By GREGORY N. HEIRES

Recruiting new members, strengthening the voice of retired workers within the union and improving services for retired members were among the top issues raised by DC 37 retirees at the annual meeting of the Retiree Council of AFSCME, DC 37’s parent union.

First Vice President Stuart Leibowitz and Corresponding Secretary Norman Davis represented the Retirees Association of DC 37 at the June 27-29 gathering.

“We came away very satisfied with the national union’s commitment to helping retirees fight to preserve and expand our benefits,” Mr. Leibowitz said.

“We must be assertive about issues like Medicare Part B at the local level, pensions at the state level and Social Security at the national level,” Mr. Leibowitz said. “That’s why we need to work with DC 37 and AFSCME.”

At the meeting, the DC 37 group received AFSCME’s backing for a campaign to boost its membership.

AFSCME has agreed to fund a mailing to encourage thousands of DC 37 retirees in New York and Florida who aren’t members to join.

Retiree services
Participants at the retiree meeting learned about the many services available to retirees through the AFSCME Advantage program.

“I was not aware that AFSCME Advantage has an audiology component,” Mr. Davis said. “DC 37 doesn’t have an audiology unit in Florida, so I would imagine many retirees living there might want to sign up with AFSCME Advantage, which has a national network of 2000 hearing-care professionals.”

For further information about AFSCME Advantage and DC 37 retiree activities, call the Retirees Association at (212) 815-1781 between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Mr. Leibowitz and Mr. Davis represented DC 37 Retirees Association President Alma C. Osborne and Treasurer Shaurain Farber at the meeting.

Mr. Davis pointed out that the number of retirees in AFSCME has grown from 150,000 in 1993 to 200,000 in 2000.

Participants also discussed the AFL-CIO’s new Alliance for Retired Americans. ARA is the labor movement’s chief advocate for retired members and the elderly around such issues as universal health care, a Medicare prescription drug benefit and Social Security.

Speakers at the meeting included AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee, Secretary-Treasurer William Lucy and Retiree Director Steve Regenstreif, U.S. Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL) and representatives of the AARP.