I am the wife of a Teamster Member/Retiree.  My husband worked hard for 30 years for a company (missing only 2 days for sick time) that paid in to the Teamsters Retirement system.  At retirement, he was given a “contract” that he would receive a certain amount for the remainder of his life.  He, as a good provider, also took out the option to take a “reduced” benefit in order to provide for me as a survivor, should I outlive him.  Now is probably not the time to mention that we were also “promised” a set amount during this retirement process that our insurance would cost us out-of-pocket.  I would just like to say that Central States has already reneged on their retirement package once; our insurance out-of-pocket steadily increased each year (an additional $100 each month) until it reached a maximum of over $900!  This went on for 13 years.  Still, we paid and were thankful we had the benefit.  Suddenly, through no fault of our own, we have been notified that we will soon lose approximately 75% of that already reduced amount!  How is this possible?  It seems that our elected officials are in such a hurry nowadays that they pass bills without taking the time to read them (or have someone else read them), let alone vet the information contained in them.   In December 2014, there was a little thing called MPRA slipped into a spending bill and passed without any fanfare and with very few people even realizing what they had passed; until Central States and others began to whack away at retirees pensions that they have worked their entire adult life to build.  Lest anyone believe that this will ONLY affect the retirees, let’s just take a moment and think about how far reaching this will actually be.  I, as a wife, will have much less money to spend at different places:  the grocery store; the gas station; the car wash; the Girl Scouts; donations to breast cancer research; Alzheimer’s Association; my nail salon; my hair salon; the many restaurants I frequent with my girlfriends once or twice a month; the department stores in our community and I’m sure a few I’ve forgotten.   Ok, as a couple, we will have to cut drastically our 10% tithe and additional donations to our church; the food pantry; the orphan we sponsor in Patzun, Guatemala; the orphan we sponsor in Ethiopia; (yes, we correspond with these kids and will have to tell them they can no longer attend school); the places we shop for birthday and Christmas gifts for our family; the places we vacation once a year; the barber; the golf courses that my husband gets to play once or twice a month and on and on.  I think you get the picture.  This will affect many, many more than just us “poor retirees!  This “ripple” will reach far and wide and have a profound effect on our communities as well! I also agree with the original petition that we are also “well past our peak earning potential.”  My husband is 68 years old, has a 10% disability from the VA ($263 a month).  He is an insulin dependent diabetic and has other health issues as well.  I am retired (28 years with the State of Texas)/disabled.  I have chronic asthma, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, tremors, degenerative disk disease with nerve impingement, congenital lumbar impairment, osteoarthritis and on and on.  We are no longer able to seek full time employment to make up what is being taken from us. I fully support (and encourage others to do so as well) Senator Gary Peters and Representative Debbie Dingell who are sending letters asking the Department of the Treasury to reject the Central States application to strip our retirement benefits from their loyal retirees.  I also plead with Congress to take the steps necessary to repeal the Cromnibus language, shore up pension plans and protect pension benefits.  S. 1631/H.R. 2844, the Keep Our Pension Promises Act, sponsored by Senator Sanders in the Senate and Representative Kaptur in the House of Representatives not only would restore the anti-tax loopholes that only benefit the wealthiest members of our society.  Also, legislation sponsored by Senator Portman and Representatives David Joyce and Tim Ryan, S. 2147/H.R. 4029, the Pension Accountability Act, will give plan participants influence when plans are considering making these kinds of cuts.  These bills will help ensure that our nation’s Teamster Members/Retirees will continue to have financial stability and a voice when it comes to cuts in benefits that were earned over a lifetime of service. IF CUTS MUST HAPPEN, PLEASE MAKE THEM EQUITABLE!!  Those who worked only 5 years or so should see their benefits reduced much more than those who worked 30 years!  At this time, that is not the case.  Also, why are we, in this part of the country being affected in this way and the Teamasters in other locations are not?!?! Please help us fight for our rights, our retirees, their families and the communities that will lose out, if this is not stopped!

Respectfully yours,

Only a few of the people that will suffer if the attacks on the Teamsters' pensions are not stopped!!