Virtually every benefit now enjoyed by state workers and retirees was gained by the hardworking and dedicated members of CSEA.

The CSEA Retirees, Inc. Board for 2008 (left to right):  Earl Millard, District D representative; Addie Jackson, District F rep; John A. Williams, District B rep and newly elected Executive Vice President; Max Turchen, District A rep and newly elected Vice President; Roger Marxen, District E rep and newly elected President; Barbara LaPlante, District C rep and immediate past President; Harold Rose, newly elected Chief Financial Officer; and Fred Cordova, District G rep.

A group of state workers joined together and created the California State Employees Association in 1930. They fought to get legislation passed which created the $140 billion California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). These same individuals established a merit pay system for state employees and built a superb record of achievements which included securing health and dental benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, and disability and survivor benefits for the state's civil servants.

Through the years, CSEA Retirees Inc. has added many benefits for retired state workers including cost-of-living increases, supplemental payments for those whose pensions have lost more than 25 percent of purchasing power, increased health benefits, dental benefits and long-term care. During the past five years, the division has been fighting to protect these benefits as dollars become scarce and inflation continues to rise.

Accomplishments

The following are just some of our many accomplishments during the past five years:

Worked actively to get Proposition 162, the Pension Protection Act, passed to prevent future raids on the CalPERS fund and to return the actuarial duties to CalPERS

Instrumental in keeping health care premium increases to a minimum and getting the CalPERS Board to add new vision, hearing aid and chiropractic benefits to Managed Medicare health plans

Successful in getting Congress to continue the $100,000 per participant insurance on our deferred compensation money

Gained thousands of dollars for retirees by making sure a new supplemental income program (Purchasing Power Protection Account) was implemented correctly

Filed a lawsuit to overturn the provisions of AB 702 which allowed the governor to take $2 billion from CalPERS, mandated that all new state workers be put in an inferior retirement plan and allowed the governor control over the actuarial functions at CalPERS

Worked extensively with U.S. Congress in looking at ERISA-type safeguards for public pension funds

Instrumental in getting national legislation passed to eliminate source taxes for those in qualified pension plans

Worked with CalPERS and the state legislature to provide a new benefit, Long-Term Care Insurance, to state employees and retirees

Convinced CalPERS to implement quality control measures for state health plans

Helped to qualify an initiative for the state ballot, the Retirement Protection and Security Act, to make it easier for retirees to recover losses due to investment fraud

Worked with CalPERS to improve customer service and hire ombudsmen in the Retirement and Health Benefit Services divisions