To join Sno-King School Retirees and our state organization Washington State School Retirees Association contact our Membership Chair Jim Siscel at 425-778-7202 or asjs68@earthlink.net. He will send you information about the two organizations and a membership form.
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 1300+ 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 only group in the state lobbying on behalf of retired and active educational employees. There are over 18,000 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. Restore a cost of living adjustment for Plan 1 retirees. Plans 2 & 3 have a cost of living adjustment. A one-time cost of living adjustment of 1.5% was given by the 2018 Legislature 2. Restore the State’s Medicare Eligible Healthcare Benefit (a subsidy to lower premium costs) from $150 to $205 per month. It was lowered in 2011 from $183. The amount was raised up to $163 by the 2018 Legislature. 3. Maintain the PERS/TRS 2 defined benefit retirement plan for future school employees and make Plan 2 the default pension plan for new employees. 4. Have the State make the actuarially recommended pension payment to the state pension funds. Money taken from Plan 1 to meet state needs in the past. Currently these payments are being made.
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 = Money = 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 1300+ 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 only group in the state lobbying on behalf of retired and active educational employees. There are over 18,000 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. Restore a cost of living adjustment for Plan 1 retirees. Plans 2 & 3 have a cost of living adjustment. A one-time cost of living adjustment of 1.5% was given by the 2018 Legislature 2. Restore the State’s Medicare Eligible Healthcare Benefit (a subsidy to lower premium costs) from $150 to $205 per month. It was lowered in 2011 from $183. The amount was raised up to $163 by the 2018 Legislature. 3. Maintain the PERS/TRS 2 defined benefit retirement plan for future school employees and make Plan 2 the default pension plan for new employees. 4. Have the State make the actuarially recommended pension payment to the state pension funds. Money taken from Plan 1 to meet state needs in the past. Currently these payments are being made.
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 = Money = 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.