Right now, the alliance is relying on grant money to subsidize those costs. Anything can happen. Even if the retirement program were to end, however, people who have money invested in it would not lose their assets, plan officials say. Participants could roll their money into another qualified retirement plan without incurring taxes or penalties, they say. It remains unclear whether the pension program will ignite a broader discussion about organizers' wages and working conditions and the role of foundations in improving them.
Many advocates hope it does.
Salary and the basic hardness of the work is also a piece of it. It's a point that resonates with Mr. Taylor, who acknowledges the personal sacrifices that organizing requires. It brings stress and worry. Mr. Rivera, the professor of social work, wonders about that too.