Just before the holidays, CWA-represented public sector workers received some great news: the U.S. Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act. CWA members and retirees advocated for the bill, which restores the promise of a dignified retirement for public service workers, reversing decades of unjust policy that limited Social Security benefits for these workers and their spouses.

Earlier this week, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., PHEW Vice President Margaret Cook, CWA Local 4502 President Hugh Williams, and others joined President Biden as he signed the bill into law. Going forward, millions of working-class people will receive the full Social Security benefits that they have earned and deserve.

The Social Security Fairness Act repeals two provisions that have been reducing Social Security benefits for public service workers for decades: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions have been in place since the 1970s and 1980s, respectively, and have affected millions of workers and their families.

The WEP reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who receive pension or disability benefits from employment where Social Security payroll taxes were not withheld. As of December 2023, the WEP affected about 2 million Social Security beneficiaries. The GPO reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive income from their own government pensions. In December 2023, the GPO affected almost 750,000 beneficiaries.

The repeal of these provisions will result in an estimated average monthly increase of $360 for affected Social Security recipients by December 2025, according to the Congressional Budget Office. This increase will be retroactive to December 2023, meaning eligible recipients will receive a lump-sum payment to make up for the shortfall in benefits they should have received in 2024.

CWA members and retirees, many of whom are public service workers, will benefit from this legislation. For example, Susan, a CWA member and retiree from Columbus, Ohio, who worked to help with nutritional needs for children in her city and serve those in real need, will now receive the full retirement benefits she has earned and deserves. The repeal of the WEP and GPO will ensure that millions of working-class people, like Susan, who have dedicated their lives to serving their communities, will now get the retirement they have earned and deserve.

CWA Vice President Margaret Cook stated, "Millions of working class people, people who make our communities work each and every day, will now get the retirement that they have earned and deserve." This legislation is a historic victory for CWA members and retirees, as it restores the promise of a dignified retirement for public service workers after decades of unjust policy.

The Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the Senate on Dec. 21 with a 76 bipartisan majority vote, including Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who co-led the legislation in that chamber. In November, the Social Security Fairness Act was passed by the House with a 327 bipartisan majority, led by Reps. Garret Graves, R-La., and Abigail Spanberger, D-Va. The bill's passage and signing into law are a testament to the decades-long advocacy of public service workers, retirees, and their families, who have fought to ensure fairness in retirement benefits for all public servants.

In conclusion, the Social Security Fairness Act is a significant victory for CWA members and retirees, as it restores the promise of a dignified retirement for public service workers after decades of unjust policy. The repeal of the WEP and GPO will result in an estimated average monthly increase of $360 for affected Social Security recipients by December 2025, with some beneficiaries receiving lump-sum payments of thousands of dollars to make up for the shortfall in benefits they should have received in 2024. This legislation is a testament to the decades-long advocacy of public service workers, retirees, and their families, who have fought to ensure fairness in retirement benefits for all public servants.