news

DETROIT, MI – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) brought together House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, other members of Congress, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa, UAW President Gary Jones, and other leaders of multiple unions for a townhall meeting in Detroit. The leaders heard directly from American workers and retirees affected by the pension crisis about the urgent need to take action to protect pensions. More than 30,000 Michiganders and 1.5 million workers and retirees nationwide are facing drastic cuts to their pensions due to the looming insolvency of multiemployer pension plans and the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation.

At a standing room only event Friday with close to 800 attendees, American workers and retirees told stories of how the potential cuts and other issues are already deeply frightening. More than a dozen people shared stories of forgoing raises in order to add to their pensions, but now they are facing pay cuts of more than 70 percent. Pensioners described the impossible task of having to choose between putting food on the table or paying for prescriptions because the pension they were relying on is no longer there.  

“The potential for pension cuts is already having devastating effects on the working men and women in Michigan,” said Dingell. “Every day I hear from people who are scared to death. This is not an academic debate; this is about people’s lives. Today provided the opportunity for my colleagues to hear real stories firsthand. These people have worked hard, played by the rules, put money into pensions thinking they were safe. Our job is to protect their investment for a secure retirement. We must act this year.”

The townhall was part of House Democrats’ economic agenda calling for “A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.” The agenda centers on three key goals: raising the wages and incomes of American workers and creating millions of good-paying jobs, lowering the cost of living for families and building an economy that gives working Americans the tools to succeed in the 21st century economy, including through ensuring every American worker who earned a pension should keep it – without a dollar in benefit cut.

“Protecting Americans’ pensions is an urgent moral priority,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.  “I salute the relentless leadership of Congresswoman Debbie Dingell to defend every American’s right to the dignity of a good retirement and to ensure every worker and retiree is heard.  Together, we must safeguard the pension and health benefits that working families have earned, and give the American people A Better Deal that lowers their costs, increases their pay and protects their freedom to join a union to fight for better futures.”

“I want to thank Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Dingell, and all members of Congress who’ve joined us for this critical discussion about the future of pensions in America. It is imperative that Congress act as soon as possible to protect millions of active and retired workers who face an uncertain future due to the pension crisis,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President.

Dingell has made fighting for a solution to the pension crisis a top priority since coming to Congress. She was appointed by Leader Pelosi to the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Plans which is instructed to report a bill by the last week of November that will be guaranteed an expedited vote in the Senate without amendments.

###