November 2015 Retiree Chair Report
by Barbara Abrams
On December 4th, we will be sending a bus to the Ontario Regional Council which used to be CAW Council. We will be having a nice lunch at the Sheraton Center and be addressed by Jerry Dias, National President of Unifor. After his address, we will be marching through the conference with our banners and flags. At this Council, the NEB members and Bargaining Committee’s will be in attendance along with about 1,000 delegates. We have to have our voices heard before next year’s set of negotiations. PCOLA is an important benefit that we gave up and want it back. We have to let them know not to forget the retirees in this set of negotiations. I know that when we were CAW, we were not forgotten at negotiations. Since the recession in 2008, we have had to sit back and have had to have some of our benefits reduced. We do not want this as GM, Ford and Chrysler are making millions of dollars and it is time to give back. Please sign up for this bus trip. We have 38 names now and want to fill the bus. I have a 56 seat bus and if I have too, I will order another bus. The bus will leave the hall at 9:30 a.m. and leave Toronto at 3:00 p.m. This will be all inside the Sheraton hotel so you will not have to be outside at all. Don’t sit back and let someone else do the fighting for you. We are all in the same boat and have to have our voices heard. Sign Up.
As of Monday, we had a recreation committee meeting and of today, we do not have a Recreation Executive. The convenors will continue to have the functions that they are in charge of.
We have not had any dances or functions that we used to have once a month. If you are interested in joining the Recreation Committee, please let me know. I know that all the functions have seen a decline in the last year. We have had several hundred new retirees come out and say that they are going to get involved, but do not come back down to the hall. The convenors of the functions are doing a great job but we need help to run a dinner dance etc.
I’d like to thank Gordon Graham for coming down today to give us an update on the “Health Care Trust Fund”. I did reach out to Joanne Hannah but she is at the NEB meetings in Port Elgin. Joanne will be retiring soon and we have a new Pension and Benefit Rep. who I will be in contact with to come to our meeting in the future.
My heart goes out to the people of France for the devastation that they are enduring right now with the Terror Attacks that happened last Friday. ISIS is threatening to retaliate again if they are retaliated against. This has to stop, these barbaric actions that ISIS is responsible for, (129) lives taken for no reason. These people should be caught and held responsible for what devastation that they have caused. I would like to write down how I really feel but will get into trouble if I do.
On a lighter note, we came down yesterday and put up the mitten tree and the Christmas tree, yes, I said Christmas not Xmas. Please think of the less fortunate at Christmas time and bring an unwrapped toy for Community Care even though we will not have a Christmas Party. We are also collecting non-perishable food items. We have had the bins up now for over a month and have collected very little. If everyone that comes to the December meeting brings in one tin, we could have them overflowing. One tin is not too much to ask. Please think of the people that do not have a lot.
The mitten tree is usually full with mittens, hats, scarves, sock pj bottoms. Please, we can do something for the less fortunate.
If anyone has any ideas as to how we can improve the Recreation Committee and are willing to help, please contact one of the convenors or the executive. Please don’t wait to be asked but volunteer.
Barbara Abrams