Retirement USA Conference

Last week we attended a conference, “Re-Envisioning Retirement Security,” held by Retirement USA at the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, D. C.  Retirement USA is an initiative that is working to create a system that, along with Social Security, will provide a Universal, Secure, and Adequate retirement income to future retirees (thus, the U, S, A in their title). 

We had the opportunity to work with numerous retiree groups and interested associates on Pensions, Medicare and Social Security.  There were over 300 participants and much ground work was started to assist retirees with their special issues and concerns.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis delivered the keynote address and proved to be a very dynamic speaker.  Other notable speakers included Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO; Anna Burger, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer/Chair of Change to Win; Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist David Cay Johnston: Barbara Kennelly, President and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare; and many others.

Conference participants heard why a new private retirement system is needed, learned about the principles that should underlie a new system, and had six individual plan proposals presented to them by each plan designer and then analyzed by six different panelists.  A second day was devoted entirely to a workshop with the sole purpose of discussing how we can get the message out to all Americans that we need to start now to ensure a retirement for all that is universal, secure, and adequate. 

Re-Envisioning Retirement Security

October 21, 2009

Introductory remarks - Karen Ferguson, Director, Pension Rights Center

Margot Brandenburg, Associate Director, The Rockefeller Foundation

The Honorable Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor

Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win, and International Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union

Barbara Kennelly, President and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare

Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO

Panel on “Principles for a New Retirement System” Moderator: Karen Friedman, Executive Vice President and Policy Director, Pension Rights Center 

Panelists:

  • Universal: Ross Eisenbrey
    Vice President, Economic Policy Institute
  • Secure: Maria Freese
    Director of Government Relations and Policy, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
  • Adequate: Stephen Abrecht
    Director of Benefits and Capital Stewardship, Service Employees International     Union

Commentators:

  • Leticia Miranda
    Associate Director, Economic and Employment Policy Project, National Council of La Raza
  • Algernon Austin
    Director of the Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy Program, Economic Policy Institute
  • Amy Matsui
    Senior Counsel, National Women’s Law Center


David Cay Johnston - Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist and former New York Times reporter, “A journalist’s perspective on retirement policy issues.”

                          

Norman Stein
Douglas Arant Professor of Law, University of Alabama School of Law and Chair, Retirement USA Proposal Review Committee: Overview of proposal selection process

 

            Proposal Panel #1: Moderator: Charles Jeszeck
Acting Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, Government Accountability Office

Presenters:

  • Teresa Ghilarducci
    Irene and Bernard L. Schwartz Professor in Economic Policy Analysis, New School for Social Research and Director of the Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis
  • Mark Ugoretz
    President, ERISA Industry Committee
  • Glenn Beamer
    Director of Public Health Programs and Associate Professor, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Discussants:

  • Michael Calabrese
    Vice President, New America Foundation
  • Richard Ferlauto
    Director of Corporate Governance and Public Pension Programs, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees
  • Shaun O’Brien
    Senior Vice President for Economic Security Strategy, Office of Social Impact, AARP

                          

            Proposal Panel #2 Moderator: Emily Kessler - Senior Fellow, Intellectual Capital, Society of Actuaries

Presenters:

  • Nancy Altman
    Author, The Battle for Social Security:  From FDR’s Vision to Bush’s Gamble
  • Regina Jefferson
    Professor, Columbus School of Law, Catholic University
  • Gene Kalwarski
    Consultant, Cheiron/ United Food and Commercial Workers Union

Discussants:

  • Carol Gold
    Former Director, Employee Plans Division, Internal Revenue Service
  • David Madland
    Director of the American Worker Project, Center for American Progress
  • John Turner
    Director, Pension Policy Center

 

 

Re-Envisioning Retirement Security

The Grassroots Workshop

Attended by approximately 30 people to discuss what actions will be required to continue the:

  • National initiative working for a new retirement system that, along with Social Security, will provide universal, secure, and adequate income for future retirees. 
  • Retirement USA was started by four organizations – the Pension Rights Center, the Economic Policy Institute, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Service Employees International Union – that recognize that retirement income security is a major issue of concern for current and future retirees.

 

  • Earlier this year we visited in the Washington, D. C. offices of numerous Senators and Representatives on behalf of our retirees.  You will probably recall we also had two meetings with the Auto Task Force at the Treasury Building in Washington to discuss the concerns of the salaried automotive retiree.  Below is a continuation of our efforts to seek legislative change that would protect the benefits and pensions of our retirees.

 

Sen. Jeff Sessions Office & Representatives

Michael Chahinian - Legislative Assistant

Andrew Newton - Special Projects Assistant

Congressman Spencer Bachus Office & Representatives

Sen. Bob Corker & Representatives