News & Views September 2010_1 9/17/10 11:15 AM Page 2 RETIREE news && views A PUBLICATION OF LOCAL 237 RETIREE DIVISION • VOL. 16 NO. 9 • SEPTEMBER 2010 New York Celebrates 75 Years of Social Security MARCH IN WASHINGTON, DC ocial vices Now for Adult Persons). OCTOBER 2 Securi - The celebrations were among Sty ben - close to a hundred events held We will make a difference! eficiaries, in New York State and around including the country during August. On October 2, hundreds of thousands of workers, students, retirees, A highlight of both celebra - retirees, and other Americans who believe that everyone people with tions was the release of a new deserves a just and fair chance to achieve the American 75 disabilities, report prepared by two groups, Dream will descend upon Washington, DC to demand a and family Social Security Works and government and an economy that works for everyone. members of all ages, community Strengthen Social Security, “So - It’s time to reset our national agenda and get things done leaders, government officials, and cial Security Works for New for working and middle class families. We will march for scholars celebrated the program’s York.” The report details the im - 75th anniversary August 19 at two pact of Social Security on New H Putting America Back to Work standing-room-only events in New York families, communities, and H Quality and Affordable Education York City. state and local economies. The H Equality For All The celebrations, one in the morn - report was presented by Local ing at the Taino Towers gymnasium in 237 Retiree Division Director The rally was called by One Nation Working Together, a East Harlem and one in the afternoon, Nancy True, secretary of the new coalition of unions, civil and human rights at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse, New York State Alliance for Re - organizations, peace organizations, and community groups were organized by the Social Security tired Americans, and Suleika to fight for the good of all Americans, and to demand the Diamond Anniversary Committee, a Cabrera-Drinane, president and changes we voted for in November 2008. coalition of organizations that in - CEO of the Institute for Puerto Local 237 retirees, join your union brothers and cludes the Local 237 Retiree Division, Rican/Hispanic Elderly and sisters in this historic march and rally. Make sure that New York State Office for the Aging also an ARA board member. Congress hears our voice on October 2 and on (NYSOFA), NYS Alliance for Retired (See box on page 3.) The two of Election Day, November 2. Americans, the Institute for Puerto them emceed the morning pro - Rican/Hispanic Elderly, Business and gram in East Harlem. Local 237 will provide transportation for members at no Labor Coalition of New York (BAL - True said, “Social Security is cost. Buses will leave from Local 237 headquarters, 216 @. CONY), AARP, New York State Unit - one of our nation's greatest ac - 14th Street, Manhattan. They will board at 5:30 a.m. and ed Teachers (NYSUT, and SNAP (Ser - complishments. As a family leave Washington between 3 and 4 p.m. You must have a protec - reservation. To reserve a seat, retirees should call the tion Retiree Division, 212-807-0555. pro - gram, it has provided financial for families in East Harlem, which is security for generations of re - represented by Rep. Charles Rangel, tired and disabled workers and State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., City their families and the surviving Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viver - spouses and children of de - ito, and Manhattan Borough Presi - ceased workers. Without Social dent Scott Stringer, who all spoke, Security, 55 percent of disabled and by Assemblymember Keith workers and their families, 47 Wright, who sent a representative. percent of elderly households Speakers at both events included and 1.3 million children would Michael Burgess, director of NYSO - Some of the speakers at the morning Social Security 75th anniversary live in poverty. We need to FA; David Roosevelt, a grandson of celebration in East Harlem, l-r: Maria Cruz, executive director of Taino spread the word to people of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Towers; Suleika Cabrera-Drinane, president/CEO, Institute for Puerto all ages to help ensure Social Rican Hispanic Elderly; poet Tato Laviera; David Roosevelt, grandson of who signed the Social Security bill President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Rep. Charles Rangel; Eric Kingson, co- Security remains strong for into law in 1935; and Eric Kingson, director, Social Security Works; Angela Arnett, deputy commissioner, generations to come.” co-director of Social Security Works. Social Security Administration; Michael Burgess, executive director, New The morning presentation Rep. Anthony Weiner, City Council York State Office for the Aging; Eva Dominguez, Alliance for Retired Americans; and Nancy B. True, director, Local 237 Retiree Division and of the report focused on the Speaker Christine Quinn, and City secretary of the NYS ARA significance of Social Security continued on page 3 News & Views September 2010_1 9/17/10 11:15 AM Page 3 Page 2 RETIREE NEWS & VIEWS September 2010 merica’s workers and retirees have vey refutes increasing claims that public a great deal at stake in the 2010 A Message employees' compensation is "too gener - Aelections. The entire House of Rep - from the ous." The survey found that public em - resentatives and 37 Senate seats are up for ployees earn 7.4 percent less than employ - election, and along with the hundreds of President ees with comparable skills in the private state and local races, the outcomes will de - sector, even with the cost of benefits fac - termine the nation’s agenda. Republicans tored in. Separately, a study by the Center only need to win 10 Senate seats to retake for State and Local Government Excel - the majority, repeal health care, and re - with working people or those whose lence and the National Institute on Retire - voke stimulus funds. The rise of the Tea right-wing agenda will choke off econom - ment Security finds that when such fac - Party movement and that movement’s ic recovery and put corporations back in tors as education and work experience are manipulation by multibillionaire heads of the driver’s seat. It is about a lot more accounted for (including pensions and powerful corporations threaten programs than just who takes office in January. It health coverage), state and local employ - that have existed for decades as well as will continue to define who we are as a ees earn about 11 to 12 percent less than new programs. nation, whether we’re a nation that re - comparable private-sector workers. I have been urging you to vote, but we spects workers and rewards work. The decades-old war on public em - also need to hit the streets to send a strong The primaries are over, and the results ployees has intensified as more jobs and message. We have joined with 150 unions, in New York City were good, overall. homes are lost. "But the attacks have little civil and human rights organizations, and Now, our union's greatest power is turning basis in reality," writes Amy Traub, re - community groups for a march in Wash - out a large vote on November 2. This elec - search director for the Drum Major Insti - ington on October 2 to demand that Con - tion year is especially critical to our sur - tute for Public Policy, in her article "`Cod - gress and the Obama Administration adopt vival, as the economy continues to falter. dled' Public Employees Make Less than a people’s agenda. That means a strong Ignoring the Wall Street greed that trig - the Private Sector." Traub emphasizes that program for quality jobs now, bargaining gered the greatest economic collapse since "at its heart, the scapegoating of public em - rights, retirement security, and government the Great Depression in 1929, misguided ployees is an insidious way to divide pub - that works for all of us. elected officials are trying to plug the holes lic and private-sector workers who share The mobilization, which is being orga - in their budgets by calling for givebacks many of the same interests.” nized by the One Nation Working Together from hard-working public employees, We will defend our negotiated rights. coalition, will be the beginning of an ongo - who have carried the burden of doing That means turning out 24,000 members ing, progressive effort. more with less since well before the finan - and 8,000 retirees and their families on The elections this year come down to a cial crisis of 2008. Election Day to vote for candidates who choice between leaders who will stand A recent National Compensation Sur - will protect our interests. who favor repealing health care reform, ast month we celebrated the 75th Use Your cutting Social Security benefits, even end- anniversary of Social Security and ing Social Security altogether. They favor Lthe 45th anniversary of Medicare, Voting Power extending the Bush administration tax cuts but August was also the 90th anniversary By Nancy B. True for the wealthy, cutting off unemployment of the passage of the 19th amendment Director, Retiree Division benefits, and ending federal government granting women the right to vote. stimulus plans that are needed to put mil- For 72 years, women fighting for their lions of Americans back to work full-time. right to vote were harassed, arrested, beat- ments to voters, 47 campaigns to get consti- If the Republicans win back the House, for en, and shunned by friends, family and tutional conventions to write woman suf- example, the chairmanship of the House their churches. A constitutional amend- frage into state constitutions; 277 cam- Budget Committee would pass to Rep.