seven-o-seven seven-o-seven REPORTER - CAW Local 707

I hope that everyone had a great summer and an opportunity to
enjoy the good things life has to offer with your families.
Pensions
Following are some facts we should all be aware of with respect
to pensions in Canada.
c Three out of five Canadian workers don’t have a pension
plan in the workplace
c Less than one in three Canadians can afford RRSPs
c One third of Canadians between the ages of 24 and 64 have
no retirement savings
c 1.6 million Canadian senior citizens live in poverty today
with incomes less than $16,000
c CPP is administered by the federal government and requires
the support of at least two-thirds of the provinces representative
of at least two-thirds of the population in order to effect
changes to Canada Pension
A solution put forth by Harper’s Conservatives is the creation
of Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPP). PRPPs are a form
of privatization resulting in higher costs, lower savings with no
guarantees and large profits for financial services.
Canadians are calling for change. Canadian Labour Congress
(CLC) and the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC)
call for a graduated doubling of Canada and Quebec Pension
Plan benefits as the best way to provide retirement security
for everyone. A modest increase in contributions over a period
of several years will produce thousands of dollars annually in
extra benefits for workers once they retire. Doubling the CPP
would cost the government nothing as premiums are paid for
by both the workers and employers. Both the CLC and CURC
campaigns for retirement security have the support of 84 per
cent of Canadians and the majority of the provinces.
Most finance ministers agreed at the June 2010 meeting that
the best way forward is to increase the CPP. Alberta was not in
agreement. Through MP Wayne Marsden, the NDP has crafted
a private member’s bill that would double the CPP.
It is shameful that our government has once again taken the
side of big business on this issue and submitted its plans at the
expense of current and future retirees in this wealthy country
of ours.
The members of Stelco – USW 1005 have been and remain
locked out. Yet they remain solid. Their battle over pension
issues is an ongoing one for years now.
ThyssenKrupp
A demonstration took place August 5th for all former Budd
Canada plant members. The CAW is in court battling to save
their post-retirement benefits. ThyssenKrupp in an attempt to
shirk its responsibilities to its retirees is seeking to dissolve
these benefits via the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in spite of
the millions of dollars the parent company is worth. Thyssen-
Krupp is a German multinational company with business ventures
in 80 countries generating CDN $63 billion in sales for
the fiscal year 2009-10. Some of those affected are in long term
care homes, some are organ transplant recipients and on life
sustaining anti-rejection medications. Shame on ThyssenKrupp
Page 26 – July – September 2011
Retirees’ Vice Chairperson’s Report
By arnie de vaan
Pensions
for stooping to this level!
Brothers and sisters we will soon
enter negotiations and as you may
note by what I have written solidarity
amongst us is very important. It
is my hope that when we debate issues confronting us, that we
conduct them in-house and that once the membership has made
its decision, we abide by it and remain united, acting as one.
This is the only road to success.
The next retirees’ membership meeting will take place September
21st at 10:00 a.m.. Elections will take place at that meeting
for two delegates to attend the National Pensioners and Senior
Citizens’ Convention.
Rocking Horse Draw – Fundraiser
In support of Sister Pat Leaver’s medical mission to Africa,
we are initiating a fundraiser. Brother Hardy Jaap, a retiree of
Local 707 and skilled carpenter, has crafted a wooden rocking
horse. He has graciously donated his time, labour and the horse
itself as the prize to be drawn at the Retirees’ membership meeting
at 10:00 a.m. on December 21, 2011.
The rocking horse, which can be ridden, would be a welcome
addition to anyone’s home and available just in time for
Christmas as either a gift for your child or grandchild or even
as an antiquity for your home as it also has a removable rack
on its back which can be used to hold magazines or books. It is
pictured at right and may be viewed at the Union Hall.
The proceeds will be used by Pat Leaver to purchase the
much needed supplies for her next mission to Africa, something
she has been doing for the past ten years. This mission will be
her sixth wherein she comforts children at the burn relief hospital,
takes health and medical supplies along with financial support
for schools. All her time and a great deal of her expenses
have been given freely. I am proud of Sister Leaver’s works and
hope you will support her mission and purchase a ticket.
cost of tickets for the rocking Horse draw is $5 each.
Sister leaver will sell these tickets at both General membership
meetings and retirees’ membership meetings. it is
also hoped that Oac will allow Pat to sell them at least once
each month at the plant gates and answer any questions you
may have about her mission. they may also be purchased
from Elke Moorhead at the union Hall at any time.
Thanks go to Brother Hardy Jaap and Sister Pat Leaver for
their selfless contributions and bringing our local into a global
community.
Special thanks also go to Glen Crocker at J.H. French &
Company Limited (800) 732-0354) for their generous contribution
of the tickets. This printing company located at 293 Mary
Street in Hamilton has gone above and beyond when it comes
to considering the good deeds sacrificed on behalf of our Local.
For this good deed alone, J. H. French has saved $100s that
could be better spent on the mission itself and we thank this
company from the bottom of our hearts.
In Solidarity,
arnie de vaan
Retirees’ Vice Chair, CAW Local 707