It took decades for AFSCME’s working and retiree members to win the fight to repeal the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provisions (WEP). For many years, these outdated rules denied over 2 million retired public service workers their hard-earned Social Security benefits.
But last winter, after a final, aggressive push by AFSCME members and our allies, the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law and GPO-WEP was gone — for good.
Now, the Social Security Administration (SSA) says it will immediately begin paying retroactive benefits and increase monthly benefits payments to people whose benefits were reduced by GPO-WEP.
According to the SSA, “Most people will receive their one-time retroactive payment by the end of March, which will be deposited into their bank account on record with Social Security. Many of these people will also receive higher monthly benefits, which will first be reflected in the benefit payment they receive in April.”
For AFSCME retirees like C.K. Williams, vice president of the Ohio-West Virginia Retiree Chapter 1184, the announcement is reason to celebrate. But it’s also proof that we must recommit in the future to fighting even harder.
"For far too long, the Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision unfairly reduced my Social Security benefits. It took more than 40 years to right this wrong and I’m relieved that soon I will finally receive my full Social Security benefits I earned through a lifetime of work,” Williams said.
“But let’s be clear,” Williams added, “this only happened because of the tireless advocacy of AFSCME members and our allies. We fought for what’s right, and we’re not done yet."
Working people are facing another threat that will require the same activism and tenacity they brought to the GPO-WEP fight.
Anti-worker extremists in Congress and billionaires are advancing a budget that will slash $2 trillion from vital programs that working families, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities rely on — all so the rich can get $4.5 trillion in tax handouts.
If we don’t act now, public services in our communities, as well as public service workers’ contracts and jobs, and their retirement benefits, will all be on the line.
AFSCME’s Get Organized campaign seeks to stop anti-worker extremists and their billionaire friends from destroying the public services we provide. We won’t stand on the sidelines as they try to roll back laws that protect our health and safety at work, our job security and even our freedom to join our union.