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Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Remember that when you retire you will no longer be an active member of Missouri NEA and NEA, and you will no longer receive the benefits associated with membership, such as free half-hour visits with an attorney every year, travel discounts and liability insurance if you substitute.
But those valued benefits do not have to disappear. Membership in MNEA-Retired and NEA-Retired will maintain the benefits and protection you enjoyed as an active member, and the best part is that the cost for lifetime retired membership is only $350. The savings offered by the benefits can easily save $350 in the first year of membership.
In addition to the benefits, MNEA-R/NEA-R is the leading advocate for retired issues.
At the state level, the MNEA-R is influential in educating legislators to pass laws that work to enhance the integrity of the retirement system and insure the security of your retirement pension. As a result, the retirement system, even in these uncertain economic times, is secure.
At the federal level, MNEA-R and NEA-R work to protect against attempts to replace defined-benefits retirement systems like ours with defined-contrition plans, which do not guarantee a specific pension amount. Currently, MNEA-R/NEA-R is vigorously lobbying Congress to repeal the Social Security offsets that deprive retirees from their full Social Security payments. The repeal of this law alone will easily increase the Social Security benefits for those who qualify by a value greatly exceeding the $350 lifetime dues.
Other organizations may invite you to join, but they are not MNEA-R and have no national affiliation. To make sure you are joining the right organization, visit your regional MNEA office and pick up an MNEA-R membership form or e-mail your request to Florence Pullen, MNEA-R vice president at fterrypullen@aol.com (please include name and address).
Welcome to the safety and security of MNEA-R membership.
sb, spring '09
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