The World of Multiemployer Benefit Funds Podcast

One in five adults will experience an unexpected medical bill. Sixty percent of non-retirees do not believe their retirement savings are on track, and an alarming 25 to 50% of US households who have done some preparing for retirement believe that they will end up short of the savings needed to retire.  Check out my course, Unlocking Financial Wellbeing, if you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Win the credit card debt floating game, and discover your core money values.Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Navigating healthcare coverage can be confusing and frustrating. Every time there's a new regulation, it makes the healthcare system that more complicated. Josh Meyer and Jennifer Schuster from Segal Benz Communications are back for their final installment and share some ways that multiemployer plans customize communication to simplify navigating healthcare coverage for their participants. Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Knowing that you have financial planning tools is the first step on the path to financial wellbeing. Jennifer Schuster and Josh Meyer from Segal Benz Communications return to the podcast and share some tips and tools of how they communicate financial wellbeing to their Taft-Hartley clients. Segal Benz aggregates information and financial tools for multiemployer plans and then delivers access to those participants.Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

An alarming 50% of Americans are under-prepared for retirement, and 40% of personal bankruptcies are caused by excessive bills. Financial wellbeing impacts every area of our lives and is important to our overall quality of life, but what does it take to have financial wellbeing? It takes financial literacy and planning, but you first must know where to start. Traci welcomes Jennifer Schuster and Josh Meyers from Segal Benz Communications, a firm that works with multiemployer plan sponsors to enhance the communication and the delivery of financial tools.Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

The type of pension plan you have may play a role in happiness and retirement. According to a 2000 poll conducted by the Center for Retirement Research, retirees with a defined benefit plan were 5.6% happier than retirees with no pension while those with a defined contribution plan were only 4.6% happier. However, retirees with both a defined benefit and a defined contribution were 9% happier than those without a pension. David Blumenstein, President and CEO of Segal, returns to the podcast. David shares his thoughts on why union workers are more satisfied with their retirement plans and how following curiosity instead of passion can lead to personal happiness.RESOURCES:In Part 1, David, shares his family's amazing story of hope and perseverance during the Holocaust. Here is the link to that episode:https://www.buzzsprout.com/412150/11529319-an-inspiring-holocaust-story-and-segal-s-mission.mp3?download=trueFor more about David's Family Holocaust story, here are the links:Regional Emmy Award and National Emmy Nominated Film - Finding Family https://vimeo.com/544128302 David's father donated his trove of Holocaust material to the Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanities Center and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Here is a link to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum information.https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn520490 For the PDF book co-authored by David's father, which includes the 150 translated letters, David's grandmother wrote his grandfather during the war. Please email traci@multiemployerfunds.com.This book gives an actual perspective of daily life as a refugee and the desperate struggle of a mother to find a way out of Europe. It includes the broader story of what happened to Jews during WWII and what the world was aware of as the exterminations were being carried out. Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

In today’s episode of the ‘The World of Multiemployer Benefit Funds’ (Where experts share their insights and stories on busting myths about the labor movement). Today the host Traci Dority-Shanklin (Managing Partner at Sisu Partners) talks with David Blumenstein (President, and CEO of Segal. Segal provides various consulting services including actuarial health benefits, human resources, investment, fiduciary insurance, communication, and technology.) David Blumenstein is a frequent speaker at benefits, conferences, and other industry forums, and a published author on health care and retirement benefits topics. In the episode, David tells us about his family’s historical Holocaust story, and how he emerged in this career.For more about David's Family Holocaust story, here are the links:Regional Emmy Award and National Emmy Nominated Film - Finding Family https://vimeo.com/544128302 The Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanities Center also produced a shorter "slide show" about David's father's life. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0a1efdd9ac764f9eaefb19eea7c007e1 David's father donated his trove of Holocaust material to a combination of the Cincinnati Holocaust and Humanities Center and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Here is a link to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum information.https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn520490 For the PDF book co-authored by David's father, which includes the 150 translated letters, David's grandmother wrote his grandfather during the war. Please email traci@multiemployerfunds.com.This book gives an actual perspective of daily life as a refugee and the desperate struggle of a mother to find a way out of Europe. It includes the broader story of what happened to Jews during WWII and what the world was aware of as the exterminations were being carried out. Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

White-collar organizing sweeps the Tech and Game Industry! Learn how the Communication Workers of America (CWA) is converting non-traditional industries like college campuses, newspapers, and the Tech and Game Industry into union shops. CWA District 3 organizing coordinator and grassroots activist, Cassie Watters, gives us the skinny on what motivates these white-collar workers to organize and how the CWA supports these digital employees. Some highlights from CWA Organizing: White-Collar Power: 04:10 – Campus Workers Fight Back10:14 – WILL)Empower13:03 – The Importance of Mentors and Mentorships16:23 – CODE: Coalition to Organize Digital Employeeshttps://www.willempower.orgSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

White-collar workers are organizing labor unions at Tech & Game, nonprofits, college campuses, and now comic book workers. CWA District 3 organizing coordinator and grassroots activist, Cassie Watters, explains why these workers are turning to the Communications Workers of America to help them organize and how the CWA is supporting them.Some highlights from CWA Organizing: Tech and Game Workers: 04:10 – Campus Workers Strike Back10:32 – CWA and Jobs with Justice13:03 – The Importance of Mentorship16:23 – CODE: Coalition to Organize Digital EmployeesSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Low pay, no opportunity for advancement, and feeling disrespected topped the list of reasons why millions of workers quit their jobs in 2021. With union organizing in Big Tech, Starbucks, and Amazon and labor unions enjoying high popularity with workers across the country, could this be the beginning of a new labor movement? Arelia Valdivia and Francisco Diez from the Center for Popular Democracy are here to share some insight into the Great Resignation and what is driving worker unrest.Some highlights from Has Worker Unrest Sparked a New Labor Movement:01:29 – A Shortage of Good Jobs06:23 – It’s More than Just Pay!10:20 – The New American Majority15:25 – The FIX UI Campaign The CPD’s FIX UI CampaignSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Lockdowns and the coronavirus pandemic laid bare our inept and patchwork unemployment system. Iceland supported its citizens with 30 months of unemployment benefits while US workers barely received six months of benefits. Arelia Valdivia and Francisco Diez are here from the Center for Popular Democracy to explain why our current UI system desperately needs reform and how all workers, both employed and unemployed, can help fix it.Some highlights from The CPD’s Case for Unemployment Insurance Reform:01:21 – Meet the Center for Popular Democracy08:37 – The Sad State of UI Benefits for US Workers12:49 – An Employer’s Perspective on UI15:25 – The FIX UI CampaignThe CPD’s FIX UI CampaignSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Traditional defined benefit plans provide retirees with a guaranteed lifetime pension. However, workers participating in these DB plans have fallen from 38% to 20% between 1980 and 2008. Steve McCourt, the co-CEO and Managing Principal at Meketa Investment Group, shares some insight into the Great Resignation and the shifting demographics in the workforce.Some highlights from Defined Benefit Plans and the Case of the Disappearing Demographics:02:29 – The Fuzzy Math Problem06:42 – Could We See a Rolling Series of ARPAs?10:17 – Not a Blunt Hammer16:34 – Is Blockchain Technology on the Horizon for Defined Benefit Plans?If you'd like to read or view the Meketa white paper, Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Institutional Investors click HERESupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Two years ago, Steve McCourt, the Managing Partner and co-CEO of Meketa Investment Group shared his thoughts on the pandemic’s impact on pension funds. However, it was too early in the pandemic, so there were too many unknowns. Steve returns with an update on how the market, trustees, pension funds, and technology have all responded to the disruption.Some highlights from The Pandemic’s Impact on Pension Funds Revisited:01:36 – In Our Previous Conversation…03:38 – The Bull Market Charges Ahead07:46 – The Pandemic’s Impact on the Trades13:06 – It’s a Brave New Virtual Worldwww.meketa.comSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

UNICEF reported that 1 in 7 children have been negatively impacted by the pandemic lockdowns. And more than 1.6 billion children have suffered from some loss of education. The co-founders of Virtual Milestones Academy, Megan Cawlfield, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, and Emily Roberts, an occupational therapist, expose the cracks in our disjointed healthcare system and support parents with finding holistic, family-centered solutions. Some highlights from Lockdowns, Social Isolation and Children’s Mental Health:04:35 – Navigating Mental Health with Virtual Milestones Academy10:19 – Early Intervention14:27 – 1 out of 6 Children15:44 – Find the Positive in the Pandemic19:32 – Falling Down the Rabbit HolesSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Host, Traci Dority-Shanklin, recaps her 2021 discussions about pension reform and hybrid retirement solutions for failing multiemployer plans. With the help of several guests from previous podcasts, Traci highlights potential solutions and recounts events that drove these plans to the breaking point. Past guests include AFL-CIO president, Liz Shuler; UFCW Local 21 president, Faye Guenther; Executive Director of NIRS, Dan Doonan; Executive Director of NCCMP, Michael Scott; labor organizer and co-founder of Unionbase, Larry Williams Jr; and consulting actuary from Cheiron and co-author of The Hybrid Handbook, Elizabeth Wiley.Some highlights from the 2021 Hybrid Retirement Recap Show:03:35 – A Generational Cynicism about Retirement Plans09:59 – Drawbacks of a Defined Contribution Plan13:04 – Building the Right Hybrid Plan16:08 – The Hybrid Plan Case Studies22:59 – Future Retirement Security for All AmericansSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Imagine taking office as president of the nation’s largest UFCW local at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Suddenly, healthcare and grocery store workers are declared essential frontline workers, but essential workers should have enough money to buy food, have a roof over their heads, and lead lives that are essential. UFCW Local 21 president, Faye Guenther, talks about how coronavirus upended the playing field and contract negotiations but ushered in beautiful acts of solidarity from their extended union family beyond the UFCW.Some highlights from UFCW Local 21 and the Coronavirus Pandemic include:03:07 – The First COVID Case08:37 – Talking to 100,000 Members11:20 – COVID Safety Protocols and Essential Workers14:26 – Growing up in Rural Oregon17:32 – 100 People LeadingSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

The UFCW Local 21 set an ambitious goal of identifying, recruiting, and training 4500 of the next generation of labor leaders over the next two years. How is that effort going? Luckily, Faye Guenther, the president of UFCW Local 21, is here to give an update and share how laughter helped bring her diverse team together.Some highlights from the 4500: Identifying and Recruiting the Next Generation of Labor Leaders include:01:17 – Rethinking the Idea of Team06:17 – Diversity and Inclusion at the UFCW Local 2108:24 – Listening and Talking with Members11:07 – Identifying, Recruiting & Training 4500 Leaders14:05 – The Initiatives: From Social Justice to Legal Cannabis16:55 – Retirement and UnionismSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

If your union or employer’s defined benefit plan was in critical and declining condition and facing insolvency, would you consider a hybrid retirement solution to fix it? That’s exactly how the UFCW Local 21 turned their red-zone plan back to green. UFCW Local 21 president, Faye Guenther, shares the bold steps taken by her UFCW family when they switched from their legacy plan to a variable annuity pension plan (VAPP).Some highlights from UFCW Local 21 and the Saga of the Variable Annuity Plan include:04:17 – A Red-zone Plan in a Death Spiral08:14 – The First Big Challenge 10:36 – Kroger and the VAPP16:44 – The Employer Reactions19:48 – The Variable Annuity Plan and the Path ForwardSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

A hybrid retirement plan combines parts of a defined benefit plan with parts of a defined contribution plan. Dan Doonan, the Executive Director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, and Elizabeth Wiley, a consulting actuary at Cheiron, wrote the book on hybrid plans – literally! Dan and Elizabeth penned The Hybrid Handbook, a white paper on hybrid retirement plans in the public sector. Listen as they share their insights on these plans along with some of their favorite case studies. Some highlights from Not All Hybrid Plans Are Created Equal include:01:27 – Hybrid Retirement Plans: The Case Studies06:30 – The Best Time to Plant a Tree…10:56 – Unfunded Liabilities and a Cause for Concern14:35 – Risk Sharing vs Risk Shifting19:03 – The Efficiency of Pensions vs Defined Contribution24:30 – Thoughts on Pension ReformClick on The Hybrid Handbook if you'd like to read or download a PDF of Dan and Elizabeth's white paper.Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Hybrid retirement plans are becoming a viable option to the traditional defined benefit and defined contribution plans, but what are they? And who are they right for? Dan Doonan, the Executive Director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, and Elizabeth Wiley, a Cheiron consulting actuary, co-authored The Hybrid Handbook, where they outline various public hybrid retirement plan structures. Dan and Elizabeth demystify these plans and explain why some struggling multiemployer plans should consider a hybrid option.Some highlights from Hybrid Retirement Plans 101 include:03:37 – The Hybrid Handbook05:55 – The Spectrum: Defined Benefit & Defined Contribution10:16 – Types of Hybrid Plan Structures17:27 – Is Risk Sharing a Negative?22:30 – Communication is KeyClick on www.nirsonline.org if you'd like to download or read a PDF copy of Dan and Elizabeth's "Hybrid Handbook" Support the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com

Uniontrack’s Engage app combines union dues payment software, union membership communication software, and grievance tracking software into a web-based system. Uniontrack created the union-friendly app, and their CEO, Ken Green, explains how the Engage app solves workflow issues for unions and empowers the next generation of union members through technology.Some highlights from Uniontrack’s Engage: The Union-Friendly App include:03:35 – Solving Union Workflow Issues09:17 – Unifying Union Operations13:54 – Leverage Technology for Organizing19:06 – Connecting & Communicating with Engage21:07 – Dispelling Myths About Labor25:32 – Building a Movement with Technologyhttps://www.uniontrack.comSupport the showContact:traci@mutliemployerfunds.comwww.sisupartnersllc.com