Natl. APWU Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton looks on sitting beside APWU of Florida President Martha Shunn-King as Judy Beard, Natl. APWU Asst. Sec.-Treas. makes a Dept. of Labor, IRS, and Constitution Report from the dais microphone for all 142 assembled Officers, Stewards, Retirees, Auxiliary, and Members at the APWU of Florida Spring Seminar, held at Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel, West Palm Beach, FL on Thur., May 10, 2007. (Photo taken with a Kodak 800 speed Flash camera by Retiree Chapter President Jack Gose)
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The semi-annual APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Executive Board meeting in the Veranda Restaurant, Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel, West Palm Beach, FL on Wed., May 9, 2007 was attended by President Jack Gose, Secretary-Treasurer Mario Miceli, and Legislative Director Dave Bernstein. Six (6) motions covering future State Retiree activities were unanimously approved in the Sunshine open to all APWU Chapter members. A fabulous buffet luncheon was enjoyed by everyone noon to 1:15 pm.
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Jack Gose distributed twenty (20) Retiree Happy folders to each of the Florida Area Local/Local Presidents attending the Florida Local Presidents Conference on Wed., May 9 in the same hotel. The folders were chock full of interesting materials, including the National APWU Retirees Department CSRS/FERS book used in teaching at retirement classes for APWU Stewards, Officers, and Members. We think each APWU Area Local/Local President should be the Retirement Counselor contact for their Local membership or appoint another Local Officer to perform this important duty!
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The State Retiree Chapter put thousands of FREE copies of materials on display tables in the Hilton Ballroom Vendor area, and the response was positive to say the least. By Saturday, May 12 the last day of classes for active and retiree members, twelve (12) tables were in use. An APWU Health Fair in the Coconut Room offered many other health materials displayed on a dozen tables. Many of the young APWU officers and stewards had never attended an APWU of Florida Educational Seminar before. It was evident they were starved for hard copy information when I spread out 50 FREE copies of APWU Local Newsletters from all over the country and 50 FREE copies of different National magazines on Saturday, May 12 when half of them were picked up within two hours during the morning session. Jack passed out handouts in various classes when requested by the instructors.
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We thank President Martha-Shunn King for her permission to allow us to give away hundreds of APWU National, State, and Local historical pictures dating back to the creation of APWU in June, 1972. It was nice meeting Retiree Sam Smith from Palm Beach Area Local, who has expressed an interest in starting an APWU Area Local Retiree Chapter in West Palm Beach, and our thanks to President Wayne Parker for introducing him to our Chapter officers. We gave out several of the new APWU Retiree Member Form 1187 Application forms for new Retirees, which include the option to join by paying (1) $2.00 month, (2) $2.00 month plus full National APWU per cap which gives the Retiree the right to vote for all the National APWU General Officers, and (3) COPA Contribution. Having everything on the same form makes sense, and the new options are very popular. Our Retiree Chapter wishes to thank everyone for their support and encouragement in the education of officers, stewards, and members on retiree issues! We wish to thank President Bill Burrus for his continued support of Retiree issues.
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Our hat is off to Judy Beard, Natl. APWU Asst. Sec.-Treas., who gave class presentations on Sec.-Treas., IRS, DOL, and Constitution and By-Laws with wall to wall attendance, and we were happy to assist her in passing out over 100 handbooks on these subjects. Retirees Jack Gose and Dave Bernstein, Clerk Craft Dir. Doris Orr-Richardson, and Maint. Craft Dir. Tony Neri collected $155. donations for COPA at the doors on Thur., May 10 during a Union Label check of clothing before members entered General Forum. We look forward to the next Seminar in the Fall of 2007, and we Love Ya!
FREE APWU RETIREE ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP
We have been informed by Douglas Cowan Holbrook, National APWU Retirees Dept. Director, in Washington, D.C. that the Natl. APWU Executive Board of the APWU has approved a resolution that will provide FREE MEMBERSHIP TO RETIREES who retire in 2007. This FREE MEMBERSHIP is offered to our retirees as one way of thanking them for their years as a member of the union.
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All that is required from the retiree is a completed APWU Retiree Membership application. This application or card will not be processed until the expiration of one year. After one year the Retiree union dues will be $2.00 per month deducted from their annuity check. The Civil Service Annuity (CSA) 7-digit number mailed to the Retiree from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Social Security number, address, and signature of the Retiree must be affixed on the completed form.
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The National APWU has 300 to 500 employees retiring each month, and we should be able to sign up at least 50 % or more of these retirees as opposed to the current 11% to 13 %. It is up to the elected Presidents of Area Locals/Locals in the State of Florida to phone Douglas C. Holbrook, National APWU Retirees Director at 1-202-842-8584 or write to him at the National APWU Retirees Department, 1300 L Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20005, and order a supply of these new APWU Retiree Member application forms, and give one of these forms to every APWU member before they retire or soon after.
NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 4TH-7TH, 2007 AT WASHINGTON, D.C. HILTON HOTEL
The APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter will send President Jack Gose and Legislative Director Dave Bernstein to attend the Legislative Conference of the National Alliance for Retired Americans (NARA) Sept. 4-7, 2007 in Washington, D.C., and they will lobby our Congress on Capitol Hill on Retiree, Senior, and Postal Reform issues. The APWU Delegates will represent 3,000 APWU Retirees in the State of Florida who pay $24.00 year union dues to the National APWU Retirees Department. The State Retiree Chapter pays full membership dues to the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Inc., a 501 C (3) charitable and educational organization. Visit our Retiree website at www.retireeparadise.blogspot.com for more Retiree info, and it only takes a minute to load! *
The Convention is to be held Tuesday, September 4 thru Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 at the Hilton Washington and Towers Union Hotel, 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. The Hilton is located near DuPont Circle and Embassy Row. Hotel room rates are $146.00 night plus 14.5 % taxes, and are guaranteed until July 20, 2007. Check-in time is 3 pm; check-out time is 12 noon. Hotel reservations should be made by calling the Hilton Washington and Towers directly toll-free at 1-888-324-4586 and ask for the special Alliance for Retired Americans group rate.
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The Conference registration early bird fee is $80.00, if received by July 20, 2007. After that date, the registration fee is $95.00. A Banquet featuring a noted personality is set for Thurs., Sept. 6 at 6 pm. Banquet tickets are $70.00 person and should be ordered with the registration form. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first serve basis. You will receive your tickets when you arrive at the Conference. To register, phone toll-free 1-888-373-6497 and ask for Joni Jones at Registration Desk, or E-mail to jjones@retiredamericans.org or visit our ARA national website at www.retiredamericans.org for more late breaking news. Lobby Day is Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007 and eat with us in the Senate cafeteria! *
The opening session is to begin at 3 pm on Tues., Sept. 4, and the last event will conclude by 3 pm on Fri., Sept. 7, 2008. You will be in Washington, D.C. only 3 nights! The Alliance has grown to over 3.4 million members in 27 chartered states since formed by the National AFL-CIO in 2001, and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans (FLARA) has increased to over 220,000 dues paying members in the State of Florida from 22 different international unions and over 100 community based groups since 2002 being the 2nd state to be chartered by NARA, a 501 C (4) organization which is issues oriented.
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We are frankly shocked to arrive in Washington, D.C. at the Hilton Hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot, and when checking in at the registration desk to find that only a handful of APWU Retirees are registered Delegates to this annual Retiree Conference representing all the AFL-CIO unions in America. Last year in 2006, only three (3) APWU Delegates were in attendance, two from APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter and one from Atlanta, GA. The National Alliance for Retired Americans annual dues is only $10.00 year which covers both the APWU Retiree member and spouse.
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This is your opportunity to join your brothers and sisters from other AFL-CIO International Unions in a show of Solidarity. ARA State Chapters have been chartered in the below TWENTY-SEVEN (27) states in the last five (5) years since 2002: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, ME, MD/DC, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, VT, WA, WV, and WISC. Illinois was the first state to receive an ARA State Charter and Florida was the second state chartered in 2002.
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As the elected 2nd Vice President of the Florida ARA Chapter, comprised of over 220,000 dues paying members paying 25 cents per member, per year, I am proud of the
accomplishments we have achieved over the last five (5) years, thanks to FLARA President Tony Fransetta from Wellington, FL. We hope to see some new APWU Delegate faces at the Conference in our nation’s Capitol on Sept. 4-7, 2007!
