Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees
APSAR PRESIDENT'S 2009 REPORT
This document is the fourth report the Association is submitting to the 1st PSAC National Board of Directors meeting each year. You will notice that, in 2009, the Association extended its mandate, the first goal of which was to group together all the RETIRED former PSAC members in a single Association where they could promote their rights and claim the benefits negotiated and agreed upon by their former union, once they have left their job.
The Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees has also intensified its consultative mission with more than 750 members, with whom it directly discussed their retirement conditions and their relationship with their former union. The Association also spoke with some 800 members, still active, who are between the ages of 55 and 65, across the country.
An enormous task, the results of which have not yet been totally assessed, but where a FIRST BRIEF was produced and sent to the National Senate committee on seniors.
The Association also held its 3rd Triennial National Convention in Ottawa; a short summary is included in this report. In 2009, the results of the election of a new National Council, the factors concerning the Constitution of the organization, the Regulations, the policy resolutions, the orientation and the funding methods of the Association were all assessed and adopted by the members in attendance at that 3rd Convention.
All the Association standards and structures were established and developed, based on the PSAC structure, for the simple reason that all former PSAC members can recognize and identify themselves in a union environment that has served them for several years.
This structure starts with:
: the 17 Components listed in article 8 of the PSAC Constitution;
: the 7 PSAC executive regions;
: all the Components' Locals in the PSAC structure;
: all the regional Councils in the PSAC structure;
: finally, all the appointed committees under the regional PSAC structures:
THE IMPORTANCE of the participation and the cooperation of the 17 PSAC COMPONENTS and the 7 major Executive Regions, is capital to the promotion and the emancipation of an Association, whose primary objective is to unite all retired former PSAC members in an Organization able to defend their interests and inform future retirees of the benefits of their pension fund.
It is totally abnormal and inconceivable for the Association to intervene in order to recover more than 8.4 million dollars in supplementary death benefits for the beneficiaries of former PSAC members deceased in 2009.
It is totally unusual that 98.2% of PSAC active members, do not know, in 2009, what is the percentage of their contribution to their pension plan, which has literally doubled since 2004, and this without any additional compensation.
The Association believes the $20.00 per year contribution, to show the partnership of one COMPONENT with an Organization that highly concerns them in an effort to maintain a relationship between all the PSAC members, that's an investment in all the interventions and future plans of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Is there a PSAC Union or an Executive Region that cannot afford this payment of $20.00 per year to build a better future for former PSAC members who are retired?
There are 10 PSAC unions and 3 executive regions that are currently partners in the development of the Association of Public Service Alliance Retirees; hopefully, the other Unions, Regions and all the Locals in the PSAC structure will join this great project in 2010.
I wish to close my report by expressing my sincere gratitude to the National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Mr. John Gordon, and thank him for his encouragement and his enthusiasm towards the Association's activities. His attendance at the 3rd triennial national Convention, and his direct involvement before the members, by outlining the interests of PSAC against all the negative reforms of the current government towards retired former PSAC members, have raised the level of confidence and determination for the implementation of a retirees Association.
The future looms very difficult for all retired former workers. The reforms and the changes to the public sector pension plans will be nasty and without compassion. This government will want to make workers – who will never benefit - pay for the bad management of our pension plans. It is high time for us to work together.
Thank you for your attention.
Michel Chevalier
National President
Date Modified : 2010/08/09
