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Retired-State-County-And-Municipal-Employees-Association-Of-Massachusetts

Founded in 1968, now in its forty third year of serving retired Massachusetts public employees of the 105 public retirement systems within the Commonwealth, the Association is widely recognized as one of the strongest independent advocacy groups on Beacon Hill. From public pensions and health insurance, to federal issues such as the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision, Government Pension Offset and Medicare the Association leads the fight exclusively for all Massachusetts retired public employees. We are The Voice of the Retired Public Employee.

JANUARY 25, 2012: Year 2011 was not a good year for the Commonwealth’s Pension Reserves Investment Trust (PRIT) Fund.

Data released at this month’s Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board meeting show that the $47.4 billion fund barely creeped into the black with an earnings of 0.26 last year.

After...

ESSEX BOARD NOW COMPLETE

PERAC Approves Vincent Malgeri as 5th Member

JANUARY 23, 2012: Today, the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) approved the fifth and final member of the Essex Regional (County) Retirement Board.

Vincent Malgeri, chairman of the Newburyport Retirement Board, had been chosen by the first...

MASS. TAXPAYERS FOUNDATION: UNTIMELY ASSAULT ON MUNICIPAL HEALTH COSTS

JANUARY 13, 2012: Yesterday, January 12th the Mass. Taxpayers Foundation (MTF) under its ubiquitous leader Michael Widmer unleashed an untimely attack on municipal health insurance costs.

A brief summary of the report was included in ...

ACTION AT THE TEACHERS’ BOARD

2 New Members and a 3rd Scheduled

UPDATED: JANUARY 13, 2012: There’s been action aplenty over the past two months at the seven-member Teachers’ Retirement Board.

A December election has seen incumbent Karen Mitchell top a five candidate field in winning a second four-year term on the Board.

Finishing second...

Latest Articles from The Voice

New Studies Target Retirees

Association Appointed To Commissions

JANUARY 2012: Anyone hoping that the recently passed “Pension Reform III” (Chapter 176) would mark the end, at least for the foreseeable future, of further changes in pension and health insurance benefits will be sorely disappointed. Contained within the final pages of the new law is the establishment of four separate studies or commissions – all aimed at making greater changes to pension and health insurance benefits.

Pension Reform 3 Now Law

JANUARY 2012 VOICE: Chapter 176, landmark Pension Reform, signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick on November 18, brings to a close the longtime concept of a public pension plan that provides full pensions for long-term employees, but allows a reduced pension for anyone who must retire before age 60.

State & Teacher COLA Base Increased

JANUARY 2012 VOICE: As clearly evident from the lead story, our Association is disappointed at the outcome of the latest installment of Pension Reform, which, we believe, saddles future employees with the debt created by past generations of government officials who failed to properly fund the government’s share of pension obligations. In addition to seeking fair and equitable treatment for future government workers, we also strongly advocated our position that existing benefit inequalities be addressed through Pension Reform III.

Social Security WEP & GPO Forecast

JANUARY 2012 VOICE: With the Super Committee’s failure to reach a deal that would have reduced the federal deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over 10 years, will we see any major changes in either Social Security or Medicare before the November ‘12 national elections? Those changes would include any repeal or reform of Social Security’s Offset and Windfall Laws.