Last month, we recognized that we now have the best opportunity in years to win much needed relief for our AFM pension plan by passing the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021. This bill outlines solutions to solve overriding shortcomings in our nation’s multiemployer pension crisis and put our AFM-EPF pension plan back on level footing.
AFM members around the country responded to the call to action. Thousands of you wrote to your Congressional Representatives. Nearly 100 members joined in member-to-member zoom banking to generate hundreds of phone calls into local Congressional offices. And it worked! The House has included this language in the Covid relief package!
Now our fight to turns to the Senate where the package will be debated and receive an up or down vote! We need to email our Senators and tell them to support the reconciliation package and ensure that the EPPRA language stays in. Their vote in support of the inclusion of pension relief will help millions of workers be productive in their retirement years.
We know that conservative Republican opposition will continue on the pension issue along with an active campaign among those conservatives to keep pension reform out of any reconciliation package advanced either by Congress and/or the White House.
Our AFM-EPF pension plan is one of over 100 multiemployer union pensions in critical status because of aging demographics, declining participation, and reduced contributions. But now, if we all stand together in unison as AFM members, we can change that.
Click here to write to your Senators
When our whole union stands together, we have the power to change things. Tell Congress to take this simple action to make sure our pension and retirement are secure!
In Unity,
Ray Hair
AFM International President
