To join Sno-King School Retirees and our state organization Washington State School Retirees Association follow the directions at the bottom of the page. If you have any questions please contact our Membership Chair Jim Siscel at 425-778-7202 or asjs68@earthlink.net.
These two organizations represent classified and certified educational employees in the PERS, SERS, and TRS retirement systems.
The Sno-King School Retirees (SKSR) unit represents 1400 members in Edmonds, Northshore, and Shoreline school districts. SKSR and the Washington State School Retirees' Association (WSSRA), our state organization, want you to become a member of our associations. WSSRA is the largest group in the state lobbying on behalf of retired and active educational employees. There are over 17,000 members in 29 local units around Washington.
The question is why should you become a member? The answer is that we are the organization in Olympia lobbying for improvements to and projection of YOUR pension benefits. If retirees and school employees don't care about improving and protecting their retirement benefits it will not happen. For current employees if you have 10 or more years of education service you are vested in the retirement system and at some point can draw retirement pay even if you leave teaching before your official retirement age.
In order to meet the state budget shortfall the Legislature has attempted and been successful in cutting into your benefits. If we don't ask for improvements, reinstatement of benefits and protection of your benefits, your pension and mine will slowly fade away.
Currently the WSSRA legislative priorities are:
1. TRS 1 & PERS 1 Pension Recovery. Plan 1 retirees have had one Cost of Living Adjustment since 2010. Plan 1 retirees have lost up to 33% of their purchasing power due to inflation. In 2018, the Washington State Legislature granted a one-time 1.5% COLA; however, inflation is expected to be 3.3% in 2018. Therefore, Plan 1 retirees continue to lose money.
2. Restore Retiree Healthcare Benefits. The Legislature lowered the Medicare Healthcare Benefit from $183 to $150 in 2011. ln 2019 we successfully lobbied for an increase back to $183 per month.
3. Expand and Equalizes the Full Retirement Age in Plans 2 & 3. The current full retirement age in Plans 2 & 3 is age 65. Employees can leave at age 62, but are penalized for working part-time in schools or local governments. We are advocating for eliminating those work penalties as well as dropping the retirement age to 60 - similar to public safety employees.
4. Make the Actuarially Recommended Payment to the State Pension Funds. TRS 1 & PERS 1 are underfunded due to past skipped payments by the State. Plans 2 & 3 are fully funded. Making the recommended payments will keep all three plans on track.
5. Protect Retirees in Transition to New Health Providers. The State has created a School Employee Benefits Board (SEBB) and is studying the possibility of removing school retirees from the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and putting them in new plans under the SEBB. Any changes must maintain or improve current benefits.
Locally, your dues do additional work awarding $9,000 in educator grants to those currently working with children. We award four $2000 initial scholarship renewable at $2000 for up to an additional three years to high school seniors in the three districts who will be majoring in the field of education.
Please join so that you will have a voice for your retirement benefits. Every member that joins adds to the total membership of the organization. A large membership is important because:
Membership = Dues = Power = Influence on the Legislature = Change
The cost to be a member is $7 a month of which $2 is returned to our unit. This amount is paid in a monthly pay-roll deduction for those currently in the field of education, or a monthly deduction from your DRS retirement check for those who are retired.
These two organizations represent classified and certified educational employees in the PERS, SERS, and TRS retirement systems.
The Sno-King School Retirees (SKSR) unit represents 1400 members in Edmonds, Northshore, and Shoreline school districts. SKSR and the Washington State School Retirees' Association (WSSRA), our state organization, want you to become a member of our associations. WSSRA is the largest group in the state lobbying on behalf of retired and active educational employees. There are over 17,000 members in 29 local units around Washington.
The question is why should you become a member? The answer is that we are the organization in Olympia lobbying for improvements to and projection of YOUR pension benefits. If retirees and school employees don't care about improving and protecting their retirement benefits it will not happen. For current employees if you have 10 or more years of education service you are vested in the retirement system and at some point can draw retirement pay even if you leave teaching before your official retirement age.
In order to meet the state budget shortfall the Legislature has attempted and been successful in cutting into your benefits. If we don't ask for improvements, reinstatement of benefits and protection of your benefits, your pension and mine will slowly fade away.
Currently the WSSRA legislative priorities are:
1. TRS 1 & PERS 1 Pension Recovery. Plan 1 retirees have had one Cost of Living Adjustment since 2010. Plan 1 retirees have lost up to 33% of their purchasing power due to inflation. In 2018, the Washington State Legislature granted a one-time 1.5% COLA; however, inflation is expected to be 3.3% in 2018. Therefore, Plan 1 retirees continue to lose money.
2. Restore Retiree Healthcare Benefits. The Legislature lowered the Medicare Healthcare Benefit from $183 to $150 in 2011. ln 2019 we successfully lobbied for an increase back to $183 per month.
3. Expand and Equalizes the Full Retirement Age in Plans 2 & 3. The current full retirement age in Plans 2 & 3 is age 65. Employees can leave at age 62, but are penalized for working part-time in schools or local governments. We are advocating for eliminating those work penalties as well as dropping the retirement age to 60 - similar to public safety employees.
4. Make the Actuarially Recommended Payment to the State Pension Funds. TRS 1 & PERS 1 are underfunded due to past skipped payments by the State. Plans 2 & 3 are fully funded. Making the recommended payments will keep all three plans on track.
5. Protect Retirees in Transition to New Health Providers. The State has created a School Employee Benefits Board (SEBB) and is studying the possibility of removing school retirees from the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and putting them in new plans under the SEBB. Any changes must maintain or improve current benefits.
Locally, your dues do additional work awarding $9,000 in educator grants to those currently working with children. We award four $2000 initial scholarship renewable at $2000 for up to an additional three years to high school seniors in the three districts who will be majoring in the field of education.
Please join so that you will have a voice for your retirement benefits. Every member that joins adds to the total membership of the organization. A large membership is important because:
Membership = Dues = Power = Influence on the Legislature = Change
The cost to be a member is $7 a month of which $2 is returned to our unit. This amount is paid in a monthly pay-roll deduction for those currently in the field of education, or a monthly deduction from your DRS retirement check for those who are retired.
Payment Options:
1. Print the form below, mail it to SKSR, c/o James Siscel, 19322 73rd Place W, Lynnwood Washington 98036.
We will process the form and $7 will be deduced from: a. your monthly paycheck for those currently employed with a school district; OR b. from your monthly Department of Retirement Systems retirement check. (These are the preferred methods.) Please include your SSN, required by school district HR and DRS and your home email.
2. Go to the following link and fill out the form and select "I will pay $84 via PayPal right now, rebilled annually.
https://wssra.org/membership-application/
3. Print the form and mail it with a check for $84 payable to WSSRA to SKSR, c/o James Siscel, 19322 73rd Place W, Lynnwood Washington 98036.
1. Print the form below, mail it to SKSR, c/o James Siscel, 19322 73rd Place W, Lynnwood Washington 98036.
We will process the form and $7 will be deduced from: a. your monthly paycheck for those currently employed with a school district; OR b. from your monthly Department of Retirement Systems retirement check. (These are the preferred methods.) Please include your SSN, required by school district HR and DRS and your home email.
2. Go to the following link and fill out the form and select "I will pay $84 via PayPal right now, rebilled annually.
https://wssra.org/membership-application/
3. Print the form and mail it with a check for $84 payable to WSSRA to SKSR, c/o James Siscel, 19322 73rd Place W, Lynnwood Washington 98036.
| membership-form.pdf |