ot mag Mk NN Ln Comet HY Be i A a ‘CCW welcomes proposals for submission on pensions _ Becky MacDonald, Congress of i] Canadian Women (B.C. Chapter), Writes: The Congress of Canadian § Women recently sponsored a Rae On ““Women and Pen- Slons.” The speakers, economist Bjarnason and social planner Renata Bublick, provided an over- “lew of the present pension | ‘ystems and summarized specific | Proposals included in the federal Svcmument’s green paper on pen- foe entitled, ‘‘Better Pensions Ot Canadians.’”? Both speakers Save examples of shortcomings in oth government-sponsored and Plivate, employer-sponsored pen- Sion plans. The Old Age Security (OAS) is Universally available to all Cana- fyi at 65 years of age upon satis- Ying certain residency re- Guitements. If the OAS is the Plimary source of income, a teed Income ‘Supplement (GIS) is paid. a Both of these incomes are index- €d to the cost of living. The federal 80vernment provides a spouse’s allowance which is available to per- Sons between 60 and 64 who are Married to someone already receiv- _ Mg OAS and GIS. The allowance is €qual to the OAS and GIS. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), in addition to the pension Meome, also provides disability Pension and death and survivor’s — ellen phillip rankin bond Paul - memurray Barristers & Solicitors 157 Alexander St., 2nd floor, _ Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1B8 682-3621 RANKIN & 4th Floor, 195 Offers a broad range of : ® Personal Injury and |nsurance ® Real Estate and Conveyancing ® Divorce and Family Law Vancouver Status of Women New Democratic Party Communist Party Unemployed Action Centre | 4nd more... go De hese : Barristers & Solicitors Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1N8 682-2781 May Day ‘83 March and Rally Assemble 1 p.m., Speakers: Bal B.C. Federation of Labour | (If Auspices: Vancouver Trade Union May Day Committee benefits. All employed persons must contribute to the plan. The amount of pension available upon retirement is earnings- related. Basically, the larger the yearly earnings, the larger the pen- sion. CPP monthly benefits are based on 25 percent of average monthly lifetime earnings, up to a maximum $345 a month. The private employer-sponsored pension plans are also earnings- related. Approximately 51 percent of employed men and 34 percent of employed women are covered under private plans. Both these types of pension as they relate to women have serious shortcomings. Many women now of pen- sionable age did not participate in the paid work force and are depen- dent solely on OAS and GIS, which together provide an income below the poverty line. Of women participating in the workforce, 23 percent are employed in part time work. The CPP to which they are entitled is pro-rated on these earnings. The majority of women who work full time earn 60 percent of what their male counterparts eam. Since the CPP is earnings-related, this means a lower pension for these women. “Many women leave the work force to raise families. Since the ‘CPP benefit is equivalent to 25 per- cent of average monthly lifetime earnings, the time spent raising a family would be included in the benefits calculations and would further reduce the level of the benefits. Most private employer- sponsored pension plans provide for funds to be vested after the employee has completed 10 years of service. Again, this is to the detriment of women because they change jobs more frequently than men. The funds which were con- tributed to the plan are usually paid to the employee upon leaving, but COMPANY Alexander St., legal services including: Claims @ Labour Law @ Criminal Law\ @ Estates and Wills bson Square, march Lumberman’s Arch. raining, march will to King George School, nman and Barclay) cannot be transferred to another employer’s plan. Some of the proposals for pen- sion reform in the green paper in- clude: e@ Stronger legislation regulat- ing employer-sponsored pension plans and the Registered Retire- ment Savings Plan to ensure the benefits are distributed in a fair manner; e An earlier vesting period in the employee-sponsored plan, from the current 10 years to 2 years; e A Registered Pension Ac- count to which employers could make contributions on behalf of the employee, ensuring portable pensions; @ Provision in the employer- sponsored plans for a survivor’s benefit. (In most of these plans itis offered as an option, which is a . deterrent since the pension received is lower with that option included.); _ : e Provision for compulsory membership where an employer- sponsored plan exists (This should include part-time workers, the ma- jority of whom are women.)’ e An increase in the level of the maximum pensionable earnings under the CPP to the average in- dustrial wage. The House of Commons Com- mittee on Pension Reform is to report its findings and recommen- dations by Dec. 31, 1983. Mean- while, the committee is holding hearings around the country to hear the public’s proposals. The Congress of Canadian Women is preparing a brief on reforms to the pension system as these apply to women. Anyone who wishes to contribute ideas should contact the CCW (B.C. Chapter) at P.O. Box 65703, Sta- tion ‘F’, Vancouver, VSN 5K7. Jack Gerow, secretary- business manager, Hospital Employees Union, writes: The 25,000-member Hospital Employees Union wishes to go on record as opposing the testing of the cruise missile in Canada. HEU joins with millions of other Canadians in urging our federal government to proceed towards nuclear and general the testing of foreign im- plements of war on Canadian soil. We believe disarmament is a health care issue because health must now compete with the military for tax funds. In Canada, for instance, half of the money that provinces spend on health comes from the federal government. As health care workers, HEU members see daily the effects of govern- ment underfunding of our health care system. While hospitals are forced to become martyrs of fiscal restraint, the Canadian military is guaranteed a spending hike of inflation plus three percent. HEU believes the cruise missile is not just another nuclear bomb, but a dangerous new weapon which will increase the likelihood of nuclear war. We contend it is unthinkable for the government to agree to test the cruise missile guidance system is Alberta. Unthinkable, because less than six months ago, in municipal referendums, hundreds of thousands of Canadians registered their op- position to a continuation of the arms race. Unthinkable, ‘Unthinkable’ to test cruise missile here, says hospital union disarmament, and to prohibit — JACK GEROW .. . ‘disarma- ment is a health care issue.’ because a recent national Gallup Poll found that a majority of Canadians specifically oppose the testing of the cruise missile in Canada. : If the Canadian government agrees to the testing, it will destroy our country’s long- standing international reputa- tion as a peacemaker, and make us an aggressive and active par- ticipant in the escalation of the arms race: HEU believes it has a respon- sibility to speak out against the unchecked arms race. Therefore, we will be officially endorsing the Walk for Peace scheduled to be held in Van- couver on Apr. 23 Our members will participate in the walk. under our banner, ‘‘Peace is the Ultimate Health Victory.”’ In addition, we have written prime minister Pierre Trudeau to register our oppostion to cruise missile testing in Canada. & ) Classified Advertising . COMING EVENTS _ APR. 27 — “‘Euromissiles, the zero option and the struggle for peace in Europe: the Communist view.”” An evening of film and discussion. Featured speaker: Communist Par- ty leader Maurice Rush. Film: "If You Love this Planet’, winner of Oscar award. 8 p.m., Weavers’ Room, Van. Indian Centre, 1607 E. Hastings. All welcome. MAY 1 — Annual Vancouver East May Day Supper. Fresh ravioli, $5. Doors 4:30, supper 5:30. Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender. Proceeds to Tribune. MAY 1 — Celebrate May Day at the Knotthole, 4810 Sooke Rd. Vic- toria. Smorgasbord dinner from 1 p.m. Proceeds to Tribune. MAY 7 — Third annual May Day Chicken Feed at the Beynon’s, 21972 Cliff Place, Maple Ridge, 4 p.m. on. For directions, 467-2888. Dinner $6. Proceeds to Tribune. “ MAY 8 — Annual Mother’s Day pancake breakfast and horseshoe tournament at Bev and Kostyn’s, 12715—66th Ave. Surrey. From 10 a.m. For directions, 594-0539. All you can eat for $5; children % price. Proceeds to Tribune. MAY 21 — 1st annual Vancouver East amateur talent contest. $50 prize. Watch for further details. JUNE 5 — Annual Burke Mountain Labor Festival, Websters Corners Hall. Watch for details. COMMERCIAL GRAMMA PUBLICATIONS. Complete printing services. Bro- chures, menus, leaflets, etc. Spe- cial rates for the progressive move- ment. A union shop. 1595 W. 3rd Ave., Van. 733-6822. ROOF REPAIRS: — New roofs. Reasonable. Ph. 277-3352. ELECTRICAL, plumbing, appli- ance repairs. Don Berg. 255-7287. NEED A SPRING TUNE-UP? Im- port or domestic, $10 hr. Guaranteed’ work. Major repairs, $12 hr. Richard Saunders 879-4038 (anytime). Also special rates for special needs. _ TRAVEL CRUISE ON THE DANUBE through six countries. Visit Istan- bul, Yalta, Kiev, Leningrad and Moscow. 21 days. Ph. 531-4994. FOR SALE OAK FLOWER TUBS, $15 each. 936-7308. Proceeds to Tribune. FRESH OOLICHANS. Proceeds to Tribune. 291-0148 or 291-6576. WANTED MATURE, resp. woman to super- vise 10 yr. old girl at my home (Lillooet Rd. area, North Van) dur. ing summer vacation. Child of same age welcome. 980-2036. FOUND ONE PAIR dark-frame bifocals, left behind after meeting. Alice, 936-7308. DIRECTORY COMMUNIST PARTY OF CAN- ADA offices located at 102-2747 E. Hastings St., Van. Ph. 254-9836. For information on political issues or assistance in political activity. HALLS FOR RENT RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S HOME — Available for rentals. For reserva- tions phone 254-3430. . WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL- TURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pen- der St., Vancouver. Available for banquets, weddings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436. J PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 22, 1983—Page 11 eS = ae ee ae ae