By-Laws 2010

IOWA APWU Retirees Chapter

COME JOIN THE FUN….

APWU FALL RETIREE MEETING

President     Barb VerSteegh - b.versteegh@msn.com

Vice-President     George Bates
Secretary-Treasurer    Karen Alexander
Sergeant-At-Arms       Carol Tyler
Trustees                    Lloyd Weems, Ralph Crowell, Harold Noland

May 2010 Report

 October 2009 Report

RETIREE CORNER

            The convention is over and it was quite interesting.  First of all the temps were hot, the machines were cold and Las Vegas is VERY expensive so it wasn’t all fun.

            The retiree conference was put together very well by Director Judy Beard.  While other crafts got out early we were there until the last minute.  Just goes to show that we do have a lot of things to cover even though we are retired.  Director Beard covered several new things that will be available to chapter presidents.  We will be able to download our membership on the computer.  This will help us track our members and note when someone drops membership.  Judy also wants to start having retiree workshops at state conventions.  We will look into that for next year’s state convention.

            In the future retirees will belong to the chapter in the local they retired from not the area where they live.  I’m not sure this is a good thing.  It could have an impact on our chapter and the retiree.  Just a few examples are does the retiree who moves to a sunnier climate not have the right to participate in a retiree chapter in that area that he/she moved to?  Also in our case what happens to the members we have from the BMC who does not have a chapter?  These are questions that I am waiting to hear from Director Beard.

            There was a lot of discussion on political issues at the convention and as you probably know by now, the delegates voted to endorse Senator Barrack Obama for President.  For retirees there are several good reasons for this endorsement.  McCain says the funding of Social Security is a disgrace but Obama is opposed to privatization or higher funding by the lower and middle class people.  Obama also co-sponsored the repeal of the WEP and GPO.  McCain did not.  Obama supports tax credit for long term care and assistance for elderly to avoid nursing homes.  McCain wants to tax our health care coverage including the portion paid by the government.  Just a few things pointed out to us at the retiree conference.

            Also announced at our meeting was that our National Union is willing to pay retirees $75.00 per day for every day that they work for the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 campaign.  You must have contributed to APWU COPA to be eligible for this payment.  That contribution must be recorded at the national level.  If you are interested please contact me so I can submit your name for payment.

            The conference was also addressed by NARFE Director of Retirement Benefits Services, David Snell.   He did a very interesting presentation regarding Medicare, our federal health benefits and the drug program.  He also discussed the impact of WEP and GPO on our members and their spouses especially surviving spouses when our member passes away.

            In our meetings we also had discussions on workshop ideas for retiree meetings.  I wrote down as many as I could and will be looking into having some of these workshops at our future meetings.

            All in all the conference and convention was very productive but I had forgotten how frustrating they can be.  Many a time some of the resolutions were upsetting but I have to thank the Iowa delegates because when it came to retiree resolutions they asked for my opinion and voted the way I requested.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.  Also thank you to our chapter for sending me

Barb Versteegh

Retiree Fall Meeting Minutes

September 9^th, 2008

Minutes from the APWU Retiree’s Meeting September 9, 2008

The semi-annual retiree’s meeting was held at the APWU hall on September 9, 2008. Twenty-eight members/spouses attended.

Socializing began at 10 a.m.

Stan & Elizabeth from IPTV gave a presentation on HD Conversion, which will be complete midnight February 18, 2009. Each channel has a number of channels, i.e. 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 13.1, 13.2 & so on. All converter boxes will have a remote. You have to have the remote for the converter box. There is an EPG button (Electronic Program Guide) on the remote.

There is no difference between an analog or HD antenna. Smart antenna’s interface with the converter box. They only work in town.

For more information on the digital transition, visit www.iptv.org or call 800-532-1290.

The meeting was called to order at 11:00 by President Barb Versteegh with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The minutes of the last meeting and treasurer’s report were read and approved.

Leon Morlan was not present. Therefore, there was no safety report.

Barb VerSteegh’s Report:

APWU Picnic will be on September 20, 2008. All retirees are invited. Barb will have a convention report in the next issue of the paper. Access the following website for Retiree issues, www.apwuiowa.com.

Resolutions voted on at the National Convention:

• Allow spouses of retirees to have full membership rights after paying the $24 a year dues failed to pass.
• Another resolution failed that would have required the national union to pay elected retiree delegates to conventions at the pay rate they had when they retired.
• A resolution passed that will raise the retiree dues by $1.00 per month with this dollar to be returned to the local retiree chapter. This resolution failed at the retiree meeting but passed at the full convention although all Iowa delegates at the convention voted no.

Barb is trying to get the $1.00 increase waived for our chapter.

Barb reported that there are two new programs through the Voluntary Benefits Program that are provided to retiree members free of charge. They are an Identity Theft Protection and Concierge Services. Also provided to retiree members is $1500 Accidental Death Coverage.

All Retirees are invited to the September 17^th Union meeting. Betty Brim-Hunter will give a presentation on the AFL-CIO Labor 2008 Campaign. The National Union will pay retirees $50 - $75 per day to work it. You must have contributed to APWU COPA to qualify for this pay.

Access www.apwu.org to see if your COPA contributions have been recorded.

Absentee Ballots for those who live in Polk County, give them to Robin Arnold and she will deliver them.

Robin Arnold spoke on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)

Old Business:

Bill Cram, Vice President, spoke about checking your health plan for nursing home coverage or supplemental coverage.

Bill stated he is not a candidate for re-election of any offices.

Harold Nolan made a motion to give the ladies who helped with the Retiree Luncheons, $400 worth of gift certificates. Motion passed.

Harold Nolan made a motion that Jon Arnold, Secretary Treasurer, will get the door prizes for the Retiree Luncheons. Motion passed.

Harold Nolan made a motion to thank Jon Arnold for his help with the Retirees by purchasing a $50 gift card to a restaurant, (for each meeting). Motion passed.

Election of Officers:

: Barbara VerSteegh

President

August 17, 2010

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