|
|
|
|
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) On October 6, Joyce Hermanstorfer, President of Eastern Iowa Retired Members Chapter, and Erma Wiszmann, Past President of Local 7117 and member of Eastern Iowa Retirees attend Quad City Federation of Labor's Rally for Health Care Reform "Public Support for the Public Option".
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) Midge Slater, Retired CWA Representative, now Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans Field Mobilizer, Barbara Easterling, Retired CWA International Secretary Treasurer. now President of Alliance for Retired Americans, and Joyce Hermanstorfer, President of CWA Eastern Iowa Retirees and a Regional Board Member of Alliance for Retired Americans. All met on August 27th at the Iowa Federation of Labor Convention where Barbara Easterling gave a rousing speech on Health Care Reform on behalf of the ARA.
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) In Waterloo, IA on April 16th, CWA Eastern Iowa Retirees Local 70901 write letters to their Senator regarding the rising cost of health care.
Standing Steve Abbott - President Local 7108 is facilitating CWA's Health Care Campaign.
Pictured is Steve Abbott discussing the Health Care Crisis with CWA Eastern Iowa Retiree in Dubuque on April 21st. Steve explains why it is so important for us to write letters to our Congressmen and Senators.
CWA Eastern Iowa Retirees in Cedar Rapids continue CWA's Health Care Campaign.
Back row
is Steve Abbott coordinator for CWA's Health
Care Campaign.
In Solidarity,
(Submitted by Judy Fries, Retiree Chapter) Rochester CWA retirees came to help at 8 am when it was minus 7 degrees to load 2 semi trailers of furniture to be shipped to Cedar Rapids, IA for people affected by the flood.
Left to right: This picture of the Hy Vee truck is CWA retirees from Cedar Rapids and friends to help unload the 2 semi trailers from Rochester, MN.
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) CWA Eastern Iowa Retirees Chapter 70901 affiliated with Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans met today, March 22, 2009, with 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack to discuss Reforming Health Care, Cost of Medicare and Prescription Drugs as well as preserving Social Security for future generations.
(Pictured third from the right is Congressman Dave Loebsack, to his left, Joyce Hermanstorfer, President RMC 70901 and Iowa Alliance 2nd Congressional District Executive Board Member.)
In Unity, (Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) Attached is a picture of Eastern Iowa Retirees on the Community Service Committee in Waterloo who are volunteering and will be in participating with the Blackhawk Union Council, Machinist Retirees and United Auto Workers along with United Way in Share Iowa. Share Iowa works, helps, and shares together with buying food for less.
(Pictured
from left to right CWA retirees Gene Brown,
Linda Brown, United Way liaison to the Union
Council John Padget, and CWA retiree Gene Van
Gorder.)
In Unity,
As expected, our Health Benefit Coordinators, Carla Floyd and Sean Morrow, are currently handling over 100 calls and emails from retirees with questions and getting back to them as quickly as they can. Most of these are questions and don't need action but people are very confused and worried their health care will be cancelled. There will be no cancellations or any other action unless their premiums are not paid by January 31, 2009 so none of them are in danger of losing their benefits. Attached are the forms that was in the packet that should have been sent to all occupational retirees regarding premium payment options. All Attachments are in Acrobat
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) Judy Fries, Vice President District 7 to the Retired Members Council, updates CWA Eastern Iowa Retirees Chapter on the tentative contractual agreement between CWA and Qwest at CWA 70901's Business Meeting on October 18, 2008.
Question asked and Answers were given. Thank you Judy for keeping us informed! CWA - RMC 70901 Retiree Honored Below is Bob Soesbe, Iowa's Labor Hall of Fame!
(Submitted by Alison Grovo, Iowa Area Office) Local 7101 President Joie Welsh presents Iowa 2nd District Congressman Dave Loebsack with CWA COPE check.
Attending presentation from left to right are Mike Welsh Local 7101 member, Joyce Hermanstorfer President of Eastern Iowa Retiree Chapter 70901, Congressman Dave Loebsack, President Joie Welsh Local 7101 and Judy Fries District 7 Vice President to Retired Members' Council Executive Board.
From Annie Hill, Previous Vice President: At the beginning of the year, over 128,000 CWA retirees who were not CWA Local Retiree chapter members were sent a letter and brochure announcing the new Lifetime Council membership program and inviting them to sign up. It’s easy for retirees to join –they can go to the Council’s website www.CWAretirees.com and join on-line. I would also like to echo this invitation. I would also encourage you to join and participate in your Local’s Retiree Chapter. The purpose of a CWA Retired Members' Chapter is to bring retirees into an organization for the betterment of themselves and their Union. Chapters provide retirees with a vehicle to protect and fight for the issues that affect them as retirees and family members. Through the CWA retiree chapters, our members are able to speak out with a united voice. The establishment of the chapter also provides advantages for the sponsoring Local. The chapter provides a wealth of experienced, knowledgeable and available members for picket lines, rallies, organizing and legislative activities. All retirees who were members in good standing of CWA or its merger-partner unions at the time of their retirement and who are Life Time Members of the CWA Retiree Members Council are eligible to join the chapter, regardless of their home local.Spouses of these retirees are eligible to join as "associate members” of the Retired Members' Chapter and enjoy all privileges except voting. Some of the advantages of being a member and participating in your Local’s retiree chapter include: A. To Unite CWA retired members in a cohesive organization that can, in conjunction with the CWA Retired Members Council, other unions, church, and community groups, develop effective support for programs on federal, state-wide, and community levels to bring a better life for older people. B. To foster fraternal ties of CWA members into the years of retirement. C. To assist retired members secure housing, medical care, drugs and other consumer goods and services at prices they can afford to pay. D. To inform retired members about useful, social and recreational opportunities. E. To keep CWA informed on any special problems of our retired members. F. To keep retired members informed of CWA programs, policies, and objectives. G. To promote active support of retired members for CWA objectives. H. To affiliate with the Alliance of retired Americans. In CWA District 7 we have established a District 7 Retiree Committee. This committee provides a direct link to CWA District 7 on issues and concerns of our CWA retirees. The District 7 Retiree Committee is responsible for developing plans and programs to establish Local Retiree Chapters in Locals and areas where there is an interest from retirees, as well as recruit volunteers to actively participate in Local chapters and other activities that may be determined as necessary to maintain the lifestyle each retiree expected when they retired. CWA District 7 has also added this retiree page to our CWA District 7 web site. While this page is still new and a work in progress we hope to provide information of interest to our CWA retirees. The following are the names and contact numbers for our CWA District 7 Retiree Committee: Keith Peters, Local 7019 I have attached to this correspondence a
section for you to indicate your desire to participate in your Local chapter.
Once we have received your information, I will forward your information to the
appropriate Local chapter or Local to contact you and invite you to the next
meeting. (Please
download the letter.)
To help retired members stay connected to CWA, and to harness their energy for protecting key retiree issues -- pensions, health care, Social Security and Medicare -- CWA is now offering a special Lifetime Membership in the Retired Members' Council for a one-time payment of $25. "We must do a better job of realizing the tremendous potential that CWA retirees can play in our employer and legislative campaigns to maintain and protect the hard-won benefits we all count on when we retire," said CWA's national officers in announcing the program to locals. The Executive Board created the lifetime Council memberships in response to CWA's Ready for the Future convention resolution calling for doubling the number of Council members to 50,000 by 2009. Previously Council membership required payment of annual fees. Under the program, the 20,000 current members of CWA local retiree chapters will automatically be enrolled in the program. CWA last week mailed a brochure and application form to 128,000 retirees who don't now belong to local chapters outlining the new program. To become lifetime members of the Council, retirees can either return the form with a check or credit card information or else join directly online at a new website -- www.cwaretirees.com . On the website, retirees will find information about the activities of the Retired Members' Council as well as money-saving discount programs available to Council members through the CWA Union Privilege program. In Addition, the CWA/Qwest Health Benefits Coordinators are available to assist the Locals, Members and Retirees with any health care problem or issue:
Do not hesitate to use the HBC's if you need assistance.
|
|
|
.JPG)
Format.
.jpg)
CWA WORKING TOGETHER FOR
WORKING FAMILIES
