About the Retirees Department
The APWU Retirees Department is the voice of retired APWU members — within the union and on Capitol Hill.
APWU Retirees Still Fighting for Justice
(This article first appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)
COLA 2020
Is 1.6 percent a fair Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Seniors?
It is projected that the average increase in benefits will be $24 and that the average Medicare B premium will increase by $8, with a net COLA of $16 per month for most seniors.
Retirees are short-changed because their COLA is calculated using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) instead of the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). Using CPI-W short-changes the seniors by not considering the spending habits of elders. Elders have higher costs for things such as health care and housing, while urban and clerical workers have higher costs related to expenses such as education, clothing, and transportation.
