What has CORRE Done For Me?

Bob Henderson and Al Brooks - 2/19/06

We have heard this question, sometimes first hand and sometimes second hand. The question and answer both seem simple and presumably clear. However, if the question is rephrased in two parts: "What has CORRE requested DOE and its contractors do for the retirees?" And "What has DOE and its contractors actually done in response to these requests?", it may provide a much more illuminating (and complex) answer. CORRE can only ask; DOE must provide the actions. Please see the CORRE Position Papers for request details and other actions taken by CORRE.

Who Did What When

Year	CORRE	DOE/Contractors
2000	Formation in September	Prior transfer stopped by CORRE
2001	a) Successfully opposed the second 420 Transfer of the pension surplus to other uses thus preserving millions of dollars to be applied (after negations) to retiree benefits b) Developed a 2001 Position Paper including a 15% average adjustment.	a) Under pressure, DOE concurred b) Begins a sliding adjustment with a $40k benefit cap and a 3 year recent retirement exclusion.
2002	Develops a 2002/2003 Position Paper, urging and justifying the package of improvements needed, together with a listing of longer-range goals	No action
2003	Pushes the 2002/2003 Position Paper including a minimum monthly pension of $600 for retirees with at least 20 years of service; $400 monthly for eligible surviving spouses; and a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirees averaging 15%.	No action
2004	Issues 2004 Position Paper, requesting a sliding pension adjustment to recover 75% of inflationary losses, averaging 17% based upon years since retirement.	a) Begins in January the Minimum Pension benefit of $600/month for retirees and $400/month for surviving spouses with $600/$400 caps. b) No action on the COLA
2005	Issues 2005 Position Paper, outlining needed adjustments including a dental plan and spousal option benefit improvements. Representatives from Wackenhut and Becthel-Jacobs added.	No action on the COLA nor the new Position Paper

Source: http://www.corre.info/CORRE%20Accomplishments%20and%20Activities.htm

http://www.corre.info/Goals_Policies.htm

http://www.corre.info/principles_for_pension_management.htm

Conclusion: When we look at the above evidence, the simple answer is pretty clear: CORRE tried, within reason, to help everyone and DOE limited their actions to a few selected subsets of those retirees and actions proposed by CORRE. The answers to the questions are: "What has CORRE requested DOE and its contractors do for the retirees?"; Answer: "A lot". And "What has DOE and its contractors actually done in response to these requests?"; Answer: "Not as much as they were asked to do but more than before CORRE asked!!". Part of the problem is that our legislators, possibly save Zach Wamp, have done little and had no effect. Another part is that only 2500 of the 13,000 retires have supported CORRE actively.

Let's not denigrate CORRE's efforts but rather strengthen them by giving CORRE our collective, political clout and increase the pressures on the system. Specifically let's get behind the current CORRE proposal for the reduction of the spousal option penalty for retirees and the ad hoc adjustment intended to restore 75% of the pension value lost to inflation since the retirement date.

Bob Henderson and Al Brooks