PAGE 22 | August 16, 2019 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Happy Labor Day
Brothers & Sisters
...PERS lawsuit
From Page 6
gon Supreme Court in the 2005
Strunk ruling and the 2015 Moro
ruling.
“Their service for public em-
ployers creates certain contract
rights to retirement benefits. As
the Oregon Supreme Court has
ruled in the past, the State cannot
breach the terms of those con-
tractual promises,” Masih said.
This is the second lawsuit for
Silence, the firefighter from
Salem. He regained some retire-
ment benefits that had been
taken from him after he served
as a plaintiff in the 2015 Moro v.
the State of Oregon, et al case
that was filed after state law-
makers cut PERS benefits the
last time. If SB 1049 remains in
effect, he will lose $26,000 in
retirement benefits.
“It is deeply disappointing to
be in this position again,” Si-
lence said. “Lawmakers keep
coming back for more cuts to
benefits from public workers
like me who are not the cause of
the unfunded liability problem,
and I have to again ask the
Supreme Court to help protect
my contract rights.”
The public retirement system
has an unfunded liability of $27
billion, left over from the 2008
market crash. Changes from SB
1049 would only address a tiny
portion of that amount.
“WHAT DOES LABOR WANT? WE WANT
MORE SCHOOLHOUSES AND LESS JAILS,
MORE BOOKS AND LESS ARSENALS, MORE
LEARNING AND LESS VICE, MORE CONSTANT
WORK AND LESS CRIME, MORE LEISURE
AND LESS GREED, MORE JUSTICE AND LESS
REVENGE.” — AFL FOUNDER SAMUEL GOMPERS, 1893
Organized in Oregon and
SW Washington Since 1904!
PLEASE ENJOY THOSE UNION - MADE HAMBURGER
AND HOT DOG BUNS AT YOUR LABOR DAY PICNIC .
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco
Workers and Grain Millers Local 114