President's Message
HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!
I would like to welcome our two new Board members, Sandra Schroeder and Larry Silverman. We look forward to working with you both!
I have an ask for our Retiree Chapter members. At our first Board meeting on October 23rd, we will be discussing and planning events for our members. I would really like to hear from you as to what would interest you or not be interested in to attend an event, either in person or by Zoom. Please let me or any of our board members know. We would appreciate it very much. You can reach out to me via email at Merrilee.miron@gmail.com, or you can contact Cortney Marabetta at 206-499-4826. Thank you all, I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Enjoy your day.
In solidarity,
Merrilee Miron
President AFTWA Retiree Chapter
"I don’t do politics."
By Jim Howe, Director
We in the Retirees Chapter often discuss opportunities for fellow retirees to get involved, stay informed, keep safe and calm in the face of current stress and division. Or how to acknowledge the work they have done and are doing for other retirees, labor, privacy, education and healthcare.
One phrase I've often heard in surveys and informal conversations is, "I don’t do politics."
I totally understand that sentiment. My local, in the days before the Supreme Court’s Janus decision banned the agency fee imposed on non-union members, simply excluded political contributions and endorsements in our bylaws, avoiding the need to return the part of the dues spent on politics.
It was such a fine line between politics and advocacy that even the State Board encouraged Community and Technical College faculty and support staff to engage in such work. Meeting with elected Legislators and Congressional delegates alongside College Administrators was usually an educational experience -- for both us and them. I've found that my experience and Retiree voice is greatly respected as these Lobby Day and advocate group meetings continue. I personally choose to reward the "hero" lawgivers who championed our funding and causes by giving to the COPE fund at the state AFT level, and I usually support their endorsements.
I honestly believe that things have changed in the last decade, and especially right now. We may want to "stay out of politics", but an insidious brand of politics won't stay out of our lives. Left-Right and political party divisions are truly overshadowed by Pro-Democracy versus growing Authoritarianism.
What can you do? Alone, not much. But we can connect you with hard-working coalitions that do all the big and little things that we need to continue the fight. Write a letter, call your own Legislators or Congressional leaders, sign a petition, comment Pro or Con on a bill. My electeds will always reply to my letters and comments; they've gotten to know me and the AFT Retirees organization. But I can't get through to the Eastern Washington delegates who need to see the impact of these issues, since I'm not their constituent. Maybe you are. And every little bit helps. Don't call it politics. Work, act and vote in your own interest. And let us know how you're doing.
Update on WISeR
By Cortney Marabetta, Communications Specialist
AFT Washington and several of our partner organizations, including Health Care Is A Human Right, PSARA, and the Washington State Labor Council, have signed on to a joint effort to work together to remove Washington State from the pilot project for WISeR, the "Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction" model passed by the federal government that intends to implement AI prior approval for a number of medical procedures. These approvals are generally only used in Medicare Advantage plans, and are justified as a cost-cutting measure, but functionally are getting between a patient and their doctor. We additionally have reasonable concerns that AI is not able to give approval to needed medical procedures; we know from care denials and delays that people are often unable to see the need for a given procedure, and there is no reason to assume AI would approach the task more appropriately.
RPEC, the Retired Public Employees Council, that AFT Washington and other retiree-serving organizations work with, has taken the lead on the effort at this time, including sending a letter to Washington's congressional delegation calling for Washington to be removed from the pilot program, and arranging meetings with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and policy experts in Washington DC. RPEC is also working to protect Washington seniors from predatory Medicare Advantage advertising and pass several pieces of legislation to strengthen the retiree community in Washington.
If you are interested in getting involved with this work, please contact Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org.
The Biennial Meeting And The Board Election
In September, the AFT Washington Retiree Chapter, Local 8045R, held its biennial meeting and board elections. We were delighted to gather, and even more pleased to see several new faces as well as familiar ones from previous meetings and the organizing project that the chapter launched in 2023.
Retirees heard from two guest speakers. The first, Libby Watson of the Approve 8201 campaign, spoke on an initiative that voters will see on their ballots this month, to make an adjustment to the state constitution to allow the funds invested in the Long Term Care Trust account, managed by the Washington State Investment Board, to be invested similarly to other funds the state administers. Proponents of the campaign note that this move is necessary to keep the fund, which begins paying dividends next year and covers expenses not permitted under Medicare, sustainable in the long term.
From Puget Sound Advocates For Retirement Action (PSARA), we heard from Robby Stern and Ann Watanabe, who spoke broadly on how PSARA has built a structure for retirees to both socialize and take action. PSARA has been particularly prominent on issues around Social Security and Medicare, but also engages at the state level and has a robust social program for members. Both conversations were enlightening, and we appreciate the speakers taking the time to come to the meeting!
In addition to that, the Chapter began a discussion, to be continued in regular meetings, about what the next two years will look like. We hope to increase social outreach, as well as host events for retirees, that bring our members together and meet our community’s needs.
Finally, the new Executive Board was nominated, with elections being conducted via email. The 2025-2027 Retiree Chapter Board is:
Merrilee Miron, President
Renee Potter, Vice President
Jacqueline Silver, Secretary
Jim Howe, Director
Sandra Schroeder, Director
Larry Silverman, Director
If you want to get more closely involved with the chapter’s work in this biennium, please make sure we have your most current contact information! You can update your information by reaching out to Cortney Marabetta at cmarabetta@aftwa.org or 206-499-4826. Feel free to share this information with other members!