What FACCC Has Done

This is the biggest plan FACCC has developed in the past decade. FACCC began spearheading a plan last year [1997] to increase State Teachers’ Retirement System benefits, similar to levels of the Public Employees Retirement System.

The FACCC Board of Governors decided it was a top priority. So with the Los Angeles AFT College Guild we hired former Assemblyman Phil Isenberg to help us create a strategy, worked with STRS to complete an analysis, formed a coalition with faculty unions and retirement groups, and — after months of discussions — succeeded in bringing this issue to the attention of legislative leaders.

State Senate President Pro-Tem John Burton-D, Senator Jim Brulte-R, Assemblymen Wally Knox-D and Mike Honda-D, and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa-D have all played major roles in spotlighting FACCC-sponsored AB 2804 (Honda/Assembly PER&SS).

Reasons To Improve Retirement Benefits
n Other than last year’s increase in retirees’ purchasing power, there have been no State Teachers’ Retirement System benefit improvements since 1972
n STRS benefits are lower than those of other California public employees and teachers in other
Western states
n California retirement benefits are insufficient to recruit and retain quality instructors