VOICES FOR PENSION SECURITY

Like many of our nation’s multiemployer pension funds, the Central States Pension Fund has become severely underfunded and is in critical and declining status. Without Congressional action, Central States will run out of money and be unable to pay pension benefits by 2025 or sooner.

To address the issues facing Central States, and more than 100 other funds nationwide, Congress, in February, established the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans. The Committee, which is made up of an equal number of House Members and Senators from both political parties, has been charged with producing bipartisan legislation to solve these issues by November 30, 2018.

REGISTER NOW to receive updates from Central States and TAKE ACTION to make your voice heard in Congress.

This is truly the best and perhaps last chance to find a solution to the multiemployer pension crisis. Your voice and your help are vital for success.

For background on how we got here and why a solution is so badly needed, visit the Pension Crisis page.

TAKE ACTION

The time to act is now. Make your voice heard. The voices of 400,000 Central States participants can’t be ignored. Your voices – and stories – can persuade Congress to finally make pension security a priority.

Visit Govtrack.us to quickly and easily look up your Members of Congress.

WHAT TO SAY

We have provided a few suggested things to say in phone calls, meetings, emails, and letters. However, it is most important that you tell your story.

• Tell them your name and where you live.
• Tell them that you want Representative/Senator ________ to actively support the work of the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pensions.
• Tell them you are in the Central States Pension Fund and, unless Congress takes action now, your hard-earned pension will be cut to almost nothing.
• Tell them that your pension security is your top priority, and you hope it’s high on their list of priorities too.
• Tell Your Story.
• Share your type of work along with how many years you have worked toward your pension.
• Explain how losing your pension will affect your life—mortgage, healthcare, food, basic utilities.
• Most of all – Be polite, but firm.
• Make sure they understand that this is an important issue that will absolutely affect how you vote.

PHONE CALLS

Call the U.S. Capitol at 202-224-3121 and follow the prompts to reach the office of your House Representative or Senators. The automated system will ask you to provide your state or zip code to match you with your Members of Congress. When you call your elected officials, you will reach a staff member or be asked to leave a voicemail.

FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS

Nothing is more effective than face-to-face interaction. Your Members of Congress are frequently home over weekends and during Congressional recesses to conduct town hall meetings, attend events and visit with constituents. We will provide information on this website about upcoming local events with your Members of Congress. Please register now to receive updates.

You can also find information on upcoming Member of Congress events on the website TownHallProject.com (not affiliated with Central States).

WRITE AN EMAIL

Send a short personal email sharing your story of how you earned your pension, and the impact that losing it would have on you, your family and your community.

Fill out the form below to send an email to your Members of Congress. We have included some suggested text, but it is important that you tell your own personal story. Please feel free to edit this text or start from scratch.

All information © Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas, Health and Welfare and Pension Funds – Visit VoicesForPensionSecurity.com for complete details and information.