Sept. 2008 Issue 8 Academic Year 2008-2009 Retirees Newsletter Professional Staff Congress CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL REPORT: JACK JUDD The Retirees Chapter maintains a Ed Ott, Executive Director of the proactive schedule throughout the New York City Central Labor year. The Executive Committee and Council, on the municipal labor the general membership meet scene; Mr. Sean Sweeney, regularly, on a monthly basis, from Executive Director of the Global October to June. Our Executive Labor Institute of Cornell University’s Committee meetings are open to any School of Industrial and Labor PSC retirees desirous of attending. Relations, on Global Warming, and Professor Marie Gottschalk from the Chapter meetings draw audiences University of Pennsylvania, who ranging from 45 to 120 members. spoke to us about the issues During the year, we regularly have surrounding a national health plan. presentations from President Barbara Bowen, or Vice-President Steve London, on the “State of the Union.” In addition, Clarissa Gilbert Weiss speaks on Pension and Welfare Benefits, and Larry Morgan and Estelle Giammusso, from the PSC/CUNY Welfare Fund, speak on Health and Welfare Benefits. Our guest speakers for the 2007- 2008 year included, Mr. Marvin Miller, First Executive Director of the Marvin Miller, one of Baseball Players Union, on the the many guest speakers at our chapter meetings creation of a union for baseball players; a docent from the Our emphasis is to provide the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who members with basic information provided a slide presentation on the concerning union activities, up-to- new Roman and Greek galleries; Mr. date information on their health and 1 welfare benefits, and on cultural and Not neglecting cultural affairs and political affairs. In addition, we hold activities, the chapter launched what two luncheons, one in January and has turned out to be a very one in June. The luncheons have successful book group. The drawn over 130 participants. Our possibility of establishing other June luncheon of this year coincided groups in locations outside New York with the Israel Kugler Memorial City, is now being investigated. Program. During the year, many of us attended an off-Broadway theater This chapter publishes a monthly performance on an immigration Newsletter which has received theme. We look forward to other praise from our members for the such events. coverage of important information relative to retiree interests. The Active in union activities, our Newsletter is comprehensive and members serve on every major PSC responds to the needs of our Committee, including: constituents. Miriam Balmuth Alternate Delegate to DA Joel Berger Delegate to DA Francine Brewer Officer-at-Large Judith Bronfman Officer-at-Large Mary Bryce-Jennings Secretary Jack Donoghue Alternate Delegate to DA Peter Jonas PSC Executive Council Member Jack Judd Chairman, Delegate to DA Lawrence Kaplan Chairman Emeritus Martin Kaplan Officer-at-Large David Kotelchuck Delegate Steven Leberstein Alternate Delegate Eileen Moran Officer-at-Large James Perlstein Chapter Vice-Chair PSC Executive Council Member Ezra Seltzer Delegate Robert Wurman Alternate Delegate Irwin Yellowitz Chairman Emeritus WF Advisory Council Included in the list are two elected rallies, sign and collect postcards, representatives who serve on the and provide telephoning when called PSC Executive Council, a Welfare upon. Fund Trustee, and a Welfare Fund Council member. We are now In our NYSUT affiliate, we are the represented on every major entity major higher education components within the PSC and the Welfare of Retiree Councils 37 and 38. Fund. As a group, retirees attend Through those two councils, we also 2 comprise a part of the higher That sub-committee met separately education coterie for ED 52 of with Clarissa Weiss and NYSUT. During the year, we representatives of TIAA in an effort attended an ED 52 meeting held in to cope with individual issues, and to Albany, and the recent NYSUT offer some hope that major problems Representative Assembly in New will be resolved in the near future. York City. Again, in partnership with NYSUT, and as a component of the Through our own efforts, within the Committee of 100, we engaged in chapter, we contributed over lobbying activities. $10,600 to COPE. Our members, currently numbering 2,397, strongly recognize the necessity of lobbying our legislative representatives. We are also active members of the We’ve had representatives at the Council of Municipal Retiree AFT Retirees Conference, and the Organizations of the City of New AFT Convention in Chicago in July York (COMRO). Four of us serve on with a strong contingent of retirees. the Executive Council of COMRO. It is that organization that acquired, Within RC 37-38, and in ED 52 of after years of lobbying, the NYSUT, we are the leading enactment of legislation providing for advocates for action by the NYS the 100% reimbursement of Legislature in seeking to provide Medicare Part “B” payments to Inflation Protection Equity for those municipal employees by the City. retirees who opted for one of the COMRO is now seeking to enhance optional retirement plans. Our the COLA component of municipal persistence was rewarded this year retiree pensions. when the Representative Assembly of NYSUT endorsed such action. Furthermore, several of our This is a complicated issue, and it members serve on the New York will take more years before a fruitful Central Labor Council, concerned equity conclusion is obtained. with labor issues pertaining to NYC. The leading optional retirement plan We have representation on the adopted by our members is TIAA- Alliance of Retired Americans, and CREF. That organization, which is with its affiliates, NYSARA and now a public organization, has been NYCARA. This chapter was a experiencing a number of serious founding member of Rekindling problems recently. The TIAA sub- Reform, a leading voice in the committee of the Retirees Chapter movement to bring about a national has been holding separate meetings health care system. Our members where information is disseminated to also serve in the NYSAAUP. interested members as to how to cope with some of the problems they All told, the Retirees Chapter spent a may be facing in dealing with TIAA. very interesting and fruitful year. 3 THE JUNE 11 RETIREES they gathered in the auditorium for CHAPTER MEETING: During our the Israel Kugler Memorial Program. abbreviated June 11 meeting, held prior to the Israel Kugler Memorial A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF Program, a question was raised ISRAEL KUGLER: regarding the solvency of the PSC- CUNY Welfare Fund. A related item in this Newsletter will address that issue. The retirees were called upon by Jim Perlstein, Vice-Chairman of the Chapter, to bring to the attention of the Program Committee suggestions for future programs and activities at our meetings, or for outside events. He may be reached at the PSC office, or by E-Mail at: [email protected]. In a memorial program, held at the The attendees were also informed by Graduate Center, on the afternoon of Clarissa Gilbert Weiss, PSC Pension June 11, many former colleagues, and Benefits Officer that, at the family members, trade unionists, conclusion of our first meeting in the Workmen’s Circle representatives, new academic year, on October 6, and a substantial number of attendees will be separated into two members of the PSC, and its groups: those under the TRS Retirees Chapter, came to pay pension system, and those under homage to the memory of Israel TIAA pensions. Representatives Kugler(1917-2007), a pioneer in from both organizations will explain higher education unionization. new fund choices which are now Speaking about the various major available to retirees. I am certain activities of Israel Kugler were: Irwin that those sessions will be very well Yellowitz on the creation of the attended. United Federation of College Teachers in 1963, and its merger Irwin Yellowitz, President of NYSUT with the Legislative Conference in Retiree Councils 37 and 38, provided 1972 in forming the Professional an overview of the work of the two Staff Congress; Irwin Polishook, councils. He remarked about the President Emeritus of the PSC, and activities our members had engaged Barbara Bowen, President of the in as part of Councils 37 and 38. PSC, spoke of Kugler’s active role in the union from the time of its Following the meeting, our members inception until declining health moved into the lobby for a buffet intervened. Other speakers luncheon catered by Restaurant included, Peter Pepper, Workmen’s Associates. Immediately afterward, Circle President; Arieh Lebowitz, 4 representing the Jewish Labor Committee; Jerry Grayson, former colleague at the New York City College of Technology and, speaking for the Kugler family, Phil Kugler, son of Israel Kugler, and currently AFT Assistant to the President for Organizing and Field Services. The program also provided a documentary film depicting Israel Kugler’s many years of active unionizing. It was introduced by Albert Sherman, Chair of the College Laboratory Technician’s Chapter, PSC. A reception concluded the Memorial program. A DISTINGUISHED AWARD: Dr. David Kotelchuck, a member of the Retiree Chapter’s Executive Committee, and a Trustee on the PSC/CUNY Welfare Fund, has been informed that he is to receive a Distinguished Award. He was notified that: On behalf of the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association, I am pleased to notify you that you have been selected as the 2008 recipient of the Alice Hamilton Award, an award recognizing the life-long contributions of individuals who have distinguished themselves through a career of hard work and dedication to improve the lives of workers. Congratulations! We, too, offer David Kotelchuck our heartiest congratulations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WELFARE FUND FINANCIAL POSITION CLARIFIED: By David Kotelchuck, with assistance from Larry Morgan At the June 11 Retirees meeting a on to state that lack of attention to question was raised regarding a flyer the Welfare Fund by its trustees may that was recently distributed by a result in loss of valuable benefits.