The Retiree Organizing Committee (ROC) group of TSEU in the Valley began an organizing campaign in December, 2013 to move the dial on getting a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for state retirees. At that time, our ROC membership stood at 64 members. Over the next 18 months, Valley ROC members actively contacted former co-workers to ask them to join ROC, attend meetings, and become active in the organization. Through this work, combined with TSEU’s mailing to ERS retirees in the Valley asking them to join ROC, our membership was up to 104 in June of this year—a 40% increase! Activists who asked former co-workers to join ROC include Janie Medrano, Rita Conde, Sylvia Leyendecker, Aurelia Reyes, Blanca Gonzalez, Joe Angulo, Tina Belmares, and Irene Suarez.
This legislative session, TSEU won an increase in state funding to get the ERS on the path to becoming actuarily sound. This victory means that our union can begin an all-out push to win a widespread COLA for all state retirees in 2017. It also shows that organizing works. Valley ROC will continue organizing to build our union, our power, and our voice!
100% unbreakable!
Back row: Filiberto Conde, Rachel Mares, Patricia Perez, Albert Bautista, Blanca Gonzalez, Sylvia Leyendecker, Oralia Gonzalez, Diana Villerreal; Front row: Liz Luna, Nena Gomez, Rita Conde, Hopie Torres, Elvia Martinez, and Aurelia Reyes. These ROC activists are ready to stand up to corporate lobbyists and anti-state services lawmakers attempts to silence state workers and retirees by eliminating payroll deduction as an option for public employees and retirees to belong to their union. Every member of this E. Valley ROC meeting has authorized TSEU to draft their dues from their bank accounts if lawmakers ban payroll deduction—making our union unbreakable!