Retirees urged to 'go on the offense'

There has never been a time like this for the labor movement, AFT President Randi Weingarten told the opening session of the AFT Retirees Conference on July 10. "People want a union if they can get it," she said, noting that the fight for collective bargaining and retirement security is one that we can't do alone anymore.

"When we work with community, we win. And when they divide us, we lose. And that's the difference between Wisconsin and Ohio. Our job today is bigger than it has ever been because we have a lot of in-service workers who are under attack in the name of privatization and deprofessionalization. I need you to be emissaries," she said. "Let them know that when we are solution driven, community engaged and a little badass, we win."

The conference keynote speaker, Rich Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, called on the retirees to get involved in the events held by their local alliance chapters. "We have to be worried by this election this year, because there is a lot at stake. There has been talk about raising the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare. Pensions—public and private—are under attack."

He urged retiree conference participants to "go on the offense. We can continue to fight to expand Social Security; defend Medicare and Medicaid; make prescription drugs more affordable; protect public and private pensions; preserve voting rights; and expose corporate initiatives that harm retirees, workers and their families."

“We have some real challenges ahead and it’s crucial to ensure our voting rights are protected,” said Lauren Luchi, manager of the AFT Retirees program. “The AFT is a coalition partner in protecting those rights. We know that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

The message resonated with Bill Toto, president of the Retired Educators Chapter of the Great Neck (N.Y.) Teachers Association. "I came to Los Angeles to get an update on retiree issues regarding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid; but I really want to get my members more involved politically, particularly around retiree benefits."

Margaret Shellada, a retired member of the California Federation of Teachers, added that "we know from our experience that when we take collective action, we can win battles."

As the first day of the two-day retiree conference came to a close, Weingarten took a moment to present an award to Ethel McClatchey, a retired member of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild, for her more than 50 years of service to the union. The meeting also featured workshops on ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council), community engagement and the 2014 election. [Adrienne Coles/photo by Russ Curtis]

July 11, 2014