Bruce Hansen spoke at today's board meeting where he illustrated the fallacy of the Trimet vicious propaganda campaign in which workers are painted as getting 'luxury benefits'.
I
would like to share with you a financial breakdown of benefits and
health care spending for a member who retired after 13 years of
service. This former bus operator receives a monthly pension of $749.
Before I continue, I invite you to pick up a pencil or pen and follow
along as I do the math… I’ve rounded off the numbers to make it easier J
Retirement Pymt $749
Federal Taxes -$57
State Taxes -$72
Regence Health premium -$182
ODS premium -$3
Net after taxes / health ins premiums $435
Average Rx Costs Per Month $50
Total Deposit (not sure about the term) $385
Now compare $385 per month of retirement income in this example to the
$16,000 PER MONTH retirement package of TriMet’s former General Manager.
I ask the board members and the public to let these numbers sink in and
conclude – as Mr. Farlane wants you to – that union member retirees
are breaking the bank at TriMet. It is simply not the case.
Given the relatively modest pensions these retired union employees
receive, it is unconscionable to even discuss additional cuts to their
retirement during the upcoming contract negotiations. I ask the board to
consider the fairness of TriMet executives’ “golden parachutes” if
they come at the expense of retirees’ golden years. Thank you.
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