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Pataki vetoes bill to protect retirees’ health insurance
Gov. George Pataki has vetoed legislation that would have provided substantial protection for our health insurance benefits.
State Senate bill 5758 would have prohibited the state and its local government employers from reducing health insurance benefits for retirees and dependents or reducing their employer premium contributions unless a corresponding change was made for active employees.
Many PEF members and retirees lobbied hard for this bill, which passed both houses of the state Legislature.
Although Pataki has said he is not running for re-election as governor, he may have other political aspirations. If he does, we should “remember in November.”
The PEF Retirees Executive Board will attend the 27th PEF Convention in Rochester in September and will meet with the Rochester chapter retirees on September 21.
We hope PEF delegates take our presence at the convention as a sign of support, unity and encouragement.
Our report stresses that our focus is to organize and mobilize our 10,000 active PEF Retiree members as true advocates of the labor and senior agenda.
We commend PEF activists for their work on the “Go Public” campaign, stating: “Your fight against waste in government is key to the fiscal health of the state. And, of course, a healthy state economy makes the PEF Retirees’ job easier as we pursue an enhanced COLA, guard our pension system and protect our health insurance benefits.”
We also cite our contributions to PEF during the past year, reminding them we were there for the Go Public, nurses’ and Labor Department demonstrations. We’ve supported PEF-endorsed political candidates — working on campaigns and phone banks. We’ve generated thousands of letters promoting union and senior issues, sent letters to local newspapers, spoken at rallies and conferences and have been interviewed on radio and TV advocating the union’s message.”
We express our desire to be an integral part of the PEF family and say we “are encouraged by the great support we have received from PEF President Roger Benson. We also appreciate the concerns that have been raised at the PEF Executive Board directed towards strengthening a greater working relationship with the PEF Retirees. We hope that every PEF region will consider us an asset and include us in their programs and activities.
“We view PEF Retirees to be an extraordinary asset to a strong, future PEF. As our union grows older, more and more of you will join the ranks of the retired. And, just as you’ve worked to protect our rights as active employees, we are hopeful you will transition this energy and commitment to the PEF Retirees.
“The PEF Retirees consider this period a critical era for the elderly and the senior movement. As seniors, we have witnessed an assault on Medicare and our health insurance benefits and we are now engaged in a monumental battle to preserve Social Security. It’s appalling to hear how many unfortunate elderly have lost their pensions and other promised benefits. We view these actions as disturbing and a callused disregard for the aged in our society.”
Our annual report concludes with a call for unity:
“The recent fractures we have seen within the AFL-CIO are another cause for great alarm. As our nation’s unionized workforce shrinks, we worry about the future of working people and older Americans. There is no greater time for unity among all union-minded brothers and sisters than right now. So, as you debate, deliberate, consider and act during your 27th Convention, we urge you to remember: Together all things are possible.”
The
Communicator September 05
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