I am a retired Alaskan, and my income and medical care is part of the retirement package for state employees under the State of Alaska’s retirement system. There are more than 70,000 of us in this system, and we are all dependent on our retirement for both medical care and income. Most borough retirees, such as teachers, are also in this system.
The people of Alaska, many years ago, knowing how important it is to support our elders, constitutionally mandated the retirement and medical coverage for retirees. However, in 2014, the state unilaterally diminished the medical coverage. Many of us are members of the Retired Public Employees of Alaska, or RPEA, an organization whose mission is to help retirees and to act to protect their constitutional benefits when they are endangered. So when this happened, the RPEA sued the state, and the lawsuit has been winding its way through the court system ever since.
Time went by, and over the years the people on the executive board of the RPEA changed. We were just about to finally have our case go to trial, when the current board decided to enter into mediation instead, without consulting the membership. Mediation, as a substitute for trial, is a negotiation wherein each side gives up some items in dispute until an agreement by both sides reaches a settlement. Since our whole lawsuit is about getting back benefits that were diminished, giving some up in mediation just doesn’t make any sense.
As an RPEA member, I strongly object to only three people, not of the members’ choosing, going into closed-door mediation with the state and deciding just what they will “give up” on our behalf. Not only is it an outrage, it is probably illegal, since the results of this will not only affect the approximately 4,500 RPEA members, but the entire 70,000 retirees, and in addition is against the constitutional mandate.
I hope all Alaska state retirees and their families are aware of this and will help fight to let our medical diminishment lawsuit go to trial as originally planned, rather than to let three people behind closed doors make deals with the state.
— Susan Shaffer
Graham, Washington
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