Are you getting prepared for your retirement?

REQUESTS FOR PENSION and benefit information
prior to the merger, together with the preparation of
the actuarial valuation of the WA-FI Pension Plan has
brought a number of issues to my attention which I felt

ABOUT YOUR COVERAGE
BY GERRY SMITH

would be of interest to members in my age bracket (not
necessarily old, but with a wealth of experience!).

The average age of a pension plan member is 42, a
reflection of our position in the “Baby Boom” genera-
tion. This means that many of us are approaching
tetirement within the next ten years.

The IWA-Forest Industry Pension Plan is in place for
our members in the primary manufacturing and log-
ging sectors of the forest industry. Our membership
outside of this sector in the USWA have different bene-
fit packages. They include pension options that are
within funding capabilities of their employing compa-
nies. The pension plan is an important part of your
retirement support system, whether it's a defined bene-

fit, specified multi-employer pension plan like the TWA-
FIPP, ora single employer plan. Itcan bea defined ben-
efit or defined contribution plan, depending on your
collective agreement.

Canada has developed into a three-level retirement
income system. The first level is the Old Age Security
(OAS) which consists of the OAS benefit, Guaranteed
Income Supplement (GIS), Spouse's Allowance and
provincial and territorial supplements. The second is
the government sponsored Canada Pension Plan/
Quebec Pension Plan. The third consists of the volun-
tary programs sponsored by employers and individuals.
The third includes the pensions provided through your
employment, RRSP’s, term deposits and all other
investment vehicles.

Pre-retirement planning should be a consideration
early in life. But economic pressures of raising a family
often does not allow it to become a priority. Pension
plans obtained through employment and the invest-

. ments made in other personal tax-sheltered programs

form an important part of our retirement income. The
complex nature financial investments and tax issues
make a strong case for the use of a reputable financial
advisor who holds a professional designation. There are

other social considerations to be addressed. The loss of
structure in our lives can be very disturbing to us when
the normal work day disappears at the end ofa 30 to 40-
year routine. There is a new dynamic within the family
home after retirement, when spouses begin to share the
same space all day, everyday.

Like graduation from school, marriage, the birth ofa
first child, or starting a new career, retirementis anew
beginning that requires preparation and planning. It is
also the end of a very familiar routine, with friends and
associates that you have known for many years. These
issues, if troubling, may be dealt with through pre-
retirement counseling. It's been found that when peo-
ple who have had an active work life of 40-50 years
suddenly retire, many have really no idea what to do
with themselves. Planning personal investments is
easily obtained from a Certified Financial Planner or
similar investment counsellor, once you've checked
them out. Pre-retirement counseling may be found
through contacting your EFAP provider or local
union. The local will not have a qualified counsellor
on staff but can assist in locating a counsellor.

Gerry Smith is a USWA - IWA Council Representative

Education programs are ‘back to the local’

THEY RUN A FIRST-CLASS educa-
tion program built on the motto: “Back
to the Local.” In a nutshell, the
Steelworkers’ philosophy on trade union
education is that workers from the local
unions out there make the best instruc-

tors — they truly are the ones who have
“been there and done that.” All through

Steelworker Districts in Canada, the
union reaches out to train rank-and-file
instructors and deliver programs at the
local union level — the grass roots level.

Steel offers numerous courses which
have been written in direct consultation
with workers from the mills, mines,
plants, offices and other worksites where
its members toil.

Carol Landry, herself a former worker
from Highland Valley Copper (USWA
Local 7619) and now District 3’s repre-
sentative in
charge of coor-
dinating educa-

tion programs
in the four

western events

involving members

from

= Pictured are USWA members at a Distrct 3 educational seminar at the Kimberly Ski Resort in June of this year.
For instance, Local 2952, in the B.C. Lower

“One big incentive behind the merger

provinces and
northern
Territories, told
The Allied
Worker that the
Steelworkers
endeavour to
make sure that union representatives
q from every bargaining unit are properly

' trained and equipped. Steel also strives
to ensure that workplace demographics
(gender, ethnic origin and age, etc.) are
adequately represented.

The most common courses delivered

by peer trainers are Shop Steward
Occupational Health and

Carol Landry

courses are also available including
Management, Organizing, and,
es are delivered through both
ict and Regional Schools. The
Schools tend to be week-long

throughout their respective districts.
District 3 covers B.C., the prairie
provinces and the northern territories.
District 6 covers Ontario and the
Maritimes and District 5 covers Quebec.

Likewise regional schools are held on
an ongoing basis. For instance there may
be a need to hold classes on Vancouver
Island or in Prince George to invite
workers from specific regions and/or
industries. “These regional schools are
very popular,” notes Sister Landry. “We
cue them up to deal with the specific
needs that the locals have. For instance,
we may put on a collective bargaining
course several months prior to the start
of negotiations in a certain region.”

And the Steelworkers are busy. In
2003, District 3 alone put about one
course a week. In the district there are
about 40 instructors at the local union
level. Some are from plant locals and oth-

ers originate from “amalgamated locals.”

Mainland, covers some 62 operations.

Most courses are put together with the
technical expertise of the Steelworkers
Canadian office in Toronto. Brother
Roger Falconer heads a department
which oversees Education, Equality,
Organizing, and Strategic Campaigns.
The Education component is a major pri-
ority which: involves nearly every staff
member and department within Steel.

Under the merger agreement with the
Steelworkers, top priority was paid to pro-
viding future opportunities for former
IWA members. During the first year of
the merger, the USWA has agreed tio
train a minimum of one instructor from
each former IWA local. On top of that,
the international union puts on a four-
year Leadership Scholarship Program at
its special educational facility in Linden
Hall, Pennsylvania. Six new openings
will be provided to members from former
IWA locals.

is the fact that the Steelworkers have the

quality and
quantity of
opportunities

that our mem-
bers require to
build up a
stronger orga-
nization. They
also have devel-
oped the delivery
mechanisms to
make it all hap-
pen” says David
Tones, USWA-
IWA Council Officer. “It is a union with a
tich history of educating its rank and file
activists to do the job at the shop floor level,
where members visibly see their union on
the job. The Steelworkers are a proud and
diverse union with a solid industrial base,
just like the IWA. There will bea lot of excit-
ing opportunities for our membership.”

David Tones

SEPTEMBER 2004 THE ALLIED WORKER I 21