PCPA President, Rich Austin
The PCPA convention was a huge success. Although the turnout was good, more pensioners should have attended.
At the PCPA Executive Board meeting that preceded the convention there was discussion relating to the lack of membership diversity. There is a real concern that people of color and women are not joining our Pension Clubs. The PCPA, just like the ILWU, is sensitive to that issue.
We understand there are differences amongst us and we celebrate the rich heritages that every race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation and nationality brings to the ranks of the ILWU. We urge everyone to join the Pension Club in their area. Each of us has much to offer, and our participation is and will continue to be welcomed, appreciated and acknowledged.
Overall, and unlike the old timers who preceded them, newer retirees are not joining their local Pension Clubs It is downright mind-boggling. With all the attacks being waged on America’s working class none of us can afford the luxury of just standing by, hoping the other person will take up the slack. Incredibly, however, that is what is happening. Too many people are retiring and walking away.
They had better wake up and take a look around.
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are under attack. Co-payments and deductibles are going up. Medicare premiums are too.
We are lucky. We do not have copayments and deductibles. They, and our Medicare premiums, are paid by the ILWU-PMA Benefits Plans. We are
a rare breed within the working class. We have virtually zero medical expenses.
And look at what a prescription costs us…a lousy dollar, that’s it, just a buck!
We retirees get the same health care coverage that the actives get. But, brothers and sisters, as Republicans and Democrats continue to rob Medicare, that program is left with fewer dollars to reimburse our doctors. That means the ILWU-PMA Benefits Plans will have to pay higher co-payments and deductibles on our behalf.
As you know, the Benefits Plans are funded by the PMA employers. The more the PMA has to pay, the more difficult it will be for our Union to negotiate Maintenance of Benefits for actives, dependents, retirees, and surviving spouses.
If we ever lost part of our coverage we’d see people riding in from the weeds yelling and screaming that the Union did not fight hard enough to maintain their benefits. They would tell those of us who stayed around to fight the fight that we did not do enough. They would blame us for their apathy.
Every retiree, just like their active sisters and brothers, has a vested interest in doing what we can to keep what we have, to improve on what we have, and to see to it that future generations have no less health care coverage and benefits than what we enjoy today. We want to make sure that the union
we are passing on to them is strong and united. We all need to suit up and show up! We all have to be willing to fight to keep what we’ve won over the years.
– Rich Austin, PCPA President