2005 WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP PRIVATIZATION!

CHAPTER RETIREES CELEBRATE WITH FREE LUNCHEON

A luncheon including food, drink, tax, and tip will be given FREE to the first twenty (20) APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter union dues paying members and spouse or family member who sign in and attend the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter luncheon, scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 28, 2005 at the Café 333 Hilton Hotel Restaurant, 333 First Street South, in downtown St. Petersburg, Fl. 33701-4342. Award of the free luncheons will be limited to two (2) free luncheons per Chapter Retiree Member family.

The Retirees luncheon is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the hotel restaurant on the ground floor at the APWU of Florida State Educational Spring Seminar to be held in the same hotel from Thursday, Apr. 28 thru Saturday, Apr. 30, 2005. All APWU National, State, Area Local/Local active officers, stewards, family members, and APWU National, State, Area Local/Local retired officers, stewards, family members, and APWU National, State, Area Local/Local Auxiliary officers, members and family guests are invited to attend this luncheon to renew old acquaintances and meet new friends.

For St. Petersburg Hilton hotel reservations, telephone 727-894-5000 or toll-free 800-944-5500, and ask for the special APWU group rate of $99.00 single/double, plus 11% taxes per night. For more information, go to St. Pete Hilton website www.stpetehilton.com or www.apwuflorida.org for class schedules and names of instructors. Check-in is 4 p.m. and check-out is 11 a.m. daily. The 4-star hotel has 333 rooms near the waterfront, and an outdoor pool and spa. The Hilton Hotel Café 333 serves breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Many other eateries are within a short walking distance.

Free APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Happy Folders, filled with interesting articles and brochures for active and retiree members and family members, will be distributed at our semi-annual Retirees Chapter luncheon. Hope to see you in St. Pete, and if you have a question or need more details, phone me at home 727-343-2998 or E-mail me at jak.gose@excite.com for a prompt reply.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND MEDICARE

Visit, write, and Telephone your Representative and two (2) Senators, Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, toll-free at 1-866-727-4294, Capital Operator, Washington, D.C. Relay your message by picking out only one paramount issue with each call you make:

(1) Do Not Change any federal laws to privatize the U.S. Postal Service.

(2) Do Not Privatize Social Security, but Do Preserve Social Security for current and future beneficiaries.

(3) Do Not Privatize Medicare, but Oppose any Benefit Cuts.

To find out more about Social Security and You, write to Alliance for Retired Americans, membership over 3 million strong, at 888 - 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, or go online www.retiredamericans.org or phone toll-free 888-633-4435. Write to Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, membership over 200,000 strong, 12773 West Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 211, Wellington, FL. 33414, or go online www.flara.org or phone 561-792-8799 to contact Tony Fransetta, President, FLARA, or E-mail him at FloridaARA@aol.com for more info on Social Security and You!

When I was born in 1928, there were only 2 classes of citizens in America, the rich and the poor, with no middle class. In my hometown county in rural Virginia, the kids with no family members able to support them went to the county Orphanage and the older seniors who could not support themselves went to the county Poor House. The passage of Social Security by the Congress in 1935 brought the middle class into reality in America. In 1965, the passage of Medicare by the Congress brought Health Care coverage for all our citizens in America who wished to join up at age 65.

You know the rest of the story! Do not be Fooled or Tricked into a disastrous outcome for your children and grandchildren with the destruction of Social Security and Medicare! Make those toll-free phone calls weekly and make them often!

RETIREE CHAPTER MARKS THIRD YEAR OF PROGRESS

APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter was organized on March 15, 2002 at the Jacksonville Hilton Hotel by a group of APWU dues paying retirees residing in Florida, with the assistance of John R. Smith, National APWU Retirees Director. A Retirees Constitution and By-Laws and a list of interim officers were approved by the retirees in attendance. An APWU State Retiree Chapter Charter was presented at the APWU of Florida State Convention in May, 2002 in Orlando, Fl.

The State Retiree Chapter held its own State Retirees Convention at Orlando in 2002 and at Daytona Beach in 2004. The Chapter hosted the first ever National APWU Health Plan Seminar at Lake Buena Vista in October, 2004. APWU National Retirees Dept. membership in the State of Florida has grown from 2375 to 3100 since 2002. Thanks to President Martha Shunn, all the members of the APWU of Florida Executive Board, the APWU rank and file union officers, stewards, and members, Auxiliary officers/members, and the APWU dues paying Retirees and family for a great three years!

APWU OF FLORIDA STATE RETIREE CHAPTER EXECUTIVE BOARD:
Jack Gose, President South Pasadena 727-343-2998
Valentine Serpico , Vice President Fort Lauderdale 954-396-4217
Dave Bernstein, Legislative Director Tampa 813-839-4233
John Sardin, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer St. Petersburg 727-347-5687
Michael Jordan, Sr., Health Plan Dir. Rockledge 321-631-0499
Charlie Redd, Trustee Cocoa 321-632-2898
Pedro Torres, Trustee Miami 305-251-7938