Coalition of Oak Ridge Retired Employees (CORRE)

Annual Member Meeting, November 7, 2025

Agenda

• Call to Order and Welcome - Dave Whitehead, President
• Recognition of Guests - Dave Whitehead, President
• Nominating Committee Report - Paul Franco, Nominations Chair
• Election of 2026 Board of Directors - Dave Whitehead, President
• Treasurer’s Report - Lester Petrie, Treasurer
• Report to CORRE Membership - Dave Whitehead, President
• Questions and Comments - Dave Whitehead, President
• Door Prizes Drawing - Teresa Riggs, Secretary
• Adjournment - Dave Whitehead, President

Recognition of Guests - Dave Whitehead, President

Questions:

• Please hold your questions during the meeting. At the end of the agenda, we will take questions from the room and from those attending virtually (Webex chat box).

Nominating Committee Report - Paul Franco, Nominations Chair

Nominating Committee

• Paul Franco (Chair)
• Barry Burton
• Wayne Bolinger
• George McRae
• Teresa Riggs
• John Steward
• Paul Wasilko

Proposed CORRE Officers for 2026

Executive Committee

• President - Dave Whitehead
• Vice-President - Paul Franco *
• Vice-President - Luther Gibson
• Vice-President - Paul Wasilko
• Secretary - Tony Angelelli
• Lester Petrie - Treasurer
• Communications Director - Sam McSpadden
• Immediate Past-President - Bob Hightower

Note: * New to Executive Committee for 2026

Proposed CORRE Board Members for 2026

• Barry Burton
• Chuck Estes *
• Skip Hanline *
• Ross Harding
• Jama Hill *
• Nick Jessen
• Ken Keith *
• Greg Livengood
• Beverly Lomax *
• George McRae
• Ron Milligan *
• Terry Payne *
• Mike Shelton
• Sheila Thornton*

Note: * New Board Members for 2026

Proposed CORRE Board Members 2026

• Barry Burton
• Chuck Estes
• Skip Hanline
• Ross Harding
• Jama Hill
• Nick Jessen
• Ken Keith
• Greg Livengood
• Beverly Lomax
• George McRae
• Ron Milligan
• Terry Payne
• Mike Shelton
• Sheila Thornton

Members Leaving the Board: Thank You for Your Service!

• Lydia Birk
• Wayne Bolinger
• Tony Chilcoat
• Shirley Cox
• Richard Green
• Judy Kibbe
• Teresa Riggs
• John Steward

Election of 2026 Board of Directors - Dave Whitehead, President

2026 Board of Directors Slate

• President Dave Whitehead
• Vice-President Paul Franco
• Vice-President Luther Gibson
• Vice-President Paul Wasilko
• Secretary Tony Angelelli
• Treasurer Lester Petrie
• Communications Director Sam McSpadden
• Immediate Past-President Bob Hightower

Board Members:

• Barry Burton
• Chuck Estes
• Skip Hanline
• Ross Harding
• Jama Hill
• Nick Jessen
• Ken Keith
• Greg Livengood
• Beverly Lomax
• George McRae
• Ron Milligan
• Terry Payne
• Mike Shelton
• Sheila Thornton

Treasurer’s Report - Lester Petrie, Treasurer

Report to CORRE Membership - Dave Whitehead, President

CORRE concentrated our efforts during the past year in the following areas:

• Held our annual meetings with the (4) Oak Ridge contractors to discuss topics of retiree interest.
• Reviewed all Pension Plan Annual Funding Notices and discussed them in the contractor meetings.
• Monitored DOE Contractor Contract Awards for retiree benefit content.
• Continued updating the evolving CORRE web site content: mycorre.org
• Updated our Presentation/Information Package delivered to our two Tennessee U. S. House of Representatives (Burchett and Fleischmann) and our two Tennessee U. S. Senators (Blackburn and Hagerty) -- requesting legislative corrective action for Oak Ridge DOE Contractor retirees in the following five areas:
  1. One-Time Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to correct pension payment inflation losses incurred since 1998.
  2. Mandate future year annual pension payment COLAs to be the same each year as received by DOE Federal retirees.
  3. Extend the 2% flat rate reduction to obtain the Surviving Spouse Option to all Oak Ridge contractor retirees.
  4. Reinstate lost health care benefits to a small group of Proforce retiree spouses.
  5. Provide full funding (100% of liabilities) to DOE’s Oak Ridge contractor retiree pension fund obligation within 5 years.

Our meetings with the DOE contractors centered on the following subjects:

• 50/50 cost split commitment on retiree healthcare insurance premium costs between the contractor and retirees.
• Surviving spouse option cost inequity (10% VS 2%).
• Health care benefit loss for Proforce spouses.
• Pension plan funding status and plans to improve/achieve full funding.
• Maintaining updated Summary Plan Descriptions of retiree benefits and posting them on contractor websites.
• Simplification of contractor web sites concerning retiree benefit information.
• Data request: number of retirees by zip code (congressional district residence).

Retirees Receiving Pension by TN Congressional District as of Plan Year 2024

Annual Funding Notice Data -- Plan Year 2024 Participants in Pension Plans

Annual Funding Notice Data -- Plan Year 2024 Net Assets and Liabilities

Background Information

Provided Periodically to: Tennessee U. S. Representatives and Tennessee U. S. Senators

Oak Ridge DOE Contractor Retired Workers are Suffering from Lack of Inflation Adjustments to Pension Payments

• According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator, $1.00 in April 1998 now needs to be $2.00 as of September 2025.
• Cost of Living Increases in Related Retirement Plans Since 1998
• 95% for Federal Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) as of September 2025
• 75% for Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) as of September 2025
• For Reference, Cost of Living Increases for Oak Ridge DOE Contractor Retirement Plans Since 1998 is 0.0%.
• This difference between retired Federal and Contractor worker cost of living increases is not just and does not honor the service of Contractor retirees to the nation.

Relevant Historical Inflation & COLAs, 1998 – 2025

Cumulative Inflation & COLAs, April 1998 - September 2025

Increase in Price of Items (Age 62 & Over Buy), April 1998 - September 2025

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Research Consumer Price Index for the Elderly

DOE Retired Workers Have Major Impact on Local Economies

Oak Ridge Contractor Retired Worker pension disbursement benefits local economies.

FY2020 Economic Impact in Tennessee:

• $294,488,293 direct
• $110,492,008 indirect & multiplier effect
• $404,980,301 Direct + Indirect Total
• 2,739 jobs created

Source: East Tennessee Economic Council & Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, U.S. Department of Energy FY 2020 Economic Impact in Tennessee Report.

August 20, 2025 Meeting with Representative Fleischmann

Representative Fleischmann and several of his staff members attended our August CORRE Board of Directors Meeting. We gave him a letter from CORRE asking for DOE to:

1. Grant a 2.5% COLA in 2025 for all retirees receiving a pension.
2. Require future year annual COLAs to be the same as those received by DOE Federal retirees.

He agreed to Contact Secretary of Energy Wright and ask DOE to determine the cost and how to implement our request. We are currently awaiting a response.

In Conclusion:

CORRE Continues to Advocate for Retiree Benefits:

• Working with DOE/NNSA and their Oak Ridge Contractors to protect our basic member benefits – pension payments and supplemental health insurance coverage.
• Requesting correction of inequities and injustices within or between the four Oak Ridge retiree benefit programs.
• Maintaining communication with other retiree organizations within the DOE Complex to look for opportunities to collaborate on resolution of inequities.
• Working with our congressional delegation* to provide DOE with adequate funding and Legislative Branch support for our retiree needs.

* You can help in this effort too by individually contacting your representatives. They do listen to their constituents:

• CORRE Needs Your Help

Questions and Comments - Dave Whitehead, President

• Today
• Going Forward: https://www.mycorre.org/contact

Door Prizes Drawing - Teresa Riggs, Secretary

Adjournment - Dave Whitehead, President

Thanks for your attendance

Stop by the tables in the lobby for individual specific questions or help.