On June 24, 2002, final documents were signed to complete the merger between the Utah Public Employees’ Association (UPEA) and the Utah Association of Retired Public Employees (UARPE). The merger, which was several years in the making, added about 3,000 members to UPEA, bolstering and diversifying membership. 
UPEA’s executive director at the time, Frederick Van Der Veur, welcomed the retirees and noted that the Legislative Committee would immediately work to include legislative agenda items that address retiree issues and concerns.
Retiree involvement has been influential to UPEA’s lobbying packages since then, resulting in successful campaigns to expand retirement benefits for state employees. Current Executive Director Todd Losser wants actively employed and retired members to know that “it’s important to continue to have your voice heard after retirement. UPEA monitors all legislation for public employees, including bills that affect retirement. A few years ago, a local municipality wanted to take away retirement benefits due to budget constraints. Only UPEA fought for those retirees, protecting their benefits.”
Retirees are also a valuable resource for recruitment and passing on UPEA expertise to future generations of members and staff. UPEA membership will continue after your retirement but dues drop to $5 a month, automatically deducted from your monthly URS payment. If you have questions about your UPEA membership post-retirement, give your representative a call at 801-264-8732.
Thank you to all of our retirees who continue to support the Association!