Public Employee Press

Conference highlights retirees‘ political clout

Officers and executive board members of the Retirees Association of DC 37 gather with guests and panelists at the group’s April 12 conference.

Hundreds of activists showed up for the fifth annual educational conference of the DC 37 Retirees Association.

The April 12 event was a call to arms for the union’s veteran activists to work to reverse eight years of conservative policies that have battered all but the rich.

The conference, whose theme was “Leading the Way in the Fight for All Retirees,” featured progressive politicians and experts who informed the audience about national, state and local political issues.

“With the November election approaching, the conference was a wonderful opportunity to bring our members up-to-date on the crucial issues facing us,” Retirees Association President Stuart Leibowitz said.

DC 37 officials provided information about union benefits at the conference, which was coordinated by Retirees Executive Vice President Audrey E. Iszard.

Keynote speaker Ed Ott, the executive director of the New York City CentralLabor Council, praised retirees for their tireless political activism. He noted that political action doesn’t stop at the ballot box. After the fall election, unionists should hold politicians’ feet to the fire and make sure they act upon the commitments they made as candidates, he said.

Steven Regenstreif, director of the retirees program at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37’s national union, noted that retirees are playing a key role in promoting AFSCME’s political agenda, which includes protecting hard-won benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

Bill Arnone, of Ernst & Young’s Employee Financial Services, described reports of the impeding death of Social Security as highly exaggerated. He noted that the program’s administrative costs are very low and that raising the cap on contributions or modestly increasing the payroll tax could easily address its projected shortfall.

U.S. Congress member Anthony Weiner pointed out that the Republican Partyopposed Social Security when it was created during the New Deal more than 70 years ago.

“They have never supported this program,” he said. “So when they talk about fixing Social Security, they mean something else.”

Other speakers included state Sen. Diane Savino, City Council members Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Vincent Gentile, Eric Gioia and John C. Liu, AFSCME Legislative Director Chuck Loveless, DC 37 Pension Committee Chair James Tucciarelli and leaders of a number of DC 37 locals.