This is the Federation Hotline updated Jan. 17.
Quick updates on our priorities on a very busy day:
PSERS bill before House Appropriations
1/17/18 AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) President Sue Henricksen and Western State Hospital Local 793 member Rick Hertzog today (Jan. 17) urged the House Appropriations Committee to move the bill to add high-risk state institutions workers into the Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS). HB 1558 would recognize those dangerous jobs by allowing workers to retire at age 60. “Members who work in those jobs put their lives on the line every time they enter their work units,” Henricksen said. She told the House budget writers that DSHS has reported more than 10,000 worker injuries since 2012, with 1,806 in 2017. The committee has scheduled a vote on HB 1558 for tomorrow (Jan. 18).
PERS Plan 2 as default for new employees
1/17/18 Federation Vice President Judy Kuschel today (Jan. 17) urged the House Appropriations Committee to move the bill that would make PERS Plan 2 the retirement system default for new employees, rather than PERS 3. Too often, new state workers swamped with new employee information simply overlook choosing their retirement plan, Kuschel said. And there’s a big difference between the defined-benefit PERS 2 and the half defined- benefit, half defined-contribution plan. The PERS 2 Default Bill (HB 1560) is set for a committee vote tomorrow (Jan. 18).
Support urges for Shared Leave bill
1/17/18 The Federation’s Dennis Eagle urged continued support for our latest shared leave bill, SB 5295, to expand the shared leave program for pregnancy or parental bonding. It came before the Senate State Government Committee today (Jan. 17).
That’s it for now.
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