ERIC Celebrates 50 Years
The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) will mark its 50th anniversary during its annual spring conference in Washington, DC this week.
“As we celebrate 50 years, we reflect on a half-century of advancing health and retirement benefits that position both workers and employers to meet America’s critical workforce challenges and strengthen America’s competitiveness,” said ERIC President and CEO James Gelfand. “From mental health parity to pharmacy benefit manager reform, from the Pension Protection Act to SECURE 2.0, and from joining amicus briefs to leading precedent-setting cases in the courts, ERIC has been at the forefront of change for large employers. It’s a privilege we take seriously, and we are grateful for the trust our member companies put into this organization. As ERIC marks 50 years, we are energized to lead the next chapter, crafting policy solutions that equip America’s employers with the tools to attract, retain, and empower the workforce that will drive our nation forward.”
ERIC was established in 1976, just two years after President Gerald Ford signed the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) into law. Its mission was to advocate for policies on health, retirement, paid leave, and compensation, with the primary goal of preserving national uniformity under ERISA.
In 1983, the organization decided to hire Mark Ugoretz as ERIC’s first president and CEO. The installation of a permanent executive at the helm of ERIC was a direct response to the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), which significantly affected large employers and benefits policy.
Some changes were less workforce-specific, like the launch of ERIC’s first website in 1997. Others marked major shifts, such as the launch of the ERIC Legal Center. Created in 2021, the ERIC Legal Center is the advocate for large employers on legal matters affecting health, retirement, paid leave, and other benefits. It has led litigation efforts to preserve ERISA preemption, fight state mandates, and intervene in matters affecting the design and administration of employee benefit plans under ERISA.