RETIREE CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Well, the summer is all but over! And so is the three-year term for the Executive of the Retired Workers Chapter as it concludes in October. Speaking for myself, the last three years has gone by fast. I have had a good time working with the other executive members. They are great to be with and to work with. If I am elected for another three-year term, I hope it will be as good a time as the last three years have been and that I continue to have as much fun running the meetings of the chapter. The present Retired Workers Executive Board Members have said they are all running for another three years. The nomination box for the elections is open and will close on October 1st, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. sharp.
The meetings in Port Elgin from September 1st to September 6th, 2019 of the “National Retired Workers Council” took place. The resolutions we sent were passed unanimously at the meeting. There was a total of (31) resolutions submitted from all over Canada.

I also got elected as a Member-at-Large on “The National Retired Workers Council Executive Board.” I wanted to be on the Board because of the upcoming 2020 auto contract negotiations. Holding this position will allow me to attend meetings where I can talk about what will be needed to help retired workers in the 2020 contracts.

In past years, we had leadership on this board and I think it is good to get someone from Local 199 back on the National Retired Workers Executive Board. I would like to thank the delegates you sent from Local 199 and Local 199 President, Greg Brady for their support in the election. Following the election, I am going to see what the newly elected Local 199 Retired Workers Executive Board will layout in regards to improvements for the next three years. I think it’s important to always think about the future of our “Retirees Centre” of Local 199 and have the retired workers membership engaged in the process

.
In closing, I want to say that what is happening with the UAW in the US is a disgrace to the union movement. UAW leadership are being charged with bribery and corruption and most have been convicted as well. This casts a shadow on every union in the world. In addition, the UAW and GM, Ford and AC Chrysler are in contract talks while this is going on. It is likely going to make for bad agreements and ratifying any agreements will be hard because the union membership will not have any trust in the UAW.

But I should close on an upbeat note. The strikers at the Rainforest Café in Niagara Falls are back to work after a successful 80-day long first contract strike which secured the presence of their union in the workplace. The strikers greatly appreciated all the support they got from the Local 199 retired workers.