Retired Members Council

Apr 4, 2013

CWA Activists Demand Fairness at Patriot

Virginia CWA activists on Monday traveled to West Virginia to rally to save the retirement and health benefits of thousands of Patriot Coal miners.

Feb 15, 2013

Alcatel-Lucent Retiree Health Care and Group Life Insurance Extended

The CWA, IBEW and Alcatel-Lucent have signed an agreement that extends 2004 Postretirement Medical and Dental Benefits and the Group Life Insurance Plan for Retired Employees from its current December 31, 2014 date through to December 31, 2016!

Jan 4, 2013

CWA/Alcatel-Lucent Contract Extension signed

Retiree Health and Life insurance extended through Dec. 31, 2014

Apr 26, 2012

New Project Builds Enthusiasm Among CWA Retirees

A new project to encourage more CWA retirees to become active and effective voices for our union got off to a great start with a series of three telephone town hall meetings.

Mar 29, 2012

Maryland CWAers Protest Verizon Power Grab

More than 40 CWA and RMC members from seven CWA locals filled the hearing room of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee with a sea of red shirts this week. Their mission: to spotlight a bill that would allow Verizon to sell its landline assets without any review by the Public Service Commission.

Mar 22, 2012

CWA Loses Two Retiree Activists

This past week, CWA lost two committed members, two men who spent their working lives and their retirement years building CWA and supporting the rights of working people. Both died as they lived, as CWA activists.

Mar 8, 2012

New Book Exposes the Worst of Employer Pension Schemes

"Retirement Heist" is a new book by Ellen Schultz, a former investigative reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She carefully describes how companies plunder and wring profits from the defined benefit pension plans of American workers. It's required reading for union leaders engaged in bargaining with the country's biggest corporations.

Feb 17, 2012

CWAers Deliver Valentine Message to Verizon, Verizon Wireless

In District 2-13, CWAers leafleted more than 50 Verizon Wireless retail stores with the message: "We've given you so much, but now you're breaking our hearts. If you want to 'be ours,' focus more on good jobs and less on corporate greed."

Feb 2, 2012

New Senior Group to Educate, Mobilize Retirees in Key 2012 Battleground State of Virginia

This Tuesday, 43 delegates and 8 guests convened to found the Virginia Alliance for Retired Americans. The Virginia Alliance will be an active part of the four million member national organization that works to mobilize retirees, senior and community activists into a nationwide grassroots movement to advocate a progressive political and social agenda - one that respects work and strengthens families. Members of the state and national Alliance come from a variety of trades and backgrounds.

Dec 8, 2011

Denver Post: CenturyLink will let union review books

On December 2, 2011, The Denver Post reports "CenturyLink will let union review books after retirees bemoan skyrocketing health premiums."

Nov 18, 2011

2012 Qwest Retiree Premiums - What’s Going On

Letter to all Legacy Qwest represented CWA Locals and Retiree Chapters.

CenturyLink (Qwest Retirees): Clarification of Opt In/Opt Out for Health Care Plan
Occupational retirees CAN elect to opt in or opt out of the health care plan each Open Enrollment period. Some callers to the Service Center were given misinformation about this.

Oct 24, 2011

Social Security Administration Fact Sheet - October 24, 2011

Included are the new maximum taxable earnings, earnings limits for Social Security recipients, and SSI data.

Oct 13, 2011

The Guild Reporter: Paul Lacaillade a Guild charter member—twice over

Paul Lacaillade organizes TNG Local in 1942, then RMC Chapter in 2011

Oct 1, 2011

Working Together: It’s All About Movement Building

It�s all about movement building

It will take all of us, union members, progressive activists, the civil rights community, environmentalists, people of faith, students and others to restore the rights and standard of living of working families.

Oct 1, 2011

Top 10 Reasons to Take Action

10) To show our children we really can change the world, or at least our part of it.

9) To remind corporations and elected officials that ordinary people do make a difference.

Oct 1, 2011

�I�m Mad and I�m Not Going to Take It Anymore�

Jeanette Spoor could be living a life of leisure in retirement. Instead she�s at rallies, on picket lines, meeting with allies to build coalitions of activists and, most recently, helping lead protests against a New York congresswoman who wants to kill Medicare.

�I just don�t think I could go to sleep at night without giving it my best shot,� says Spoor, the president of CWA Local 1103�s Retired Members� Chapter. �I have stamina and energy and I�m going to fight for what I believe in.�

Oct 1, 2011

�I Can�t Think About Pain. I Think About Helping People�

Trading lazy summer days for the chance to make a difference, CWA activists turned up the heat on lawmakers at �August Accountability� events from coast to coast.

Together with allies, they packed town hall meetings, protested outside politicians� district offices, leafleted at airports, wrote letters and made phone calls throughout August and early September. And now they�re ready for more.

Aug 18, 2011