The Alabama Retired State Employees Association was organized in Montgomery on March 6, 1980. The association was formed as an advocate for a strong, stable, solvent retirement system and adequate retirement benefits for state retirees.

ORIGIN AND FOUNDERS

ARSEA traces its formal origins to unanswered attacks on the benefits received by public retirees and the amounts appropriated to the Retirement Systems of Alabama. In 1979, state retirees, led by William A. Major, Fred E. Zeigler and Louis L. Goldblatt, developed a plan to deal with the anti-public sentiments regarding state retirees and their benefits.

Two-thirds of original ARSEA members were residents of Montgomery. State retirees of the Departments of Industrial Relations, Revenue, Conservation, Corrections, Public Health, Highway, and Pensions & Securities (Human Resources), and smaller state agencies were included among the 144 charter members.

In December of 1979, founders William A. Major, Fred E. Zeigler and Louis L. Goldblatt came together to discuss the formation of an organization for retirees. On March 6, 1980, a rally was held and 144 members were recruited. These 144 members elected the first board: William A. Major was elected president, Betty Morgan was elected secretary, Tom Shackelford was elected Treasurer, and Fred E. Zeigler, Louis L. Goldblatt, Norman Walkley, Fount R. Hammock, Jeanette E. Barrett and J. Frank Cox. The first meeting of the Board of Directors was March 27, 1980.

ERS BOARD OF CONTROL, SEIB AND LGHIP BOARDS

ARSEA won a state retiree post on the Employees Retirement System Board of Control in 1981 and local government retiree position in 1984. T.L. Payne represented state retirees on the Employees Retirement System Board of Control from 1982-1999. Mary Lou Foster was selected to complete his unexpired term and continues to serve in that post. Local Government retirees have been represented on the ERS Board by Oscar Fowler, Virginia Lott, Ralph Bishop, Clyde Sellers, and now by Jim Fibbe. In 1985, ARSEA also originated and supported successful legislative action adding two state retirees to the State Employees (Health) Insurance Board (SEIB). Past representatives include Gladys Boswell, James Horn, Tharpe Forrester, Clyde P. White, Robert Pickett and Dr. Billy E. Mellown, Jr. Both Pickett and Mellown currently represent state retirees on the SEIB. On the Local Government Health Insurance Plan Board (LGHIP) Gary Meadows serves in the retiree position.

ARSEA COLA ACHIEVEMENTS

ARSEA-originated cost-of-living allowance (COLA) legislation passed the Alabama Legislature in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006. The 1988 raise was the first legislation ever to provide larger raises for longtime retirees whose retirement is based on much lower salaries than recent retirees. This Act also provided the first ever raise for beneficiaries and surviving spouses of state-county-city retirees. Raises for local retirees are authorized by the act, when county commissions, city councils and local boards fund the COLA.

ARSEA INSURANCE LEGISLATION

ARSEA's intense legislative activity led to first-ever health insurance benefits for state retirees in 1985 and increased health insurance funding every year in the 1986-95 period. Health insurance legislation for county-city retirees was passed in 1986 and soon resulted in more than a dozen counties and cities paying all or part of the health insurance benefits for their retirees. In 1998, ARSEA won legislation to allow counties, cities and local public boards the opportunity to grant current retirees health insurance coverage. Since then, ARSEA has been successful in encouraging several cities to become a part of the Local Government Health Insurance Plan (LGHIP).

RSA PROTECTION

ARSEA and other public associations pushed a bill through the Legislature that led to an overwhelming vote of the people in March, 1988, to prohibit raids and borrowing of state retirement funds. Every year since 1991 ARSEA has convinced Alabama lawmakers to defeat heavy new state taxes on retirees

DISTRICT & ANNUAL MEETINGS

ARSEA began District Meetings to elect Board members and other officers in October, 1984. These annual meetings feature officers and leaders coming together to discuss legislation, county and city government, health insurance, membership building and other matters.

Our association began holding State Conventions in 1986. These State Conventions have been held annually in Eufaula, Guntersville, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Birmingham, Auburn/Opelika, The Shoals, aboard the Carnival Cruise ship "Holiday," and in Sandestin, Florida.

ARSEA's membership surpassed 20,000 in 2004.