News

Sharing more pathways to student debt relief

As the landscape of student debt shifts, and more and more opportunities allow borrowers to have their debt relieved, the AFT is using every avenue to ensure that the word is out. In affiliate meetings, telephone town halls, media coverage and social media, the union is spreading the news, and at a student debt clinic at AFT headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 31, AFT President Randi Weingarten vowed to reach as many people as possible with information that could save them tens—and sometimes hundreds—of thousands of dollars.

Problems with Medicare Advantage

July 27, 2022. Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging (from WI Association of Retired Americans)

"Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year, government watchdogs told a House panel Tuesday."

https://wisconsin.retiredamericans.org/2022/06/30/government-watchdogs-a...

AFTW Retirees Newsletter, April 2022

Here is the newsletter for April of 2022.

http://retirees.wi.aft.org/sites/default/files/article_pdf_files/2022-04...

Celebrating student loan relief

“It was like waking up and learning you won the lottery.” That’s just one of the comments flooding the AFT offices from members who are elated to be free of student debt at last. After relentless advocacy, including an AFT lawsuit against former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that was so broken is finally doing what it is supposed to do: delivering relief from student debt for thousands of borrowers. So far, $6.2 billion in student debt has been forgiven for 100,000 public service workers like teachers, nurses and professors.

AFT-Wisconsin COPE has endorsed the following candidates for the spring 2022 election happening on April 5, 2022. Now is the time to get involved. Let us know how you'd like to get more involved!

March 2, 2022. We were all deeply saddened to learn of the passing of AFTW icon, Kathy Monaghan. Kathy served on the WFT/ AFTW Executive Board for more than 5 decades, first as secretary, and more recently as a Vice President representing retirees. She was instrumental in helping organize Local 8047R, the retiree chapter of AFTW, and served as its president for the past 17 years. She also supported and served in numerous other capacities in her local, Local 202, the Superior Federation of Teachers, in the Central Labor Council, in the Firefighters Union, and in the Democratic Party. H

Wisconsin Coalition of Annuitants Annual Convention

Feb 23, 2022. The WISCONSIN COALITION of ANNUITANTS consists of statewide and regional organizations representing retirees in the Wisconsin Retirement System, and may include active as well as retired participants in the system.

The WCOA Annual Meeting will be two Thursday mornings, May 5 and May 19. Two speakers each morning. ETF and SWIB will be separate mornings.

The Coalition recently reported on a three-year study of the WRS recently completed by ETF. The study can be found here.

Wisconsin Coalition of Annuitants 2021 Summary

January 3, 2022. Below is a summary from WCOA about what they did during 2021. Bob Beglinger and Kathy Kreul are AFTW's reps to the Coalition. For more information about WCOA go to https://www.wicoa.org/index.php.

Summary