Posted by Lou Maccarone on March 8, 2010
This month’s general membership meeting will be held on March 18th, 4:15pm, in the 3rd floor cafeteria of 235 Promenade Street. At this meeting, we will be discussing the status of recent legislative proposals and the upcoming AFSCME convention.
Please notice that there is also a new link in the sidebar, directed to the Common Ground newspaper. This periodical is intended for unions and their members regarding the state of labor issues. Local 2881 has agreed to advertise in the newspaper and link to it from our website. The site is http://www.commongroundnews.net. From that site, you can also see the current issue of the newspaper. Enjoy!
Posted by Lou Maccarone on February 3, 2010
There is so much information to get to the membership, let’s dive right in!
- Co-share credits
Don’t forget to take your online health assessment!Complete the online health assessment at www.myuhc.com by February 5, 2010 and earn that $75 co-share credit. Instructions for accessing the health assessment are available at www.wellness.ri.gov
- Lawsuit updates
Executive Director of Council 94, Ken DeLorenzo, followed up on his promise to get us information about the status of legal challenges Council 94. The retirees health care lawsuit has been filed, and it has been heard in Federal Court by Judge Smith. His ruling was due last fall, however, he is currently gathering additional information. This gathering is interpreted as a good sign by the Council.
The pension benefit lawsuit has NOT been filed yet. Six unions are working together to file a collective lawsuit, and the logistics of that arrangement are being worked out right now. Lynette Larbinger was hired to be the lead attorney for this. There is no concrete schedule right now, but the lawsuit will probably not be filed until March at the earliest. The statute of limitations to file a legal challenge to these actions is three years.
- Pension COLA changes
As you may have heard, the governor’s budget proposal included removing COLA from retirees’ pensions who were not eligible to retire on September 30, 2009. The budget is in the preliminary stages of debate, and there will likely be hearings to analyze the various proposals of this budget. We will certainly keep you informed as to how this progresses.
In the meantime, it always helps to call your representatives in the state house to voice your concerns about taking further compensation away from state workers. To find your representation, use the Voter Information Center.
- Pension Study Reports
Previously, I have referenced the Indiana Legislature Pension Study Report. Wisconsin performs a similar study every two years, and publishes a report of their findings. The last study was performed in 2008, but all of the reports can be found at the Wisconsin Legislature website. We are forwarding this information to Council 94 in hopes that this information can be helpful in fighting against another cut in benefits.
- Interesting articles
RIFuture.org discusses the detrimental effects eliminating the COLA will have on retirees and the state economy.
Jim Baron takes the governor to task in the Pawtucket Times for the nonsense proposals in the supplemental budget.
Posted by Lou Maccarone on January 13, 2010
As you may already know, there is a Local 2881 general membership meeting scheduled for 4:15pm, Thursday, January 21 in the third-floor cafeteria at 235 Promenade Street. This is our first meeting of 2010, and it is packed with important topics.
- Meeting the new executive director of AFSCME Council 94, Ken DiLorenzo
- Review of the 2010 Local 2881 budget
- Discussion of Local 2881 subidizing the union dues increase
A note about that last point: AFSCME has increased our union dues by 70 cents. Council 94 has voted to absorb that 70 cent increase for 6 months. Many other local unions have agreed to absorb the increase for the other 6 months of this year. At the meeting, we will be discussing and voting on this topic.
As always, there will be food and door prizes. Hope to see you there!
Posted by Lou Maccarone on January 5, 2010
Happy new year, Local 2881 members! Hope you’ve had an enjoyable, refreshing holiday season, and that 2010 will be a healthy and happy year for you!
We have some wellness fairs coming up soon, which are your opportunities to earn those wellness credits. Please read the flyers I’ve linked to below, and be sure to call 1-8777-239-3557 to register. These fairs will NOT be taking walk-ins, so you must register ASAP. Also, if you complete the online health assessment, you can earn more wellness credits.
Health fair flyer
Health Fair Schedule
Health Assessment Instructions
Posted by Lou Maccarone on December 3, 2009
Happy holiday season to all our members in Local 2881 (and their families, of course)! As you probably know, Local 2881 is having a holiday party this year on December 14. It will be held at Ralph’s Kitchen (at the Kelley Gazzaro VFW Post, map) from 4:30pm until whenever the party ends. Tickets are on sale, so see Greg Baribault, Lou Maccarone, or Carmino Paliotta. We’re charging a $10 deposit, essentially. When you come to the party, we give you your $10 back.
Also, we have a new trustee on the Local 2881 Executive board. It is Brian Harrington of CRMC, serving the 2009-2012 term. Congratulations and welcome!
