2004 STATE RETIREE CHAPTER 2ND CONVENTION, DAYTONA BCH, FL

APWU OF FLORIDA 2ND STATE RETIREE CHAPTER CONVENTION CALL TO BE HELD IN DAYTONA BEACH, FL. ON WED., MAY 12, 2004

All APWU $24.00 year dues paying Retirees and their families are invited to the 2nd biennial Founders’ APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Convention, AFL-CIO, to be held on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plaza Resort and Spa, 600 Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, Fl. 32118. Call the Plaza Resort at 1-800-874-7420 and ask for the APWU discounted Single/Double rate of $79.00 night, plus 12.5 % taxes to reserve your room.

A luncheon is scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at the Plaza Resort and Spa Hotel, followed by the State Retiree Chapter Convention business starting at 1:00 p.m. All active APWU dues paying National, State and Area Local/Local Officers, Delegates, members and their families and APWU Auxiliary Officers, Delegates, members and their families are invited to attend all our State Retiree Chapter meetings, luncheons, and Conventions. We believe that all the APWU family members, the active Working members, the Retiree members, and the Auxiliary members should be treated with dignity and equality, and all of us must band together to take care of all our families.

This historic Retiree Convention precedes the regular Florida State APWU Convention which is scheduled in the same hotel from Thursday, May 13 thru Saturday, May 15, 2004. Florida State Retiree Chapter Resolutions will be debated and sent to the regular Florida State Convention beginning on Thursday, May 13, and the National APWU Retiree Convention to be held in Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday and Sunday, August 21-22, 2004.

John R. Smith, Natl. APWU Retiree Director, has been invited to speak at the Retiree Convention luncheon. He is a dynamic, energetic orator who has completed successfully retirement classes at previous APWU of Florida State and Area Local seminars. A new generation is living in Florida, and we yearn to link the active working APWU members with the Retiree APWU members in the classroom and at luncheons.

Election of APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Officers shall be held at the Retiree Convention on Wed., May 12, 2004 in accordance with the State Retiree Chapter Constitution and By-Laws. The elected Officers of this State Chapter shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and up to three (3) Trustees and they shall comprise the Executive Board of the State Chapter. To be eligible for office and to vote in an election of officers, a Retiree Chapter member must be in good standing for three (3) months of the previous calendar quarter immediately preceding the election, as certified by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Our State Retiree Chapter membership has increased to over 3017 as of February 29, 2004 with about 10% increase since May, 2003. APWU Retiree Chapter members residing in the State of Florida pay $24.00 yearly or $2.00 monthly automatic APWU Retiree union dues to the National APWU. Retirees do not have to pay any State Retiree Chapter union dues to the APWU of Florida! We wish to thank all the State and Area Local/Local Presidents, Officers, Stewards, and active working members who continue to sign up APWU retiring members on Form 1187 Retired Member application and mail it in to the National APWU Retirees Department in Washington, D.C.

Blank APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Delegate credentials have been mailed to all APWU Area Local/Local Presidents in the State of Florida by John Sardin, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer, for completion and return no later than May 1, 2004. Registration kits will be issued at the hotel for this Convention and State Chapter Retirees’ registration fees have been waived for the Retiree Convention in Daytona Beach to encourage more APWU Retiree families to attend.

Preparations have been made for the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter to pay for a FREE luncheon to each APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter member registering as a Retiree Delegate, and a FREE luncheon for up to one (1) family guest for each family in attendance at the Retiree Convention. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR AREA LOCAL/LOCAL PRESIDENTS TO RETURN THE COMPLETED RETIREE DELEGATE CREDENTIALS BEFORE MAY 1 IN ORDER FOR US TO KNOW THE NUMBER WHO WILL ATTEND AND MAKE PLANS WITH THE HOTEL MANAGER FOR FOOD SERVICE AND SEATING.

If you have any questions and for more information, contact Jack Gose, President, at home phone (727) 343-2998 or E-mail: Jak.Gose@Excite.com or Local Web site: www.apwu1228.org or Fax: (727) 526-0351. You may also visit our APWU of Florida, AFL-CIO, award winning website page www.apwuflorida.org/retiree which was launched in October, 2003 by our wonderful Webmaster, Greg Dixon. Our State Retiree Chapter website is now linked up with the National APWU home page www.apwu.org under Local Websites and Links, 21st Century Postal Worker at www.21cpw.com and the Postal Electronic newsletter at www.lunewsviews.com under 22 Retirement Tips.

APWU OF FLORIDA STATE RETIREE CHAPTER FOUNDERS EXECUTIVE BOARD:

Jack Gose, President South Pasadena, Fl. 727-343-2998
Valentine Serpico, Vice-President Fort Lauderdale, Fl. 954-396-4217
John Sardin, Jr., Secretary-Treas. St. Petersburg, Fl. 727-347-5687
Charlie Redd, Trustee Cocoa, Fl. 321-632-2898
Pedro Torres, Trustee Miami, Fl. 305-251-7938

ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS SOUTHERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN JACKSONVILLE, FL. MAY 16-18, 2004

Everyone is invited to join the Alliance for Retired Americans for our historic first Southern Regional Conference to be held on Sunday, May 16 through Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at the Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville, Fl. Call the Hilton Hotel at 800-445-8667 toll-free for reservations. Alliance discounted Single/Double room rates are $79.00 night, plus 13% taxes, and must be made with the hotel no later than April 25, 2004.

Official registration for the Conference is $65.00, including lunch, banquet dinner, all Conference materials, and access to all sessions. If you are interested in registering for the Conference, contact Joni Jones at 888-373-6497 toll-free in Washington, D.C. and request a registration form to be completed and returned with payment by May 3rd to the Alliance for Retired Americans Registration, 888 - 16th St, N.W., Suite 520, Washington, D.C. 20006. You can also go online at www.retiredamericans.org and scroll down and click on Alliance Regional Conferences which has a blank registration form for printing to mail in to the National Alliance headquarters. Over sixteen (16) State Chapters have been chartered by the Alliance, and our Florida Alliance (FLARA) was the 2nd State to receive a Charter and now has over 130,000 Chapter dues paying members. Remember the Anti-FTAA meetings in Miami!

General Sessions will include a keynote address by Alliance President George J. Kourpias and election of Regional board members. Invited guests include leading Congressional and State officials, and prominent National speakers. The daily sessions will include workshops on Medicare, Prescription Drugs, Social Security, fundraising tactics, leadership training, and 2004 election issues. You will learn to grow and strengthen your Local and State Chapters and Unions into powerful, grassroots organizations. The Alliance Southern Region covers Florida and 12 states from Texas to Virginia. Visit www.flara.org website and contact Tony Fransetta, President, for more information.