Retirees

What are the Chapter 57 Retirees?

The AFSCME Retiree Program, which began operation in 1980, is an expanding national network of retired public sector workers. 

Membership is open to all retired public employees who were members of AFSCME or who were employed at an agency where AFSCME represented workers, regardless of whether or not they were AFSCME members. Spouses are also eligible to join and are encouraged to participate in retiree activities. Members are also entitled to all of the AFSCME Advantage benefits that local affiliates offer thir working members.

AFSCME Retiree Chapter 57 members are also automatically members of the national Alliance for Retired Americans  and the California Alliance for Retired Americans. These important coalitions work to guarantee retirement security by fighting to preserve Social Security and protecting Medicare.

AFSCME retiree sub-chapters have served to unite public sector retirees at the state and local levels and have enabled them to fight effectively for improved health and pension benefits as well as more general senior citizen programs. 

Ongoing national priorities of the Retiree Program are to preserve Social Security and Medicare and achieve quality and affordable health care for everyone regardless of age. We are also concerned about the preservation of Medicaid, SSI and the Older American Act.

8 Good Reasons to Join AFSCME Chapter 57 RETIREES

  1. Threats to Our Retirement Security. Big business and the right wing have launched major campaigns to undercut government responsibility for public pensions and retiree health care. Protecting our benefits is the No. 1 reason for sticking together in California AFSCME Retiree Chapter 57. Our strength is your security.

  2. Strength in Numbers. The AFSCME Retiree Program is the largest organization of public retirees in the USA, with nearly 230,000 dues-paying members nationwide (more than 27,000 right here in Northern California). The bigger we are, the stronger we are.

  3. Power in Unity. Alone, each of us have little power. But when public employee retirees join together and speak with one voice, we have clout with lawmakers and retirement systems.

  4. Affiliation with AFSCME. AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) is the nation’s leading public-sector union, with 1.6 million members. No organization has more experience fighting and winning for public employees and retirees.

  5. Support from the Working Members. Chapter 57 has the full support of AFSCME Council 57, which has a membership of more than 27,000 public workers statewide.

  6. A National Network of Retiree Chapters. The AFSCME Retirees have chapters across the country, which work together on federal issues that affect public retirees. Only a national organization has the ability to lobby Representatives and Senators nationwide on such issues as protecting Medicare and repealing the unfair Social Security/public-pension offsets.

  7. An Experienced Staff. No other organization has more expertise on public-sector issues than AFSCME. The staff of the national union and its Northern California affiliate includes budget analysts, labor economists, lawyers and professional lobbyists, who help us protect and improve our retirement benefits. 

  8. Members-Only Benefits. The “AFSCME Advantage” Program offers a variety of benefits and services to meet our members’ consumer needs. These include a no-fee, low-rate MasterCard; a discount legal assistance plan; theme park and car rental discounts; a pet services plan; a low-cost health savings program, with discounts on drugs and dental care; and many more.

Join

You worked hard to earn a decent retirement. Let AFSCME help you protect it. Union representation is the key to a secure income and dependable health care coverage whether you are working or retired.

Chapter 57 retiree sub-chapters meet monthly and form a statewide network that includes thousands of members. It's the largest organization of public-sector retirees in the state. 

There are increasing attacks on retirement security and AFSCME works to educate, empower, and protect retirees. From union headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Retirees Organization is protecting Social Security and Medicare. It's the leading voice for public-sector retirees on Capitol Hill and in the senior citizen community. 

On the state level, our chapter lobbies state legislators, leads the fight to preserve the stability of the pension systems, and organizes retirees to defend their benefits. 

Contact us today to join AFSCME Chapter 57 Retirees.