Recently, Bill Archer, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Clay Shaw, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, released a plan for using the federal budget surplus to create a system of private individual accounts that could, in effect, replace Social Security.

The plan is complicated, deceptive and treacherous, and must be stopped in its tracks. At the same time there are reports that congressional leaders may abandon any genuine effort to strengthen Social Security this year. Neither privatization nor delay in strengthening Social Security is acceptable to BMWE members.

In a recent flyer, the AFL-CIO asks the question, "Who wants to strengthen Social Security for working families -- and who's just playing politics?

"President Clinton proposes using most of the projected budget surplus for Social Security. His plan would invest $2.7 trillion in Social Security to continue its guaranteed, lifelong retirement, disability and survivors' benefits. The president also wants to use part of the surplus to shore up Medicare.

"Republican leaders in Congress say they want to lock the surplus in a 'deposit box.' They claim their plan would save Social Security and Medicare -- but the truth is, the Republican plan would not add one penny or one day of solvency to either program."

The AFL-CIO, including the BMWE, urge you to contact your representatives in Congress and tell them Social Security's guaranteed, lifelong family protection benefits are too important for playing politics. Ask them to support President Clinton's standard for strengthening Social Security, and to reject the Republicans unsafe deposit box scheme, whether it be the Archer-Shaw proposal or any other version. The U. S. Capitol switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121.