Recently there has been a fight over a position on the Teacher Retirement System Higher Education Board (TRS). The TRS board is made up of nine members, four of whom are nominated by higher education employees and retirees. Among all candidates vying for the position, the governor will appoint a board member from among the top three winners. Candidates for the ballot include Philip Mulins, Judy Mayfield, and Prairie View alumnus Frank Jackson.
“The employees’ union, a union of all teachers in Texas, wanted a voice in there, so they asked me to be one of their candidates to voice their concerns about our retirement plan,” says Frank Jackson, the government relations officer at PV, who is also a member of the Texas State Employees Union (TSEU).
In order to receive votes, candidates must first be placed on the ballot and Jackson’s bid to obtain a spot on the ballot has hit a road block.
Recently, TSEU activists conducted a state-wide grass root campaign to obtain signatures in support of Jackson’s bid to be on the ballot. 1,887 signatures were collected from employees of 19 institutions of higher education and submitted to the Teachers Retirement System Board. Even more than the required number of signatures were collected and Jackson was still barred from the ballot.
“They said that we didn’t have enough signatures,” said Jackson. “The union went to all of the colleges and a lot of other state agencies that participated and asked the employees to sign the petition but when they reviewed the petition, they said that some of those they couldn’t verify.”
The TRS board currently oversees a pension that is valued at over 84.2 billion dollars in funds, much of which belongs to state teachers and employees who are preparing to retire. Jackson wants to make sure that the money is handled correctly, which is why he is so passionate about obtaining a seat on the board.
As Jackson put it, “It sends a signal to the state that we want a voice in how our retirement funds are held, because that is our future.