Our Issues

You gave so much during your career, and now you deserve to retire with retirement security. CalRTA is the voice of retirees in Sacramento, in D.C. and at CalSTRS.

Our top four issues:

1. CalSTRS Retirement

Since CalRTA members are stakeholders in the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, CalRTA will:

  • Advocate for adequate and equitable pensions with sustainability for all present and future CalSTRS members, including the protection of the Defined Benefit Plan.
  • Advocate for safeguarding and enhancing 100% retirement purchasing power protection (Supplemental Benefit Maintenance Plan), including creating a method to enhance how it is calculated.
  • Monitor the investment activities and proposed legislation impacting CalSTRS

2. Social Security and Federal Issues

Financial security is a priority for CalRTA members. CalRTA will:

  • Advocate for the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). Achieved! Monitoring implementation.
  • Advocate to protect members affected by unfair Medicare cuts and premium
  • Support long-term Social Security solvency by opposing cuts, raising the retirement age, and privatizing Social Security benefits.

3. Health Care/Healthy Aging

CalRTA advocates to ensure access to affordable, quality health care. CalRTA will:

  • Advocate for protecting and enhancing Medicare and Medicaid, oppose privatization of Medicare and
  • Advocate for and support full and comprehensive guaranteed affordable health care, including the inclusion of caregivers, community-based services, and affordable, accessible prescription drug
  • Advocate for affordable, long-term care that cannot be terminated and includes cost

4. Public Education Funding

CalRTA will support public education funding and educators by advocating for:

  • Advocate for fully funding public education under Proposition 98 and enhancing overall support for public education funding, including class size reduction.
  • Oppose using public money to support private, parochial, sectarian, or for-profit
  • Advocate for accountability and transparency of California tax credits and exemptions that eliminate funding that would have gone to public schools.