RETIREE REPORT
Fall 2008

The Retiree Chapter took a break from our meetings for the summer, but they will resume on September 08, 2008 with our annual Fish Fry. This has become the most popular meeting of the year, and this year’s proves to be no different. We will look forward to see all of our retiree members at this special meeting.

At our June meeting, we had a special speaker in Parker Griffin, who is a candidate to replace retiring Representative Bud Crammer. Parker Griffith gave a great speech and will represent this membership in an outstanding manner in Washington.

In the 2007 GM Agreement, retirees received a pension increase per the agreement. The increase had been frozen for Delphi retirees. The GM Benefit Center recently announced this freeze would be lifted and the increase paid retroactive back to October 01, 2007 for eligible retirees. According to the information released by the GM Benefit Center this increase will take place on October 01, 2008 or no later than December 01, 2008. The back payment for the increase will be sent in a one time lump sum check.

One of the greatest issues currently facing working class Americans is the federal elections in November. When it comes to the stand each candidate take on issues that working families face, the differences are instantly apparent. John McCain is proposing a platform that favors the wealthy and business owners to the detriment of the American worker. Obama on the other hand is talking about easing the tax burden on the working class and developing a comprehensive single payer health care system that will help America’s workers.

John McCain brags about being a “maverick” and how he has stood up for all Americans in the Senate. However, over the past four years he has voted with President Bush and his big business machine 95% of the time. McCain also talks about the need to cut federal spending on social and worker programs but advocates continuing a war that has already cost over $500 billion dollars and the lives of over 4,000 of America’s best. “On tax policy, health care reform, trade, government spending, and a long list of other issues, we offer very different choices to the American people,” McCain says at every turn. He is right about that – McCain’s vision of America is to continue to give to the rich will taking from the poor. The very tax cuts McCain advocates on extending – he voted against twice when Bush proposed them. Many of McCain’s stands have changed since he began his bid to be president. The bottom line is McCain will say and do anything to be elected.

Another of McCain’s proposal is to privatize Social Security. Bush tried unsuccessfully to turn Social Security to the raiders on Wall Street to line their pockets by reducing the benefits working class Americans have earned. We have a lot of retirees who are in the mid 50s to 60. Part of your present pension check is a Social Security supplement based on the idea that you will draw full benefits from Social Security when you become eligible. If part of a McCain presidency is to play around with your Social Security benefits then you could see a reduction in your benefits when you become eligible. The Social Security supplement of your pension check drops off when you begin to draw Social Security. The supplement drops off based on full benefits – not on what you draw. So, if a President McCain is successful in lining the pockets of his Wall Street buddies with part of your promised Social Security benefit, then you will see a reduction in your total pension income when your Social Security checks begin to arrive. But then John McCain’s wife (his second wife, he divorced the first one to marry the rich one) is worth $100 million dollars and the heiress to a Budweiser Distributorship. A reporter recently asked McCain how many homes did his wife and him own, and he responded he wasn’t sure. Wasn’t sure? How can a person who doesn’t know how many homes he owns relate to the issues you and I face as working class Americans?

On a final note, UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel and Assistant Director Donny Bevis recently assigned a benefit representative for GM/Delphi retirees in the region. There have been a number of Delphi and GM locations close in the past few years in the region, so this addition will make certain that all GM/Delphi retirees have someone to assist with their benefit needs. The representative is Skipper Rish who is based out of the Atlanta Office and can be reached at 1-866-854-9756.

I look forward to seeing each of you at the Local 2195 Retiree Fish Fry on September 08, 2008 at 11:00 AM.

Ray A. Gold
Retiree Chair