AGRE Update -- May 2009

The next AGRE Monthly Meeting will be on Thursday, June 4, at 6:00 p.m. at 133 Raleigh Road, Oak Ridge.

AGRE is looking for volunteers to share a table with CORRE at the Secret City Festival on June 19-20 and hand out brochures about AGRE activities. If interested in helping, please send an e-mail to gfemployee@yahoo.com indicating which day, Friday or Saturday, you would be available to help.

John Steward and Dennis Pennington were in Washington DC the weekend of May 9 and spoke with government officials about the issues of moving the management of pension and benefits for Grandfathered retirees and employees to Y-12, removal of the pension cap, a spouse option of 2%, and the cost savings that can be realized. While the government representatives listened and understood, no support on these issues appears to be forthcoming.

The AGRE Actions Committee is preparing letters to be sent to DOE and state and local government officials regarding a Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) entitled Portsmouth D&D Project. The Draft RFP, which was issued on January 15, 2009, has language that "the Contractor shall become the lead sponsor of the BJC MEPP, the BJC MEWA, and other existing benefit plans...for Grandfathered Employees and retired plan participants, with primary responsibility for management and administration of these plans." For the past 18 months, AGRE has been working to move the management of our pension and benefits to Y-12, which is currently managing similar programs for over 23,000 participants. This Draft RFP indicates the management of pension and benefits for the 2,114 Grandfathered employees and retirees will be located Ohio! The Draft RFP can be found at http://www.doe.gov/, then enter Portsmouth RFP in the seach window.

All Grandfathered retirees and employees are invited to attend the AGRE Monthly Meetings, held the first Thursday of each month. Please do not wait until you are retired to realize the importance of these issues.