News & Blog

11.24.21

Get Involved with STRS

Opportunities to engage in pension issues

If you are a member of the defined benefit State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) pension, there are a couple of ways that you can get more involved in pension issues to be an advocate for yourself and your peers.

Healthcare and Pension Advocates Coalition
For many years, Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum served as the AAUP member representative to the Healthcare and Pension Advocates (HPA) coalition. Because Dr. Fichtenbaum is now a member of the STRS Board, we need another AAUP member to serve as a representative to the coalition, attending meetings with OCAAUP Executive Director Sara Kilpatrick. Currently, the meetings are virtual, but at some point are likely to revert back to in-person ones at STRS headquarters in Columbus. Travel expenses are reimbursed by OCAAUP. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please contact Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org.

Run for the STRS Board
The best way that we can make changes at STRS for the better is to elect new people to the board who understand that the status quo is unacceptable. Retirees have been without a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for eight years, and active contributors to the system are paying in more than what the value of their pension will be upon retirement. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and we need more Board members who will support Dr. Rudy Fichtenbaum and his efforts to improve STRS.

Whether you are an active professor or retired, there are positions on the STRS board that will be up for election. If you are interested either now or possibly for the future, contact Sara Kilpatrick at sara@ocaaup.org.

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