Hello Brothers & Sisters. Please allow me to introduce myself.
I have been a Teamster for over 45 years. I retired in 1992 from TNT Red Star in Rochester, N.Y. as a trailer driver and steward.
With the desire for continuing my relationship with my Local and with my fellow Teamsters, I formed a Teamsters Retiree Chapter in 1993 with the purpose of assisting the retirees, protecting and improving their benefits while providing them with a place to meet, eat and socialize with each other and affording them the opportunity to express their concerns before the membership where they would be discussed and remedies sought.
The members of our organization are very active.:
They give assistance to our Local whenever it is needed.
They volunteer their services to the elderly in their community.
They hold annual clothing drives, They man phone banks at election time.
They contribute annually to Teamsters DRIVE. They follow politics closely and support politicians who prove to be in the best interest of everyone. Whenever a just cause is needed, whether it involves national or local issues, petitions are drawn up.
We continually strive to improve our benefits.
        To further my involvement with the labor movement, I connected with the Rochester Labor Council and participated in numerous projects and eventually was appointed chairman and coordinator of the Union Retiree committee. Additionally, I became the editor and moderator for the Teamster Retiree forum on the Teamster.com website. This position gave me the chance to hear from retirees across the country who related their situations, problems and feelings concerning the Teamsters Union. I am presently assisting with the formation of a Black Caucus Chapter for my Local of which I am a dues paying member.
       There are many Teamster Retiree Chapters through out the United States but there could be more.
I believe that there should be one in each and every city as they provide a means for retirees to meet with their peers and continue their link with their Local.

        I have formed this Teamster Retiree Coalition for the State of New York with the hope of reaching out to Teamsters across the United States in order that we can communicate with each other and work together towards solving the many inequities of some of the Teamster retirees.
I encourage Teamster Retiree Chapters across the country to start such a coalition to represent their State. Since there are numerous Pension & Health Funds which provide benefits that vary from one Fund to the other along with by-laws that also differ from Local to Local, the problems of retirees can be dealt with on a local level while coordinating those issues and efforts with the coalitions of each state and ultimately surfacing with the situations that can be addressed on a national scale.
By combining our efforts, we can become a much larger force and accomplish many tasks easier and quicker.

       We need to work closely with our Local while also dealing within the entire Teamster network as ultimately we will be appealing through the I.B.T. to approve, for adoption into the bylaws of each Local,. the requests we which we will be seeking. Each of us needs to keep in touch, attend meetings and stay informed.
Before we can just make demands, we must first know the financial standing of our Union so that we then will understand just what changes are truly feasible.
Let us not forget that the primary concern of our Union is for the active members with the goal of increasing membership and continuing with the best contract negotiations.
Only when we have a strong and secure Union, can we, as retirees benefit.
These are difficult times for the survival of labor unions.
We should expect fairness and not become greedy.
We should do everything possible to help our Union maintain its efficiency.

       Yes, we should be concerned that retirement benefits of many retirees need to be improved but we have to keep in mind that there are limits.
We must band together and carefully take the appropriate action.
Currently, some of the issues that should be dealt with are:
--- A substantial increase in our monthly pension check.
--- A repeal of the increases in retiree health care premiums.
--- Additional medical benefits at reduced rates.
--- A revision of the overly restrictive re-employment rules that exist today.
   It's unfair and it's making it harder than ever for retirees to try and supplement their pensions.

Teamster retirees should be given the respect that is due them.
They should not be put in a position where they merely survive.
They deserve to spend the remaining years of their lives with dignity.

       I along with many Teamster retirees, have been campaigning to gain the right to vote for some time. Although we did not succeed in this past convention, our members are continuing with this endeavor in spite of the opposition by some of the active members who really do not understand what exactly the retirees hope to gain by seeking the right to vote. The answer is simple. Retirees want accountability by the Fund Trustees in matters that concern current retirees ( and the key word here is "current") and there is a very slight possibility of it being accomplished unless we, as retirees are granted a voice.
It's a struggle but let's not give up. Working together, we can be an enormous power. There are approximately 1.4 million active Teamsters, however there are also almost 500 thousand Teamster retirees. We are the forerunners of this great Teamsters Union and that fact shouldn't be forgotten.
We retirees need to be acknowledged and treated fairly.
It has been long overdue.

I hope this coalition will serve as an example and give each retiree
a reason for becoming active and participating in our pursuit to achieve righteousness.

In Union, Gino Arilotta