About PEPSA/History
PEPSA Works to Protect and Improve Your PERA Pension!

As a public employee, you are a member of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), and pay part of your salary into your retirement fund. PERA is regulated by the Legislature, and by law is restricted on lobbying. The Public Employees Pension Service Association (PEPSA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to protect and improve your pension, and act as a watchdog for your dollars invested in PERA.

PERA is a governmental unit that has done an excellent job of managing your pension benefits and funds. PERA, however is limited to the role they can play in lobbying the Legislature and the Governor's office to improve and protect public pensions.

PEPSA is a separate non-profit organization formed in 1972 which lobbies the Legislature and the Governor's Office to protect and improve your public pension.

PEPSA has an active political fund and is very influential with those legislators who are "friendly" to public pensions.

All public employees, both current and retired need PEPSA for short and long range protection of the PERA Retirement plan. Retirees are you aware your pension benefits are not guaranteed for life? PEPSA is there to protect pension improvements that often take years to enact. It's too late if you wait until you're ready to retire to seek improvements.

OUR Greatest Challenge today is to maintain the strength we have in numbers through memberships. Our Legislative Agenda includes:

*The need for ongoing improvements to the pension plan.
*Protect the Plan! The state in the past has penetrated our funds during tough economic times - this must not happen again.
*Keeping our members informed and knowlegeable of potential changes to the plan and its funds and keeping our elected officials informed of your needs.
*Support reinstatement of the "Rule of 90" to employees hired after July 1, 1989.

THIS IS WHAT PEPSA OFFERS YOU:
*A full time lobbyist and administrative staff.
*Timely newsletters on legislative activities and issues critical to you.
*A scholarship Program for Family Members.
*A very high success ratio in dealing with the Legislature on critical issues.
*Research capability on your pension issues and concerns.

HISTORY: PEPSA was formed by a small group of public employees in 1972, motivated by concern about our PERA retirement plan. Thirty years ago PERA was considered one of the least progressive plans in the nation. In 1973, PEPSA was instrumental in convincing the legislature to address this problem and the "High Five Year" plan was adopted. This legislation and subsequent pension improvements advocated by PEPSA, have made Minnesota's pension plan one of the best plans in the nation.