The Committee. The CAPS Membership Communication Committee is responsible for overseeing CAPS’ publications for members, and for overseeing matters concerning membership, such as recruitment. In the past, this committee oversaw the creation of a host of infographics for CAPS members. These infographics can be found on the CAPS website here.

Today’s Update: CAPS Defends Pensions So You Can Retire With Confidence!

As State Scientists, we have earned and deserve secure, predictable, reliable retirements. Every month we make contributions to our retirement and so does the State. Our defined-benefit pension provides regular, monthly payments to retired public employees. This guarantee of a living retirement, and a lifetime health benefits program, provides security that most Americans simply do not have. Defined-benefit pensions are the most cost-effective way to allow State Scientists, firefighters, nurses, librarians, and other public servants to retire with compensation for life. Cities and states have provided pensions to public employees for more than 100 years because they ensure a dignified and secure retirement.

CalPERS is the nation’s largest public employee fund and serves more than 2 million members in the retirement system. As State Scientists, we are members of CalPERS. Pension plans receive money from three sources: employers, employees, and investment earnings. The largest contribution comes from CalPERS investment dollars. We currently contribute between 8 and 11 percent of our paychecks to help fund our pensions.

The CalPERS Pension Buck illustrates the sources of income that fund public employee pensions.

Based on data over the past 20-years, ending June 30, 2020, for every dollar CalPERS pays in pensions:

• 55 cents comes from investment earnings,
• 32 cents from employer contributions, and
• 13 cents from employee contributions.

Unfortunately, public pensions are always under attack from politicians, government retirement opponents, and anti-union groups. They want to reduce the benefits we’ve been promised. They have deep pockets, are organized, and determined. They, too, understand how to use legislative, legal, and political power. CAPS’ response must be just as organized, energetic, and influential – the kind of response achieved only with CAPS’ collective strength and resources.

CAPS Battled Schwarzenegger and Others Over Retirement Rollbacks! During 2004, CAPS and other labor groups successfully protected Senate Bill 400; Retirement-Enhancements, which made various improvements in the benefits provided to state and school members of CalPERS from efforts by Gov Schwarzenegger to roll it back. CAPS also opposed other attempts in the Legislature and on the ballot to eliminate constitutional protections for the retirement security of both existing and future public servants. CAPS is vigilant to these attacks and successful at keeping negative pension reform initiatives off the ballot.

Threats Always Lurks on the Horizon! Attacks on public sector pensions by “taxpayer advocates” continue. A recent Court of Appeals decision has reaffirmed the importance of vested pension rights in a case brought by the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Association. The case resulted from a decision of the Alameda County Retirement Board to remove various pay categories from final compensation. The case threatened the “California Rule” – the 70-year old legal precedent that has historically held that if public employee pension benefits are reduced, a benefit of similar value must be provided in return. The court ruled on narrower grounds, ruling that reducing the ability to pension spike is a permissible reason to remove a benefit. In a win for CAPS and other public employee groups, though, the court further clarified, that the purpose in any reduction needs to be closely tied to the pension system. This latest ruling in the Alameda case should remind the California Supreme Court that an individualized balancing test should determine if it is reasonable to make a change to a vested pension right. CAPS continues to monitor court cases that threaten public pensions and will file appropriate legal actions in defense of these promised benefits and advocate for members’ pension benefits whenever threats abound.

Pension Protection Coalition Formed! CAPS is a founding member of Californians for Retirement Security (CRS), a labor coalition of 30 government labor organizations, representing more than 1.6 million Californians, consisting of public employees and retirees dedicated to pension protection. CRS has fought off several attempts over the last 15-years to cut public retirement benefits.

CAPS and CalPERS! The people we rely on to deliver our retirement promise are appointed and elected to the CalPERS Board of Administration. They are charged with representing our interests by managing the largest public pension fund in the U.S., so we have the retirement benefits we were promised. CAPS has always maintained positive relationships with members of the CalPERS Board of Administration. In fact, CAPS endorsed David Miller, a State Scientist with Department of Toxic Substance Control and CAPS Board Member, who was elected to the CalPERS Board. CAPS monitors every meeting and has worked to influence law and policy in members’ favor as it relates to retirement and health benefits.

Your CAPS leadership and staff take protecting CalPERS and our promised retirement benefits seriously. CAPS observes what’s happening, takes action, and regularly report the facts to the membership.

CAPS and CalPERS Can Help! The CAPS MOU (Article 8) can help you as a very general guide in calculating your retirement annuity. Guidance on retirement issues specific to your situation should be obtained directly from a qualified CalPERS representative. CalPERS can calculate your retirement annuity and assist in developing a plan to help you achieve your goal of a predictable, living retirement. Visit the CalPERS website here to learn more: www.calpers.ca.gov.

Have questions? Feel free to call or email CAPS directly at caps@capsscientists.org

CAPS Membership Communication Committee

CHOOSE UNITY! CHOOSE STRENGTH! CHOOSE CAPS!