2002 ALL 2375 RETIREES MAILED FLA POSTAL WKR

APWU OF FLORIDA STATE RETIREE CHAPTER MEMBERS TO RECEIVE FLORIDA POSTAL WORKER!

A motion was approved by the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Executive Board officers meeting at the APWU of Florida Retiree Convention meeting in Orlando, Fl. on May 8, 2002 to continue to educate and communicate with APWU Retirees paying $24.00 year APWU Retiree membership union dues to the National APWU Retiree Department. At a meeting of the APWU of Florida Executive Board called by President Martha Shunn-King held in Ft. Myers, Fl. on September 27, 2002, a motion was approved to begin mailing the Florida Postal Worker monthly newsletter to all these dues paying APWU Retirees residing in the State of Florida.

Jack Gose, State Chapter President, has authorized the use of APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter funds obtained from Bob Tunstall, National APWU Secretary-Treasurer, to help offset the cost of the monthly mailing. John R. Smith, National APWU Retiree Director, has been contacted, and he has promised that he will coordinate this important project by sending us a list of all these 2375 dues paying APWU Retirees living in zip codes 320 thru 349. We have phoned George Curcio, Editor, to get his input on how this could best be implemented.

We think all these wonderful APWU Retirees, who have paid APWU union dues most of their working lives as federal postal employees of the U.S. Postal Service, deserve to continue to receive the best informative communication anyone could ask for, a monthly copy of the award winning Florida Postal Worker being mailed to their home address. Not only will they enjoy reading exciting articles, but they will be able to continue to contribute their knowledge and views to support the Florida APWU organization’s active postal members and their families.

In addition, this will certainly be an incentive for the active area local/local officers and stewards to encourage APWU members before they retire to continue their association as a proud APWU dues paying member of the National APWU Retiree Dept. by completing an 1187 APWU Retired Member form to send to National APWU Retiree Dept. after they retire. APWU Retiree members pay only $2.00 automatic monthly deduction from their OPM annuity check. There are never any State Retiree Chapter union dues to pay.

Newly retired APWU dues paying members will resume receiving the National American Postal Worker magazine bimonthly, the Florida Postal Worker newsletter monthly, be able to retain the APWU Health Plan and/or join the Voluntary Benefit Program options, and apply for the APWU Union Plus Credit Card, the same as active APWU members still employed by the USPS. In addition, a $5,000.00 accident/dismemberment policy is free for APWU Retiree dues paying members.

Over 900 new 1187 APWU Retired Member forms were processed recently during one single month by the National APWU Retiree Department. All APWU Retirees who choose to retain the APWU Health Plan and/or the Voluntary Benefit Plan options must belong and pay National APWU Retiree membership union dues of $24.00 year to the National APWU Retiree Dept., without exception. Another 2000 new 1187 APWU Retired Member forms have been received and are being handled at National APWU Headquarters, due to 8,000 letters sent out by Director John R. Smith to APWU Retirees. It does pay to organize and require everyone to pay their union dues!

The National Alliance of Retired Americans (ARA) has a Friday Alert message link every week on the internet for the young at heart of all ages. Go to www.retiredamericans.org and click on Friday Alert. The names of the elected Executive Board members of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA), who fight for the retention and improvement of Union Retiree programs and benefits for all our working and retiree families, are listed on the Florida State web site at www.flara.org for all to review. The APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter is affiliated with and pays dues to the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans.

The next quarterly FLARA Executive Board meeting will be on Saturday, December 14, 2002 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Airport Holiday Inn, 1301 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, Fl. The hotel room rate is $49.00 night plus 10% tax for FLARA members. Call Reservations at 1-800-792-3880 and ask for Group Code 2-FAR for the special group rate. We hope to see you at the hotel after 3 p.m. on Friday, December 13 or sometime on Saturday, December 14. We invite all APWU dues paying active Officers and Chapter Retiree members to join us to become part of the action!

Jack Gose, President
APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter