Whereas retired member activists have had their talents enriched by decades of effective dedicated service and productive labor activism; and

Whereas retired members are often a more readily available, invaluable resource to locals for their institutional memory, their understanding of issues affecting the working conditions of bargaining unit members, their organizational experience and expertise, and their dedication to the interests of working people; and

Whereas retired members are well situated to assist their parent locals with membership recruitment, bargaining and strike support, other organizing activities and political action; and

Whereas the CFT’s Council of Retired Members (CRM) was established pursuant to a CFT constitutional amendment in 2014; and

Whereas the CRM’s objectives include encouraging activities of retirees in support of local, state, and national union endeavors, relating the concerns of retired members to CFT and AFT governing bodies, facilitating concerted action, and supporting public education and equal opportunity; and

Whereas the CRM in pursuit of these objectives offers a statewide forum for networking, information exchange, best practices, and continuing education on union issues; and

Whereas retiree chapter dues are minimal in accordance with AFT policy and in recognition of the long- term support and investment retirees have made in the union, the level of these dues being insufficient, for all but the largest chapters, to support retiree travel expenses to CRM meetings; and

Whereas, currently, travel expenses for retiree attendance at CRM meetings are only reimbursable by CFT in the following circumstances: (1) for CRM officers; (2) if the attendance coincides with a committee member’s attendance at a committee meeting; (3) if the attendance coincides with a chapter president or designee’s attendance at a State Council meeting; and

Whereas the CRM can offer partial travel grants to delegates to CRM meetings, but lacks the budget to provide for travel from all 145 CFT locals;

Therefore, be it resolved, that the CFT encourages locals without established retiree chapters to select at least one retiree representative to attend meetings of the CRM, and support such attendance with travel expense reimbursement, in situations where travel funding is not already covered by CFT.

Be it further resolved, that CFT encourages locals with established retiree chapters to assist their chapters with funding for at least one chapter representative’s attendance at CRM meetings, in situations where travel funding is not already covered by CFT.
 

• Passed as Resolution 3 by CFT Convention on March 23, 2019
• Submitted by the Council of Retired Members