Fear Any and All Changes to Our Pensions! Be Ready to Fight!

I'm going to scream this from the top of my lungs - fear any and all changes to our pensions! Treat these as attacks on our compensation and dignified retirements until proven otherwise!

And don't just be aware of any changes - be hyperaware! Go to meetings. Pay attention to your union at the local, state, and national levels. Social media and traditional news outlets can often yield warning signs and clues.

When we hear hopeful candidates for public office talking about our generous benefits - ones "not seen in the private sector" - we must stop and listen. Next, they'll likely try to explain how reforming our plans is an opportunity to rein in costs, stabilize taxes, or "level the playing field." Trust me, these are not reforms - they are attacks.

And like an army organizing for battle, we need to anticipate what attacks may be coming next. We need a strategy for the long term. We'll need to be both defensive and offensive.

When we hear conversations about the funding level of our pension systems, we must pay close attention. Next, they'll question their stability and future. Then they'll tell us not to worry - they have a plan.

When those in positions to make decisions related to our pensions tell us not to worry, there are usually plenty of worries to go around. Pay attention. Ask questions. These are attacks.

When the employer side says they cannot make their contribution, stop in your tracks. When they propose reducing their obligation, it's time to stand up. We need to be ready for a fight. We are being attacked.

Know in advance who your allies are. Our affiliated organizations have people doing this work for us. We need to know who they are and how to access them. When we have questions, we must be empowered to engage our representatives - especially on pensions. After all, this is your retirement. Your future.

In many cases, these are fellow members of our organizations. These brothers and sisters usually have a unique skill set to play at that level. Most have successfully won an election or have been appointed to pension boards and are themselves active decision-makers in the pension system. We need to pay attention to these folks.

Others have been delegated to monitor our plans for change, threats, and attacks. When these people wave the flag, we need to pay attention. We need to respond. It's time to fight.

The threats will be coming from our elected officials. They will be looking at our pension systems as a pot of gold they may be able to use to advance their political agendas. Some with more nefarious ideas will suggest changing the type and composition of plans.

Being politically active before these attacks begin will serve us well. As is true in all aspects of protecting our rights, if we have a healthy dialog with the decision-makers, we should have the opportunity to make the case against any threatened change. Then, when we identify a problem, we will have someone on the other side to bring it to.

Build your fanbase. Let the people in the community know who you are. Be active in a constructive way on social media. Demonstrate your above-and-beyond efforts and that you are invested and entrenched in the community.

Remember, community members are the elected officials' constituents. They vote. On any given day, the public's opinion of the local union members holding their communities together will undoubtedly dwarf that of their elected leaders. There is no reason we cannot leverage that in our favor! So again, we need allies!

In his first annual address to a joint session of Congress in 1790, President George Washington stated, "to be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." So pay attention. Build alliances. Develop strategies. And if you come under attack... fight.

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Photo by Attentie Attentie on Unsplash.

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Robert Beattie is a second-generation North Plainfield, NJ firefighter joining in 1991 as a volunteer "callman" and serving on the career force sine 1999. He is a New Jersey certified fire officer, fire official, level 2 fire instructor and emergency medical technician. Rob served for many years as an instructor at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy in Hillsborough, NJ and was previously a Fire Inspector with the Howell Township Fire Bureau in Howell Township, Monmouth County, NJ.

A proud member of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2983 North Plainfield Fire Officers, Robert served 3 terms as 2nd District Vice President to the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey where he contributed to several committees and projects advocating for and protecting safe working conditions for all New Jersey firefighters.