CUSW Retirees Newsletter
INTERIM LETTER
An even dozen made it out to the Retirees meeting / luncheon at the July meeting. Sonny Goldstein was our guest speaker, and spoke of the Options available to “Retired Members” for the Power Sector Benefit Trust (PBST).
I have highlighted “Retired Members”, as you must be registered with the Union / PSBT as retired before you qualify to use the Optional package.
This is how Joe (Mulhall) explained it to me, when I asked about the Retirees mailing list:
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Hi again Archie. Mailing lists are created by category. See Article 4.03.
When we put this in the Constitution last time around we asked the Membership and Work Rules Committee to define the categories so that the members could choose how they would like to participate. The Committee created the Matrix. The category of Retiree was created. The Matrix was distributed and posted on the website.
The confusion arises immediately after a person leaves the workplace. Members that choose to participate as a Retiree must notify the office that they would like to do so. All others that leave the workplace will be notified after 5 months that they are in arrears on their dues and if they do not send in their basic dues that they will go on withdrawal. Most people just don't respond and are placed in the withdrawal category.
It is likely that the number is lower than expected because members leaving the workplace see themselves as retiring and expect that the computer setting will be changed somehow to reflect that. This is not the case. Only the people that have notified the office that they want to be designated as a Retiree would appear on a list of Retirees prepared by the office.
In addition if a member does not select to participate as a Retiree and is placed on withdrawal then they are no longer in Good Standing and are not eligible to participate in Unit elections either. We have been trying to get this message out but with limited success. For most members it does not matter and they don't bother. For others they just don't know.
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So have you notified the Union you are officially retired? Call or email them to be put on the Retirees list and be qualified to partake of the Option Package. Something to note you have to be 65 or older in order to qualify for the Option package.
In previous mailings I have sent out the Matrix, Optional rates, Optional package information, if you need it again please let me know.
Other business discussed was the Retirees place within the Union as per the Constitution / Matrix. One of the questions raised was although we cannot run for position on the National Executive Board (NEB) why are we not allowed to vote? Most of the Retirees were founding members of CUSW and believe that we should be able to vote on who will manage the affairs of our Union. Another question, can a person who is no longer in Good Standing still pay into the PSBT? And yet another, though maybe farfetched would it be possible for someone to join the Union, pay their out of work dues for three months, not go to work, become a participant of PSBT, then notify that they are retiring, then pick up the option package?
If you have a question please forward to me and when I get the answer we can share it with all the retirees.
Since January when Ken and Judy gave up their positions on the NRC it’s been a one man show, although Ken did attend the Trustees committee on the behalf of the Retirees, we have no report as to what took place.
As this is the year when the Committees are formed / appointed we need people to put their names forward to participate, attached is where you get your nomination form, please have your name put forward for consideration for the Retirees Committee.
http://www.cusw.ca/documents/14484/2148108/2014_national_committee_elections.pdf/e70d208b-7e6c-4d5b-ad54-e1ec6b496611
Best Regards
Archie