A Formula for Success

(This article by Retirees Department Director Judy Beardfirst appeared in the November/December 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

Effective Chapters + More Members = Strength in Numbers to Protect Benefits.

Delegates to the 19th Biennial National Convention adopted the following resolution, which amends Article 3.4.e of the APWU Constitution and Bylaws:

“[To] increase retirees per capita by One ($1) Dollar per month, this increase to be passed on in whole to existing local and state retiree chapters where they now exist or may be organized in the future. Where there are no retiree chapters in existence, the One ($1.00) Dollar increase shall be retained by the Retirees Department in an organizing fund, to be disbursed solely for organizing activities by the Retirees Department.”

Retirees Department dues will be just $36 per year. The additional funding will help our retiree chapters provide more programs, disseminate educational material to members, and carry out their community projects and lobbying efforts at the local and state level.

It will also give the national Retirees Department resources to develop a comprehensive organizing campaign to address issues such as repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset; increasing Medicare benefits and opposing any increase in age eligibility for Medicare and Social Security; lowering the cost of medical coverage while improving the quality of services Medicare provides; and making COLA increases available to all postal retirees.

This modest increase in dues is the first since the department was established in 1994.We need all retirees to join us: The more members we have, the greater chance we have to protect and improve our benefits.

The $1 per month increase will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.

COLA Update

In January, postal and federal retirees, as well as their survivors, will see an increase in their annuity checks, the result of the annual Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA).

The COLA is expected to be approximately 6 percent for CSRS retirees and 5 percent for FERS retirees. (The Consumer Price Index [CPI] had not been released when this article went to press.) For up-to-date information, visit “Pay Information” in the Industrial Relations Department pages.

APWU will continue the fight to secure annual COLA adjustments for all retirees, regardless of age or retirement option (unlike CSRS retirees who receive their COLA every year upon retiring, FERS employees are not eligible for a COLA until they are 62). We also are fighting to ensure that the adjustments accurately reflect the higher rates we pay for groceries, gasoline, electricity, clothes, and medical care, which are among items used to determine the CPI.

Disaster Relief

Many APWU retirees are not aware that the Postal Employees Relief Fund (www.postalrelief.com) is available to them as well as active employees who have been victimized by natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes or house fires. The Fund provides grants, ranging from $1,000 to $14,000, depending on the total amount of qualified loss after insurance and other relief assistance has been received.

Please note: APWU members living in areas impacted by recent hurricanes and who had been participating in the Union Plus Credit Card program for 12 months or more are eligible for $500 Disaster Relief Fund Grants. To apply, call 877-761-5028.