers put their life savings into their pension• Many public workers do not receive Social Security• Show impact on worker• Expose hypocrisy• No one is more committed to the solvency of these
funds than the men and women who depend upon them
NY
KY
WY
CA
NM
KS
WI
AL
WA
OH
SC
SCLA
VA
MI
New plan (DC, combo or cash balance)
Benefit Changes (Contribution Rates, and/or Retirement Age, and/or Multiplier Changes, and/or COLA Cuts, etc. )
Pension Changes Enacted in 2012
Study Commission
MD
MN
Playing Field
Pew• Funded by the John and Laura Arnold foundation
which seeks to end DB pensions in the public sector.• In addition to KY, will provide recommendations to
AZ, MT and NV. Pew’s aim is to inform policy decisions in states across the country on how to address pension fixes.
• Early Organizing is Essential
2013 Coalition Building: A look at three states
• Illinois• Pennsylvania• Kentucky
Illinois
• State has $96 billion unfunded liability as politicians failed to pay into the system
• Gov, legislative leaders claim false choices• Attacks from democrats, social service
organizations and other labor groups.• Coalition created their own plan with
assistance from International unions• Central coordinator essential
Pennsylvania
• $40 billion liability• Labor believes Gov. is vulnerable in 2014• Proposal will reduce benefits for current workers,
move new workers to 401k.• Editorial board outreach• Scheduled research• Testimony with 3rd party validators• Labor has taken silo approach to organizing efforts
Kentucky: Key Takeaways
Discredit Pew
Engage current workers because
proposals will impact them
Consider and create alternative
proposals
Match opponents on
paid media/radio
Engage early
Lessons Learned
Use aggressive telephone town halls, in-person town halls
to engage membership
Engage local labor leadership (by
school district/fire hall etc)
Encourage membership to call legislators
Keep message broad and
understandable
Engage membership
early
Find 3rd party
validators
Organizing Tactics
Event at the Capitol
Communications Successes
Weekly real person stories
Communications Successes
Lessons Learned
• Pew is an Enemy and they are Probably in your State• Dedicated Staffing is Essential for Mobilization, Press,
Lobbying; with Specific Plans for Mobilization and Press• Cash Balance Plans Emerging and Difficult to Fight; • Dedicated Research is Essential for Scope of Cuts,
Exposing Anti-Worker Committees• Need To Better Engage Allies; Other Public Workers,
Advocates, Clergy, EARN Networks• Pro Public Pension Testimony, White Papers to Counter
Cuts
For More Information
Jordan I MarksExecutive Director
National Public Pension Coalition202-657-1549 (cell)
Truthaboutpensions.org
Retirement Security for All Coalition
For more information:
Naomi WalkerAssistant to the PresidentAFSCME
Questions and DiscussionQUESTIONS?UPDATES FROM YOUR STATE?
Upcoming Webinars• Collective Bargaining/Paycheck Deception• Right to Work Part II (Messaging)• PLAs/Prevailing Wage
For more information:
Peggy Shorey, Director, State Government Relations
Christine Silvia-DeGennaro, State Legislative Issues [email protected]
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