UAW Local 848-Retirees Corner


Come Join Us!

Local 848's Retirees hold their covered-dish luncheon at 11 AM each Second Thursday at the union hall. Everybody who retired as a union member, and their spouses, are invited. We usually hold a short discussion of retiree issues before we enjoy our meal.

The union local supplies the main course.

Local 848's retirees are active in our union local. We also participate with the UAW Area Council and with the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans.

Retirees have a lot of problems that we can solve if we work together. Please join us!

 

 

 

For updates on Texas retiree issues, click here.

For a look at Local 848's past, click here.


V-CAP Rep Commended At October Meeting

Billy Brown

Dr. Luther Castillo

 

Local 848’s October 18 meeting unanimously commended Billy Brown for excellent work on this year’s political fund drive. Brown said the praise belongs to the many members who pitched in.

Jeff Benge asked all members to contact him when there is a need for the new Chaplaincy Committee. He attended a UAW conference in Shreveport and is eager to help serve our membership. Reach him at 214-925-8874.

Gene Cates was nominated for our "Union Samaritan" award for his work with the National Alliance for Mental Health.

Here is Local 848's resolution:

WHEREAS The national AFL-CIO and an impressive number of unions have taken the side of democracy in Honduras, and

WHEREAS the big issue with Honduras is fair trade instead of what they call "free trade", and

WHEREAS all three major union federations in Honduras are on general strike for the return of democracy

BE IT RESOLVED THAT WE, the Executive Board of UAW 848, support the return of democracy and fair trade in Honduras.

In solidarity
Gene Lantz, Editor
UAW 848

 


Retirees Relax Together

 
by Gene Lantz
 
Local 848's retirees had barbecue for their October 8 (2nd Thursday) monthly luncheon. Chaplain Gene Cates was back after missing a meeting or two due to minor surgery. He reported that he was repaired and ready for duty. Cates opened the meeting with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
We missed our top telephone caller, Frances Smith, who is taking some time off to help the family of a deceased friend. Even without her outstanding efforts, our attendance rose slightly over the September effort.
 
Other than our usual rousing discussion of all the world, national, and local events affecting retirees, we had no pending business to discuss. Financial Secretary Rex Redden reported a slight increase in our Retired Worker Fund, so the outlook seemed good for future activities.
 
Another phase of our "video history" project was launched by creating a short video of the meeting and posting it on YouTube.com 
 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqtjMoZv7jk. An easy way to find it and, hopefully, future videos is to put "genelantzalot" into the search box at www.youtube.com.
 
Our November 12 luncheon will be our Thanksgiving meal. All Local 848 retirees and/or spouses are always welcome at 11 AM.

Retirees Pitch In

By Gene Lantz, Retiree Chairman

Local 848’s retirees had a robust discussion at our September 10 luncheon. Tony Fantroy talked about the way that con artists seem to target seniors. He reminded everyone that they should not give out their Social Security number, Texas Drivers License Number, or other personal information to people who telephone them.

Most of the discussion was about the outrageous lies being told to America’s seniors about health care. People who want to sabotage the reform are actually telling seniors that the government wants to kill them! Others are saying nonsense about undocumented Mexican workers getting free government benefits.

The health care issue has made Local 848’s retirees increasingly aware of just how vital our union political program has become. We have always known that anything we won at the negotiating table could be taken away at the ballot box, but the situation has grown especially critical today. Because we are more aware, our contributions to the V-CAP fund are growing far beyond any amount of money we have ever raised before.

Local 848’s retirees are the only ones in the aerospace industry with a pension deduction program for V-CAP. We can sign up for small monthly deductions that we never miss because they come out of our pensions before we ever see them. The Local’s V-CAP Rep, Billy Brown, initiated a letter to retirees this year to increase donations. A number of retiree activists volunteered to call up to 100 of our members. They were: Mable Casey, Gene Cates, Wallace Manuel, Rex Redden, Neal Sloan, and Gene Lantz. We do not have phone numbers for all members, but we managed to call an estimated 400 retirees.

New signup cards were still arriving on the day of our luncheon, but the local is already raising three times more than the highest amount we ever raised in any year before this one! It is likely that we are among the top retiree fund raisers in our industry!

Local 848 retirees will continue their commitment to union politics when they attend a special meeting at 4 PM on Friday, September 25, at our hall. The President of the Texas AFL-CIO, Becky Moeller, will talk about what working people and retirees can do to fix the economic crisis we are living through.

Becky Moeller

Tony Fantroy

 


Retirees Make Solidarity Car Caravan

 
UAW Local 848 retirees formed a car caravan to UAW Local 218 after their monthly luncheon on July 9. Production workers at Bell had been on strike for a month. President Romeo Munoz allowed the retirees to carry a load of water and Gatorade that had been collected by active members in the local. They have been regularly sending their contributions since the first week of the strike.
 
The strike is a tough one. The sun is hot, and the job market is seriously depressed. National unemployment stood at 9.5%, and the Dallas-Ft Worth area was reportedly at 8%, the highest in many years. When the economy is tanking, it is very hard for workers to win contract demands. Nevertheless, the UAW 218 members are bravely battling to save what is left of their health care benefits after many years of corrosion by management.
 
Retirees and active members of UAW 848 are not the only ones offering solidarity to the embattled employees at Bell Helicopter. Other unions have made major contributions, and students from University of North Texas have been walking picket regularly.
 
Prior to having lunch, the retirees discussed the serious political situation they face with UAW 848 CAP Rep Billy Brown. Brown stressed the importance of signing up for pension deductions of small monthly amounts. The money would go through V-CAP to carry out our union's political program.

 

Billy Brown stressed signing cards for V-CAP pension deductions

Gene Cates used his truck to haul Local 848's July 9 donation

Rex Redden with some of the donations being used by UAW 218

Rex Redden and Gene Cates helped unload the truck at UAW 218 in Hurst


Retirees Keep Up with the Issues

Local 848’s retirees had their regular 2nd Thursday luncheon on April 9. We lamented the passing of President Ron Cohagan, and we indicated our concern for the Gene Cates and Paul Conroy families, both of whom were experiencing serious medical crises.

The members who had attended the Region 5 Retiree Seminar on March 31 shared some of the information they had gathered. We were very concerned for the welfare of our brothers and sisters in the auto industry. Several members gave vent to our outrage over the way they are being treated by politicians and by the corporate news media.

We talked about the Employee Free Choice Act, which awaits disposition in the U.S. Congress. Also of concern is the so-called “Voter ID” act which is working its way through the State Legislature. The act would limit some retirees from voting.

Wallace Manuel made a motion that we buy 2 dozen roses for the May 14 luncheon in honor of Mothers’ Day. Mabel Jones agreed to carry it out. The motion passed unanimously.

Pablo Gonzalez gave out the DVD’s that he had made for people requesting a copy of our movie on the trip to the Frontiers of Flight Museum. Everybody can see it on www.youtube.com by putting “UAW 848” into the search box.

We all brought covered dishes, and Local 848 bought our main course of barbecue brisket, turkey, and sausages.


March 31, 2009 Retiree Seminar Pictures

 


Retirees Go Video

 

Retirees were keenly interested in a video of their tour

 

 

 

 

The program Local 848’s retirees on March 12 consisted of a video starring themselves! Videographer Walt Harrison had accompanied the group to the Frontiers of Flight Museum on February 23. He produced a professional DVD that can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYqrWvACoY&feature=channel_page&fmt=18.

An account of the retirees’ museum tour is written up on the local’s web page at www.uaw848.org.

On a proposal from the Executive Committee, the group voted unanimously to spend up to $200 to investigate more ways to use video to preserve our local union’s history. They also discussed ways to get enough people to get a discount on an ocean cruise for retirees and other UAW members. Financial Secretary Rex Redden is making up a list of interested people. He can be reached at trexr@sbcglobal.net.

Retirees discussed some of the ongoing political issues of vital interest: health care, voter’s rights, and the Employee Free choice Act.


Retirees Take Fun Museum Trip

Rex Redden, Neal Sloan, and Harvey Matthews were fascinated

Mr and Mrs Pablo Gonzalez checked out the Boeing “Dreamliner”

James Lambert posed with his favorite airplane

Local 848’s retirees took a tour of the Frontiers of Flight Museum near Love Field in Dallas on February 23. By going as a union group, we received a discount. We were surprised to learn that the tour guide, Bill McMillin, was a retired engineer from Lockheed. The museum has the entire history of aeronautics, with many of the original artifacts from the greatest events.

Brother Billy Newberry and his wife added a lot to the tour, because he had actually participated, along with other Vought retirees, in building some of the aircraft in the museum. Billy knew where many of the used parts came from, because he found a lot of them!

 Walt Harrison, a professional videographer, recorded our tour for us. We hope to have a television presentation soon. It would be a good idea to make videos of a lot of our retirees, because they could teach the younger people so much! Harrison also took still photos and posted them on the world wide web at http://www.flickr.com/photos/33419082@N07/sets/72157614312212015/.

 We took a lot of extra time with the tour, then went out for hamburgers. Everyone was enthusiastic. We made several suggestions for future retiree outings such as other museums, horse racing, casinos, and shows.

 Retiree Financial Secretary Rex Redden deserved a lot of credit for organizing our tour.


Labor Day "Biggest Ever!"

Brother Jim McCasland, Financial Secretary of the Dallas AFL-CIO, announced that the Labor Day breakfast was the biggest ever with a crowd approaching 500! Jobs with Justice had added 12 religious and community leaders to the many unionists in attendance.

The main speaker was Senate Candidate Rick Noriega, who began by thanking the people who served the food at the union-organized Sheraton Grand Hotel in Irving.


Unionists Spreads the Word on Fair Trade vs "Free Trade!"

The President of the Dallas AFL-CIO, Nancy Hall, expects to come to Local 848's September 21 meeting to explain why everybody must oppose the so-called "Colombia Free Trade agreement."  She recently returned from a fact-finding trip there sponsored by the National AFL-CIO. More about the trip

President Bush is hoping to pass yet another "free trade" pact, this one with Colombia, before he leaves office. Nancy Hall can explain exactly why all legitimate U.S. and Colombian workers' organizations are dead set against it. She also drives home the importance of political activity by workers in the United States if anything good is going to happen.

On August 20, Hall took her message to the airwaves on the "Workers Beat" program that is presented 8-9 AM every Wednesday on KNON radio, 89.3 FM and www.knon.org.

 

 

 

 

 


Dallas Retirees Cooperate to Win Health Care Reform

 Congresswoman Johnson accepted a tribute from Maralyn Hamaker

Retirees from all over North Texas cooperated to celebrate Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's lifelong commitment to health care reform at the Alliance/AFT hall in Dallas on August 21. The bills for the event were shared by members of the Retired Members Committee of the Communication Workers of America, Alliance/American Federation of Teachers, United Auto Workers Local 848, and Jobs with Justice.

The event was chaired by AFT leader Judy Bryant. Aimee Bolender, President of the Local, welcomed the group. Gene Lantz showed the 11 minute introductory video for the Alliance for Retired Americans and conducted a discussion on the importance of organizing for such legislative goals as the Employee Free Choice Act. Congresswoman Johnson gave a thorough analysis of the need for health care reform and how to accomplish it through Congress. Some of her comments were recorded for the "Workers Beat" radio program that is presented from 8 to 9 AM every Wednesday on KNON radio, 89.3 FM and www.knon.org.

Sister Maralyn Hamaker, a retired teacher, then gave a short tribute. Congresswoman Johnson answered questions from the audience and made herself available for individual interaction.


Major Victory for Raytheon Retirees As Court Orders Health Benefits Restored

 

Retirees of Raytheon Missile Systems scored a major victory recently, as a U.S. District Court in Arizona ordered the company to restore health care benefits to them and their dependents. The ruling came on a class action lawsuit filed by International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 933 on behalf of all IAM retirees who have worked at Raytheon since 1990, after they found health benefits slashed. In a case which will set legal precedent for other workers whose benefits are unilaterally terminated by their employers, the corporation must do more than recommence coverage for employees who were eligible under collective bargaining agreements made between 1990 and 1999. It must also reimburse the hundreds of retirees who were forced to pay premiums out of pocket while the lawsuit was pending. "This is not just a victory for Raytheon employees, but for all retirees," said George J. Kourpias, President of the Alliance for Retired Americans and former President of the IAM. "When workers fight for fair agreements and make sacrifices to continue receiving these benefits into retirement, they deserve the affordable health care they have been promised."