Statement by MSEA-SEIU President Mark Brunton on the U.S. House of Representatives passing H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act

“Yesterday’s passage of H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, by the U.S. House of Representatives is long overdue to repeal the unfair Social Security Offsets that have penalized scores of public service workers and retirees in Maine and throughout our nation. We thank Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Congressman Jared Golden for their leadership in pushing H.R. 82 over the top.

“For too long, public service workers and retirees who have paid into Social Security in good faith have had their Social Security disability, retirement and survivor benefits substantially reduced or even eliminated as a direct result of the federal Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, known collectively as the Social Security Offsets. The offsets are harming thousands of public workers and retirees in Maine, including but not limited to: plow drivers and other workers for the MaineDOT and the Maine Turnpike Authority; 911 dispatchers for the Maine Department of Public Safety; public health nurses, child protective workers and eligibility specialists for Maine DHHS; hazardous-materials responders for the Maine DEP; custodians throughout Maine State Government; workers for the Maine Community College System; and municipal workers in cities such as Lewiston and Auburn.

“These offsets penalize public workers who paid into public pension systems as part of their careers. These laws make it difficult for public employers to recruit and retain workers to provide the services that people count on. These laws also make it extremely difficult for workers to plan for retirement and for retirees to make ends meet. The Government Pension Offset hits women particularly hard by reducing or eliminating all spousal and survivor benefits.

“For years, members of our union have been telling their personal stories about why the offsets must be repealed. Now it’s up to the U.S. Senate to pass S. 597, its version of the legislation to repeal the Social Security Offsets. We call on Senators Susan Collins and Angus King to use every ounce of their political clout to secure passage of S. 597 immediately so that President Biden can sign repealing the Social Security Offsets into law.”

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The Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, represents over 13,000 Maine workers.