AFL-CIO Leader Visits 848

The principal officer of the Dallas AFL-CIO, Jim McCasland, was our guest speaker at Local 848's Retiree Luncheon on April 14. He had high praise for our local: "You're as active as anybody is. You ought to be proud of what you have done over the years." He complimented the UAW for having good representation at the most recent public action to save Social Security. He pointed out that a large number of organizations came together, and that such teamwork is what it will take to overcome working peoples' problems.

McCasland (pictured with Gene Cates) said that the government's ambition to privatize Social Security is the biggest challenge that union people face at the national level. The Bush Administration constantly asserts that Social Security is going broke, but the AFL-CIO leader said that this story has been prevalent since the 1930s. "Before the first Social Security paycheck was ever paid to anybody, they said it was going broke. In 1978, when George W Bush ran for Congress, he said that Social Security would be broke in 10 years," McCasland said. He added, "If you tell a lie, you tell a big lie, and you tell it often enough, then people start to believe it." However, polls show that the majority of Americans are still against privatizing Social Security. McCasland believes we can win.

At the state level, the AFL-CIO believes that new Workers' Compensation legislation is the most worrisome. "Insurance companies are saying that we shouldn't have the right to go to the doctor of our own choice," McCasland told the retirees. He mentioned that his own doctor has posted a sign that declares that he will no longer accept Workers Comp cases.

At every level, unionists must stick together, McCasland pointed out. "You're part of a big team. It takes everybody pulling together to win."

During the discussion, Brother Ed Reach said that people who make more than $90,000/year should have to pay Social Security, "That would solve everything that would ever come up," he pronounced.

McCasland added, "The rich people have decided that the middle-income people are going to bear the load for everything. Probably, if they lifted that cap, they could reduce rates for everybody else."

President Reecie Giesecke told the retirees about the coming local union elections. He encouraged retirees to participate with the local's Election Committee, because it could save us thousands of dollars. Retirees do not get lost-time payments.

Retirees conduct their election separate from the local. They nominated the officers pictured below:

Ed Reach, 2nd Vice President; CR McWilliams, 1st Vice President; Paul Conroy, Trustee; Gene Lantz, Chairman; Lewis Hawkins, Trustee;
Danny Green, Financial Secretary; Jack Patterson, Trustee; James Lambert, Sgt at Arms; and Gene Cates, Recording Secretary. Sam Brown, at right, is acting as Chaplain

Is the Battle Social Security Battle Over?

The UAW Area Retirees Council meet at Local 276 hall on the morning of the 4th Tuesday, March 28. Seven local unions were represented. Chairperson Mary Holomek led off with a strong statement against the way "news" agencies cooperate with the government in drawing our attention away from the "bread and butter" issues that really matter.

A number of the retirees expressed their concerns about the possibility of Social Security being undermined by privatization. One or two expressed the idea that we may have won that battle already, but others said we must fight even harder. President Reecie Giesecke, who was thoughtful enough to join in, settled the question by reminding everyone, "We had 95% of Texans opposing redistricting, but they did it anyway. Take nothing for granted!"

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