During their annual Retiree Council meeting in Washington, AFSCME retirees went to Congress to demand that lawmakers lower health care costs, fund public services, and protect federal workers’ jobs.
They were frustrated by anti-worker lawmakers’ choice to force a government shutdown to protect tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy corporations. AFSCME retirees brought their decades of experience fighting for working families to the Capitol.
Judy McKeever is a member of AFSCME Retirees Chapter 3299 and a former respiratory therapist at the University of California-San Francisco hospital. She came to Washington fired up.
“If they’re coming after your benefits that you’ve worked 60 years for, you need to fight back and let them know this is not OK,” McKeever said. “I will not put up with it. I will vote you out of office. I will do protests, walk-ins, pickets — whatever it takes.”
McKeever is angry that the president and his yes-men and women in Congress caused the shutdown, so they can protect the massive tax breaks to the wealthy they passed in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”
In fact, one of McKeever’s fellow 3299 retirees, Christina Banuelos, could not travel to Washington to talk about the impact of health care cuts. That’s because her flight was canceled after her local airport lacked enough air traffic controllers because of the shutdown. That’s a stark example of how the shutdown is hurting public services.
Banuelos instead spoke to her representative over FaceTime.
Retirees also expressed outrage that anti-worker extremists failed to extend premium tax credits for people who get their insurance through the Affordable Care Act, whose insurance premiums are expected to increase by 114%, on average. All Americans are expected to face higher premiums.
Retirees also condemned anti-union lawmakers for cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and public services.
Pat Riggs-Henson, a member of Oregon Retiree Chapter 75, said of anti-union extremists’ assault on working families: “This is not a retiree issue. This is going to ripple right through families. In the first time in almost 75 years, I’m seeing something that I’m afraid of.”
Riggs-Henson brought this message to lawmakers: “There’s nothing worse than someone who’s been around a long time and knows how to fight back.”
She called her fellow AFSCME retirees “warriors,” and said that retirees “have long memories” — they are prepared to hold lawmakers accountable.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders, who addressed the retirees on Thursday, urged them to go to Capitol Hill “with confidence in the power of your stories, with the deepest belief in the values you’re fighting for, with the knowledge that you are on the side of fairness and on the right side of history.”
He added: “Every time you stand up and speak out, it makes a difference. Maybe not in a way that you can see that day or even that month. But eventually your collective voice leads to meaningful and lasting change.”
AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride called on retirees to return home and share their stories, inspire new leaders, share resources and mobilize union members and activists.
“Thank you for everything you do to lift up our communities and public services. Our union is on sturdy ground because of your commitment and contributions,” she said.
This year, AFSCME Retirees have signed up 15,000 new members. And they remain a powerful force in electing pro-worker candidates.