CHANGING SOCIAL SECURITY TO PROVIDE FULL ACCESS AND EQUITY FOR ALL EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES

WHEREAS, most Americans already believe that earned Social Security is an entitlement available to all American workers; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers believes that all workers should be able to access their full, safe, secure pension via Social Security; and

WHEREAS, currently the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which in various instances, reduces earned Social Security survivors' benefits for spouses, widows and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own; and

WHEREAS, currently the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which in some instances, reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes; and

WHEREAS, currently 1.2 million employees of certain K-12 public education districts and higher education districts (or in some cases statewide) in 15 states and the District of Columbia are excluded from the Social Security system; and

WHEREAS, this situation is particularly critical for adjunct faculty members in higher education employed by some community college districts who are considered as part-time employees and hourly workers. Both receive very little in the way of any pension benefits:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will seek the complete repeal of the WEP and GPO loopholes by supporting and advocating for the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 and related legislation; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support and advocate for all federal and state policy, including but not limited to seeking revised Section 218 agreements at the state level, as needed to allow all educational and all public employees in a given jurisdiction or workplace who have been excluded from the retirement portion of Social Security to be able to collectively decide to take part in that portion of the system.

Adopted 9/29/2022