About the JJC Annuitants Association

The organization was chartered in June, 1995.

The  Joliet Junior College Annuitants Association (JJCAA) is a chapter of the State Universities Annuitants Association (SUAA).  The organization was founded to promote and protect the individual and collective interests and welfare of the JJC annuitants and their survivors by being politically proactive.  Service to Joliet Junior College and the district is also promoted.  JJCAA provides social events for its members and also promotes discussion and participation with other annuitant organizations in the State of Illinois.

Membership

The organization started with 68 members in 1994.  Membership now exceeds 280.

Membership is open to all employees and retirees of JJC who are eligible for SURS benefits, or are receiving SURS benefits.  Surviving dependents who are eligible for SURS benefits and employees who are on disability and receiving SURS benefits are also eligible to join. Membership in JJCAA also includes membership in SUAA.

President's Message

Jerry Lewis has served as President since 2005 and succeeds John Corradetti, the founding President of the group.

In the 2009 Fall Newsletter, I quoted Peter Finch in the 1976 movie, "Network", to describe what was taking place in the Illinois legislature – "I am mad as hell and not going to take it anymore." I wish I could report that things have improved. We all know that couldn‘t be further from the truth. The movie, "Ground hog Day," further describes the current status of the Illinois legislature – locked in time, every day a repeat of the previous, deeper in debt, failing to meet their financial obligations, no budget, and no plan. The governor and legislators are interested in only one thing – getting re-elected. There is an exception, the 17 legislators who voted against pension reform, including Careen Gordon, the only legislator in JJC District 525 who voted against pension reform. Pension reform is a devastating two-tier pension system which becomes effective for new employees hired January 1, 2011 or after. Pension reform took 10½ hours to sail through the Illinois legislature and includes:

The "final rate of earnings" for SURS employees will be based on the highest consecutive 8 years out of the last 10 years of service. Currently it is based on the highest 4 years of service.