Actions in the political arena

The Situation

Retirees are fighting an uphill battle for several reasons:

• Achieving justice on Oak Ridge pensions is basically a political battle because of the way the forces are arrayed and the fact that not all of those forces have the same interest or objectives.
  
• DOE has for many years paid for new liabilities for new employees, increased salaries, and pension enhancements mostly from the earnings of funds invested before 1985. Thus, the DOE is spoiled by not making any payments to the MEPP fund in Oak Ridge and very little to the others.
  
• We have companies operating in Oak Ridge that have no corporate memory, little financial exposure, and often no long time commitment. These are mostly LLCs set up specifically to capture the fee dollars from the DOE contracts, and perhaps they will dissolve when the contract disappears. Yet, the DOE managers and, apparently, Congress thinks the executives of these companies will look after retiree interests. That is absurd! How will they when there is negative incentives to do that?
  
• Many in Congress and the staffs think falsely that the fund is a private fund, and it is a matter between companies and employees. We have been working to change those impressions.
  
• Many others in Congress and their staff believe falsely that the pensions are "entitlements", which they must hold the line on. Of course, their pensions and those of many contractors and DOE government employees are not entitlements, but are well earned retirement income. Too many do not grant that the Oak Ridge retirees deserve similar treatment. We are trying hard to educate any in Congress and staff, who have great influence on what gets done.
  
• We are fighting misinformation given out by the contractors and DOE.
  Misinformation takes the form of not fully answering questions, stating conclusions adverse to retirees without justification, and over-blowing the liabilities of pensions for the future. The DVD package now being distributed is a part of this process.
  
• The injustice of retiree pensions in Oak Ridge is so below the radar screen of our own Congressmen (Senators and Representatives. Retiree issues are not mentioned as an important issue on any of their web sites. The only mention we have seen is a photo op on Zach Wamp's site with no mention of what he is doing on the issue. CORRE members tell us that there is often no response to your letters to members of Congress. Letters that are received from the offices often indicate a lack of understanding and concern. We are working very hard to obtain interest in more active Congressional involvement from our own delegation and from the responsible committees. If our delegation would post this issue as one of concern on their web sites and mention what they are doing about it in letters, that would be a start towards real commitment to our cause.
  
• DOE is determined to rein in new pensions obligations by implementing defined contribution plans, and to do that, they will have to start making contributions for it in Oak Ridge. CORRE has not objected to that part of the DOE plan. At the same time, they desire a severe test for any adjustments to defined benefit plans- it seems under the original draft DOE Notice N 351.1 to be almost impossible. We have made serious, well-conceived amendments to N 351.1, and we are asking our Congressional delegation and others in Congress to help get this considered.
  
• Over against all that we have endorsements of CORRE requests by most of the county and city legislative bodies in the Greater Knoxville- Oak Ridge region. We have endorsements by the General Assembly of Tennessee and by one school board, although we did not ask. We also have had very favorable editorial opinion locally. Obviously, the issue is well understood in Tennessee. We have to keep getting the truth out, so that it is understood in Washington.
  
• One of the most important elections in years is coming up in 2008. Look carefully at the positions of our Congressmen and the candidates for President and Vice President. Who is helping with the problem of Oak Ridge pensions? Who will help middle-class people retain the value of the pensions that they thought would be protected? There are more issues to be considered but this is one that is most important to you and your family.

The Remedy

There is not an easy solution when there is such an array against the retiree. The only solution is pressure on the the companies, DOE, and the elected representatives. Retirees must do the following:

• Take every opportunity to act on the things CORRE asks you to do. See the What you can do part of this webs site.
• Help with the campaign to educate the staff and members of Congress.
• Retirees and their families must be active politically, seeking candidates who will take retiree concerns as a high priority item on their agenda.
• Be militant with the companies. They are, in the final analysis, accountable to the communities in which they operate and have profound effects. If they cannot seek equity and justice in the pensions of retirees, they do not deserve unchallenged contract renewals in the future.
• Be aggressive with DOE. There is no inherent right for DOE management to thumb its nose at obligations created in the past because un elected employees believe that they have better use for funds than to spend it on old people.

What we are asking our local delegation of Congressman to do-

Local delegation includes: Senators Alexander and Corker, and Representatives Lincoln Davis, John J. Duncan, Jr., and Zach Wamp. Measured actions need to include the following immediately:

• To pursue with DOE the request for adjustments for Oak Ridge contractor retirees.
  
• To endorse and pursue with DOE the changes CORRE has recommended to DOE Notice N 351.1.
  
• Their expressed commitment to the changes that retirees are seeking by placing our issues and what they intend to do about them on their web sites.