The Association of Retired Teachers of Connecticut (ARTC) promotes economic welfare, professional enhancement, and health and social well-being of retired teachers. (There are 37,700 Connecticut retired teachers.) ARTC is nonunion and nonpartisan.

The Association’s primary goals include:

• Maintaining our pension system and preserving a COLA • Advocating for the 50% Tax Exclusion Law

• Securing the State’s promised contribution to our health insurance premium account (HIPA)

• Repealing the U.S. Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision (GPO/ WEP) Connecticut teachers contribute to their retirement benefits throughout their entire career.

• 7% to Retirement Fund • 1.25% to Health Insurance Premium Account (HIPA)

• 1.45% Contribution to Medicare Part A (Federal mandate as of April 1, 1986. (Note: Public school teachers are paid by local school districts. Presently, districts do not contribute to the Teachers Retirement Fund or to Social Security.)

The promised 50% Tax exclusion has been repeatedly delayed by the Legislature. Connecticut retired teachers currently receive a 25% State tax exclusion but it is less than the State Social Security tax exclusion. As public school teachers, they did not pay into Social Security, however, the majority of CT retired teacher pensions receive the same pension COLA as that of SS. Any reduction in the SS COLA or if the pension fund does not meet the required assumed rate of return, teacher pension benefits are negatively effected.

Retiree costs for health insurance have risen drastically in recent years.

• Working teachers contribute to their health fund, HIPA, to help defray insurance costs at retirement.

• Retired teachers pay the bulk of their own insurance costs.

• The HIPA is in jeopardy due to the lack of adequate State funding over the years. Connecticut Teachers support preserving Social Security and Medicare. In addition, ARTC advocates for the repeal of The Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). Because of the GPO, most CT retired teachers lose their entire spousal benefits. Because of WEP, retired teachers who contributed to SS during employment outside of public education do not receive their full SS benefits.

ARTC members contribute to their communities.

• Enhance the state economically by spending their earned pensions in Connecticut

• Provide scholarships to future teachers

• Volunteer for initiatives such as driver education, blood drives and senior citizen fairs

• Support local food pantries