Alliance for Worker Retirement Security

The Alliance for Worker Retirement Security (AWRS) is a business coalition that pushes for the Bush administration's effort to privatize Social Security. Derrick Max serves as the group's executive director. Max also fills the role of executive director of the Coalition for the Modernization and Protection of America's Social Security, which has many of the same member organizations as the Alliance.

According to its website, the Alliance is "a coalition initiated by the National Association of Manufacturers to educate and lobby for the creation of personal retirement accounts within Social Security reform. The coalition has more than 30 member organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Association of the Self-Employed, the National Association of Women Business Owners, United Seniors Association, the Hispanic Business Roundtable, and America's Black Political Action Committee.[1]

According to the New York Times, the Alliance for Worker Retirement Security was founded by Leanne Abdnor "in the late 1990's at the behest of the National Association of Manufacturers" and "now includes powerful industry lobbying groups." The Alliance is closely tied to the White House. Abdnor was succeeded at the Alliance by Chuck Blahous, who left the Alliance to become Bush's special assistant on Social Security and a chief architect of Bush's Social Security policy at the National Economic Council.

AWRS Speakers Bureau

• Derrick Max
• Gary Fazzino, Director of Federal Public Policy for Hewlett-Packard Company
• Jennifer Dunn, Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives (retired)

Contact Information

Alliance for Worker Retirement Security
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC 20004-1290
Phone: (202) 637-3453
Fax: (202) 637-3182
Website: http://www.retiresecure.org/

Related SourceWatch Resources

• Leanne Abdnor
• Chuck Blahous
• Derrick Max
• Cato Institute
• Business Roundtable
• National Association of Manufacturers
• U.S. Social Security
• U.S. Social Security Administration
• U.S. Social Security privatization

External links

• Edmund L. Andrews, "Clamor Grows in the Privatization Debate," New York Times, December 17, 2004. Note: This article incorrectly spells Charles, or Chuck, Blahous' name as Blauhaus.
• "Companies to Spend Over $5 Mln to Back Bush on Social Security", Bloomberg, January 20, 2005.
• Bennett Roth, "Social Security lobbying war is on: Costly, partisan bid seen as Part 2 of 2004 election," Houston Chronicle, February 14, 2005.