A program aimed at helping California’s private sector employees save for retirement received a needed infusion of start-up funding in Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 proposed budget last week.
The Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program, spearheaded by SEIU and signed into law last year, establishes a voluntary retirement savings plan for millions of private-sector, home-based and self-employed workers.
CalPERS will host a webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 18 for all “stakeholders” in CalPERS on the fund’s investment policy related to tobacco, a very profitable industry.
Stakeholders, which include CSU faculty who are CalPERS members and retired CSU faculty who receive CalPERS pensions, are invited to listen, and to submit public comment online about your opinion on investing in tobacco.
Every year, all of the medical providers participating in CalPERS determine their own premium rates for the coming calendar year, based on market conditions and their own bottom line. Neither CFA, nor CalPERS, has any influence in determining rates.
CFA joined ranks with the American Cancer Society and other opponents of tobacco investing at a meeting of the CalPERS Committee on Investment on Monday, May 16.
The deadline to sign up for Covered California is nearing.
Faculty and staff who are not eligible for CalPERS medical care coverage and students in need of health care should note, the deadline to enroll is January 31.
California State University faculty may be among the millions of Californians whose personal information was compromised in the Anthem Blue Cross data breach last week.
Ballots are being mailed Friday in the election for a new State Employees representative on the CalPERS Board of Administration.
CFA has endorsed Theresa Taylor for the seat being vacated by retiring board member, CSU San Marcos faculty member George Diehr.
“Taylor has extensive financial experience and has made a clear commitment to the well-being of CalPERS members and our families,” said Kevin Wehr, president of CFA’s Sacramento Chapter and chair of CFA’s Political Action & Legislative Committee.
On the eve of the election for a new State Employees representative on the CalPERS Board of Administration, CFA President Lillian Taiz expressed her congratulations to outgoing board member, CSU San Marcos faculty member George Diehr.
Diehr served 12 years on the CalPERS Board including stints as vice president and chair of the investments committee.
“George has served the faculty in the CSU, public workers in our state, and the people of California well and we congratulate him,” said Taiz.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is in the news a lot lately, mainly focusing on technical issues with the federal website and the upcoming Dec. 23 deadline for Americans to enroll in plans. While most faculty members and their families qualify for healthcare coverage, some individuals who have very part-time appointments do not.
Open enrollment for CalPERS healthcare plans is underway now through this Friday, October 11. During this time, new faculty members can choose a health plan for themselves and their families and continuing faculty can make changes.
Open Enrollment for Health Care Benefits
For CSU Employees, through October 11, 2013
Information provided by George Diehr
Professor of Management Science (retired), CSU San Marcos
Member, CalPERS Board of Administration
The open enrollment period for CalPERS healthcare benefit plans is here through October 11. CSU employees, including the faculty, should already have received information about this from CalPERS.
As a result of legislation adopted earlier this year, the purchase of Additional Retirement Service Credit (ARSC) from CalPERS – which applies to for time not actually worked and is often colloquially known as “airtime”– will be eliminated effective Jan. 1, 2013.
By Jonathan Karpf CFA Associate Vice President Lecturers, North/Anthropology, San Jose
FALL 2012 — The new rules signed into law in September on state workers pension plans—which do affect the CalPERS pension plan for the CSU faculty—come as a reaction to those who have loudly shouted that California needs pension “reform” now, now, now.
That demand to hurry up illustrates exactly what is wrong with the public debate on public employees’ retirements: critics scream for quick action and work to create hysteria but provide no tangible solutions.
September 12, 2012—Today Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 340, which rolls back pension benefits for public employees, including CSU faculty.
AB 340 was passed on the last day of the legislative session, with little opportunity for public input and against the wishes of state employee groups.
Earlier today (Tuesday), Governor Brown and legislative leaders reached agreement on a number of changes to how the state pays pensions to public employees.
Michael Bilbrey – the CFA-endorsed candidate for the CalPERS Board of Administration – has won a special runoff election and now will fill a vacancy on the13-member board. Bilbrey defeated Richard Ross by almost 40,000 votes.
Both men made it to the runoff after taking the top spots in an eight-candidate field vying for the at-large seat vacated last August by Kurato Shimada. Bilbrey will serve the remainder of Shimada’s term that ends in January 2014.
With more than $233 billion in assets, CalPERS is the nation’s largest public pension fund.
