A Message from OPEIU President Richard Lanigan

Take a moment to reade the below message from OPEIU President Richard Lanigan!

To All OPEIU Local Unions, Guilds and Directly Affiliated Groups:

After the economic crash of 2008, many retirees who had already performed a lifetime of work and were living on a fixed income experienced a reduction in the amount of their income. During the same 2008 downturn, many companies suffered a loss in revenue. Congress enacted legislation that assisted those companies to the point where many were making record profits before the current COVID-19 crisis. It has now been shown that some of those companies invested the assistance by conducting stock buy-backs. Unfortunately, Congress did not provide such assistance to those retirees or the pension plans where they had placed their life savings.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Congress has already provided trillions of dollars to businesses impacted but still no assistance to retirees. Congress is now considering a new stimulus package -- the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act, or the HEROES Act -- to provide assistance to struggling businesses and towns. This time, the legislation includes a provision that would help struggling pension plans and the retirees who were impacted during the 2008 and COVID-19 downturns.

Most people know of a friend, neighbor, fellow worker or family member whose retirement has been impacted. In order to provide these people the financial security they worked and paid for, I am asking you to reach out to the pensioners in your local and the active employees whose benefits also have been cut and suggest they call their senators and tell them they support this bill.

Thank you.
In unity,
Richard Lanigan