AFL-CIO Government AffairsState Government Relations

• Pensions• April 8, 2013• Via Webinar

• Speakers:

• Jordan Marks, Exec. Director, National Public Pension Coalition

• Naomi Walker, Asst. to the President, AFSCME – Retirement Security for All Coalition

AFL-CIO

Pension WebinarApril 8, 2013

National Public Pension Coalition

NPPC National Partners

Upcoming 2013 Battles

• Pennsylvania• Illinois• Nevada• Texas• Mississippi• New Jersey• New Mexico• Louisiana• Florida• Kansas• Kentucky• Wyoming• Maine• Arizona• Montana

3 Key Take Aways

- NPPC Has Resources for your state pension battle

– Financial– Organizational– Communications– Research

- Pew Is A Dangerous Enemy- Early Organizing is Essential

Elements of a Campaign Plan• Legislative Targeting• Member Education• Member Mobilization• Communications

– Earned Media – Release of White Papers– Letters to the Legislature– Constituency Groups

• Consider Research Needs• Timeline and Budget

Coalition Building and Strategy• Labor Must Prepare

– Organize Early and Pay Attention to Pensions– Focus on lobbying, communications, member

education and mobilization– Engage allies

• Coalitions Should Hold Regular Meetings on Lobbying, Tactics, Organizing and Communications

• Use Opposition Research to Drive Strategy and Rapid Response

• Line up 3rd Party Surrogates, Economic Validators• Expose the Hypocrisy of Politicians Who Call on Public

Servants to Sacrifice but Do Not Sacrifice Themselves

How to Talk About Pensions• Move to Fire Fighters VS politicians• Keep the message simple• Highlight the fact that average pension is modest• Workers put their life savings into their pension• Many public workers do not receive Social Security• Show impact on worker• Expose hypocrisy• No one is more committed to the solvency of these

funds than the men and women who depend upon them

NY

KY

WY

CA

NM

KS

WI

AL

WA

OH

SC

SCLA

VA

MI

New plan (DC, combo or cash balance)

Benefit Changes (Contribution Rates, and/or Retirement Age, and/or Multiplier Changes, and/or COLA Cuts, etc. )

Pension Changes Enacted in 2012

Study Commission

MD

MN

Playing Field

Pew• Funded by the John and Laura Arnold foundation

which seeks to end DB pensions in the public sector.• In addition to KY, will provide recommendations to

AZ, MT and NV. Pew’s aim is to inform policy decisions in states across the country on how to address pension fixes.

• Early Organizing is Essential

2013 Coalition Building: A look at three states

• Illinois• Pennsylvania• Kentucky

Illinois

• State has $96 billion unfunded liability as politicians failed to pay into the system

• Gov, legislative leaders claim false choices• Attacks from democrats, social service

organizations and other labor groups.• Coalition created their own plan with

assistance from International unions• Central coordinator essential

Pennsylvania

• $40 billion liability• Labor believes Gov. is vulnerable in 2014• Proposal will reduce benefits for current workers,

move new workers to 401k.• Editorial board outreach• Scheduled research• Testimony with 3rd party validators• Labor has taken silo approach to organizing efforts

Kentucky: Key Takeaways

Discredit Pew

Engage current workers because

proposals will impact them

Consider and create alternative

proposals

Match opponents on

paid media/radio

Engage early

Lessons Learned

Use aggressive telephone town halls, in-person town halls

to engage membership

Engage local labor leadership (by

school district/fire hall etc)

Encourage membership to call legislators

Keep message broad and

understandable

Engage membership

early

Find 3rd party

validators

Organizing Tactics

Event at the Capitol

Communications Successes

Weekly real person stories

Communications Successes

Lessons Learned

• Pew is an Enemy and they are Probably in your State• Dedicated Staffing is Essential for Mobilization, Press,

Lobbying; with Specific Plans for Mobilization and Press• Cash Balance Plans Emerging and Difficult to Fight; • Dedicated Research is Essential for Scope of Cuts,

Exposing Anti-Worker Committees• Need To Better Engage Allies; Other Public Workers,

Advocates, Clergy, EARN Networks• Pro Public Pension Testimony, White Papers to Counter

Cuts

For More Information

Jordan I MarksExecutive Director

National Public Pension Coalition202-657-1549 (cell)

jmarks@nppconline.org

Truthaboutpensions.org

Retirement Security for All Coalition

For more information:

Naomi WalkerAssistant to the PresidentAFSCME

nwalker@afscme.org

Questions and DiscussionQUESTIONS?UPDATES FROM YOUR STATE?

Upcoming Webinars• Collective Bargaining/Paycheck Deception• Right to Work Part II (Messaging)• PLAs/Prevailing Wage

For more information:

Peggy Shorey, Director, State Government Relations

pshorey@aflcio.org

Christine Silvia-DeGennaro, State Legislative Issues Coordinatorcsilvia@aflcio.org