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TERS 1 and PERS 1 in Need of Legislative Action

Only State Public Employees to not receive a COLA

YOU CAN HELP!  IT'S EASY!

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​Your voice matters!  Short phone call can help move legislators to act.  

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Call the Legislative Hotline at 

 

1-800-562-6000

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Here's a short script for what to say!

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Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME], and I live in [CITY].

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I'm calling to urge my legislators to support a COLA for TRS 1 and PERS 1 retirees.  

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These retirees have 15 years without an annual COLA adjustment and many are barely getting by.  Some are in their eighties and on walkers and must substitute teach to make ends meet.  This is unacceptable.  

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Please support HB 1474 and SB 5862 that provides COLA relief for these teachers and school employees who dedicated their lives to their communities!  â€‹Thank you!  

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TERS 1 and PERS 1 retirees are the ONLY retired public employees in Washington State who no longer receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

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Since the Legislature eliminated their COLA in 2011, these retirees--many now in their 80s--have watched their purchasing power steadily erode while the cost of housing, healthcare, food, and property taxes continues to rise.  

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These are retired teachers, school employees, and public servants who dedicated decades to Washington's communities.  Today, many are struggling to make ends meet on fixed incomes.

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The graphic below shows just how wide the gap between pensions and inflations has become--and why action is urgently needed now.

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