Protesting Pension Contributions - Who Should Pay?
According to a recent article in the Press-Enterprise, University of California workers expressed their outrage at being asked to contribute to their pension plans. Likely to impact 18,000 workers, "UC officials maintain that employees must contribute to the pensions to preserve them." A university spokesman, Mr. Brad Hayward, said that this sharing of responsibility is nothing new. "UC employees did contribute to their pensions until the early 1990s." He added that employee contributions wil occur gradually with no expected impact on take-home pay during the first post-reform year.
Critics argue that clerical and other lower-wage workers are already in a financial pickle without adding additional burdens.
This story caught my eye for several reasons, not the least of which is what I believe is the beginning of a heated (perhaps incendiary) debate about the rights of taxpayers versus municipal workers. This would include public universities such as the University of California, self-described as among the best in the world.
(In case you missed it, click here to read about the modern day version of the Boston Tea Party.)
An oft-cited position is that municipal workers agree to accept relatively lower wages in exchange for generous benefits. Accepting this point as reality (and ignoring for a moment that some do not accept that view), does a public employer's proposed rule change suggest a violation of an implicit work arrangement with employees? (The situation is arguably different when a labor-negotiated contract exists.)
What are the rights of the taxpayers who fund these benefits? Do they ever get a chance to approve or veto benefit payments or are they simply expected to pony up when benefits are due?
Moreover, this event illustrates the undeniable trend towards shifting post-retirement financial responsibility to employees and away from employers. Low-wage workers are not the only ones affected. Even middle managers know that the array of post-employment benefits is dwindling. Many companies no longer offer a defined benefit plan or, in some cases, any type of defined contribution plan.
Then there is the issue of fiduciary responsibility with respect to oversight of a growing net unfunded liability. Returning to the article, Hayward is quoted as saying "We need to be in a position where employees who retire actually receive the benefit that has been promised to them."
On the outside looking in, this statement is disturbing. It seems to suggest that there are insufficient funds to make current retirees whole without getting monies from those who still draw a regular paycheck.
This sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Think Social Security and any other "pay as you go" scheme that cannot survive without cash from current payrolls.
