Firefighters, Teachers & State Workers Applaud US House for Voting to Repeal Social Security Penalties for Public Employees

In a historic win for firefighters, teachers and state and municipal employees, 327 members of the United States House of Representatives — including Congressman Jared Golden and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree — voted for a full repeal of Social Security offset penalties, restoring full retirement benefits to millions of public service workers. The Bill now goes to the US Senate.

“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 (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), known collectively as the Social Security Offsets,” said Maine Service Employees Association President Mark Brunton in a statement. “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.”

WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals with a state pension even if they contributed to Social Security in a separate private sector career. The government pension offset (GPO) is like the WEP, but instead of reducing the worker's benefits, the GPO reduces the benefits for a spouse or former spouse who claims spousal benefits  based on a spouse's or former spouse’s earning record. Maine is one 15 states where state employees are unfairly penalized by the GPO and WEP and one of 26 states where county and municipal retirees are affected by the offsets.

“AFSCME applauds the House of Representatives for voting to repeal GPO-WEP, which unfairly robs some public service workers and their families of their Social Security benefits simply because they have a pension,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said in a statement. “Our nation’s public service workers dedicate their lives to improving our communities; they deserve and have earned their full retirement benefits.”

“Today’s vote was a major step toward ensuring fire fighters and other public servants receive the full retirement they’ve earned and paid for,” said IAFF General President Edward A. Kelly in a statement. “While we’re proud of the work our team did to get this bill through the House, this is only half the battle. Now it’s time for Senators to step up and send this bill to the President’s desk.”

For years, members of AFSCME, MSEA, IAFF and other unions have been telling their stories and organizing to repeal the offsets. We urge Senators Susan Collins and Angus King to use every ounce of their political clout to secure passage of the Senate version of the bill and then work to ensure the bill gets funded.