The Faculty Association (WUFA) appointed a Joint Task Force Committee consisting of three members of WUFA - Drs. Dan Britten, Anne Forrest and John Meyer (Chair) and Retirees Association (WURA) representatives, Drs. Stan Cunningham, Alan Metcalfe and Datta Pillay. The Committee met several times to examine and report on the request of WURA to have representation on various Faculty Association Committees and its impact on the WUFA constitution and voting privileges. The following was the submission of WURA which in principle received some support. At a meeting of WUFA Executive Meeting on June 8, 1999, the WUFA members of the committee were preparing a counter proposal in two weeks.

TO: Task Force (WUFA and WURA)

SUBJECT: Recognition of WURA and retiree membership on WUFA committees

A: Recognition of WURA by WUFA

The University of Windsor Retirees' Association (WURA) seeks recognition from the Faculty Association (WUFA) as the official voice of retired faculty, librarians and certain others (administration).

In point of fact, we have already served in this capacity for years, and so this amounts to formalizing nearly a decade of established practice. The University of Windsor Retirees Association has been in existence for over nine years, and has published 32 newsletters. Over the last three years in particular, it has vigorously voiced retiree concerns to the University of Windsor and to the Faculty Association over pension and benefits provisions in the negotiated Agreements. Last fall, we negotiated the use of computer services by retirees at the U of W.

Currently, we levy a membership fee of $10. We operate a list-serve e-mail service with 80 subscribers.

No other group of retirees has done or is doing any of this.

WURA has a formally ratified Constitution. It holds two general meetings (spring and fall) each year, with officers elected at the Fall meeting. It also sponsors a number of social events.

We are representative. Of the University's 250 retirees (comprising faculty, librarians, certain others) 173--nearly 70%---are paying members of WURA. In recent weeks, our membership has increased from last year's 120 by 53, over 44%. We attribute this both to our recruitment efforts, and to mounting awareness and concern among our pensioners.

WURA membership comprises four groups: i) retired faculty; ii) retired librarians; iii) about a dozen retired "certain others" from the administration sector; iv) associate members, the spouses (about 5) of deceased members. Our "certain others" are eligible for internal membership on the Executive and other committees.

The great majority (7/8) of our members reside in the Essex County/Greater Detroit area, and therefore enjoy easy access to WURA meetings and activities. We are in regular communication with a number of out-of-towners by e-mail, list-serve and phone. In practice, too, we consult with out-of-towners. We are active in recruitment: In March, we wrote to all non-members U of W retirees inviting them to join WURA, and our membership soared to 173. Out-of-towners, of course, are eligible to serve on any of WURA's bodies and committees, and to engage in WURA enterprises.

WURA is also gender-inclusive. Our Executive membership is both male and female, and membership on all WURA committees is open to all regardless of gender, race or sexual preference. At present, our associate members, dues-paying spouses of deceased retirees, are all female. ( We believe it would be inappropriate to encourage increased male membership.)

In principle we are open to mail balloting. We have not used it yet because of our limited budget resources, and because there has not yet been an evident need or preference for it.

Finally, we stress that membership in WURA and possible representative status on WUFA committees is dedicated to retiree issues. Where retirees are engaged as teaching sessionals, their concerns as sessionals belong to WUFA-Sessionals structures not to WURA, or its elected representatives.

As the number of retirees increases greatly over the next 5-7 years, we believe that it will redound to the advantage of the Faculty Association to acknowledge WURA as the official voice of the University's retired professionals.

B: WURA REPRESENTATION ON CERTAIN WUFA COMMITTEES

WURA seeks the following representation on WUFA Committees:

1. One voting representative on the Executive Committee of WUFA, to be elected from the ranks of WURA.

Rationale: Since it is the Executive that frames, proposes and sponsors all policy on the relationship between WUFA and its retirees (as indeed this very submission attests), it is only fair and reasonable that a representative from the Retirees' Association should be present and voting on all and only those issues and policies relating to retirees, the Pension Plan and pension benefits. Not to provide this is to perpetuate a system of paternalism--an irony and injustice that WUFA will surely want to avoid.

Since this representation will be the essential constitutional link between two distinct bodies, we believe that this representative should be elected by WURA membership at large.

2. Three voting representative on the Faculty Association Council to discuss and vote on all and only those issues and policies relating to retirees, the Pension Plan and pension benefits.

Rationale: First, since the Council broadly represents all faculty, librarians and sessionals, the retirees would like to present their views before this widely representative body. Second, since the Council commands ultimate authority on all Executive Committee recommendations and proposals, it makes sense to us to include our voice within these final determinations.

3. One voting representative on the WUFA Contract Committee

Rationale: Since the Faculty Association is legally mandated to negotiate all pension and benefits for U of W retirees, it makes sense to include the voice of retirees in contract provisions on all and only those issues relating to pensioners, The Pension Plan and pension benefits. Failure to make adequate provision here, especially in the current and last (1996-98) Agreements, resulted in dispositions of excess surplus funds which were (continued on page eight)

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