April 19, 2023
Retiree Groups Announce New Collaboration to Take on the Nation’s Retirement Security Emergency
Washington, DC – The National United Committee to Protect Pensions (NUCPP) Board of Directors and the Alliance for Retired Americans (Alliance) are pleased to announce a partnership to address the nation’s retirement security crisis.
“With politicians, despite their denials, trying to slash our hard earned Social Security benefits, we have decided to take the bull by the horns and team up,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance. “The national median 401(k) account balance is less than $34,000. That is not acceptable when defined benefit pensions are being offered to fewer and fewer workers.”
“When Congress passed the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014, endangering millions of hard earned pensions, we formed a grassroots movement to fight back that included retired truck drivers, warehousemen, dock workers and other dedicated Pension Warriors,” said Kenneth Stribling, NUCPP President. “Now we want to take that movement to the next level.”
“Fortunately, a pension crisis was averted in 2021 when the Butch Lewis Act, an important part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, was signed into law,” added President Roach. “However, a national retirement security emergency remains in effect, and we need to expand Social Security in response.”
The NUCPP was formed in 2016 to ensure that hard-working Americans’ pension funds remain solvent and to educate, inform and advocate for accountability, reform, and restoration of multi-employer pension funds. It also acts as a watchdog on retirement security issues, including pensions, Social Security, and Medicare.
The Alliance for Retired Americans, with 4.4 million members nationwide, has 39 state alliances and members in every state and retiree activists from all walks of life, working to protect and expand Social Security and Medicare and defend pensions from attack.
“Bringing together the Alliance’s national members and NUCPP’s members, who were at the forefront of the grassroots movement to save over 10.1 million American pensions, will provide greater strength in even bigger numbers, while increasing our ability to find legislative solutions,” added President Stribling.
“Rita Lewis, wife and activist of deceased Teamster Butch Lewis, had a slogan — ‘A Promise is a Promise is a Promise.’” Stribling concluded. “Just like our pensions, Social Security was promised to us, and we will do whatever is necessary to protect and expand it, so it is there for current and future retirees.”
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Contacts:
David Blank, dblank@retiredamericans.org
Dana Vargo dmv.nucpp@gmail.com
The Alliance for Retired Americans is a national organization with 4.4 million members that advocates for retirement security for all Americans. www.retiredamericans.org @activeretirees
The National United Committee to Protect Pensions was at the forefront of the grassroots movement to save over 10.1 million American pensions.
