“As the union continues to grow, so will the voice of its retirees,” said AFT vice president Kathleen Donahue, who chairs the AFT committee on retirement and retirees, at the opening session of the AFT Retirees two-day pre-convention conference in July. Donahue encouraged participants to talk to fellow retirees about becoming active in the union.

With pensions, healthcare benefits and Social Security under attack, a strong retiree voice is needed now more than ever, noted several speakers.

Former Massachusetts governor and 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis told retirees that the Democratic Party must get back to grass-roots organizing and start making connections with potential voters. “If we’re going to take back Congress, we have to get back to working the streets and precincts and start making personal contacts,” he said.

Meanwhile, there is no better time for AFT members to get involved, said AFT executive vice president, Antonia Cortese. “We have a golden opportunity to turn things around.” One avenue for retirees, she noted, is to sign up for the AFT’s new Count Me In campaign, which focuses on expanding the role of the union as an advocacy organization.

Retirees also heard a presentation on pensions by James Grosso, co-counsel for five union health and welfare funds in Massachusetts. He encouraged retirees to focus on the positives of traditional pensions to sustain public support for defined benefit plans.

Participants attended workshops on topics ranging from the upcoming November elections to Medicare Part D to recruiting and retaining members. Retirees also honored longtime United Federation of Teachers activist Abe Levine with the 2006 Retiree of the Year Award. “Always be proud of the role we play and still play in building the AFT,” he told participants. “As unionists we know that there will always be battles to be fought.”