Newsletter - Issue 45-Page 1
Page 1
Presidents Report - Alan Metcalfe
First it is important to recognize the contributions of a small but extremely dedicated group of
your colleagues who have worked hard during the past six months to try to improve conditions
for retirees. Their work is even more laudable when one considers that even small
improvements are achieved only after expending a great deal of effort. The first group, in
alphabetical order, is your executive Jane Black, Don Briggs, Stan Cunningham, John Drake,
Wilf Innerd, Jim Linton, Jerry Malone and Phyllis Nolan. The executive meetings have been
well attended and, in fact, have been fun. Thanks also go to the members on the Faculty
Association Pension and Benefits Committee-Don Briggs, John Meyer, and Gordon Olafson. In
particular, John Meyer's contribution on the Executive, the Pension and Benefits Committee
and the D7 Committee deserve to be recognized. Finally, we have been extremely lucky to
have Peter Burrell represent us on the potentially very important Trust Fund Committee which
had its first meeting on March 19.
What then, have we been doing on your behalf? First, general statement on the major problem
facing WURA - the lack of any real power. We rely on the goodwill of the Faculty Association
and Administration to achieve even small goals. There are clear indications that the
Administration and the Association are taking retiree issues seriously and we have established
an excellent working relationship with Brian Brown and Jim Butler, in particular. However, it is
unlikely that you will see major changes in the foreseeable future. In something of an irony we
are, in fact, working for future retirees - the very people who have difficulty in recognizing the
problems facing retirees - remember we, as a collective, did not show much interest when we
were active faculty members. Let me share the things we have been trying to achieve.
There are two initiatives that have the potential to achieve some concrete results. The executive will be making proposals flowing out of two committee reports. Jerry Malone has prepared a proposal on how to get current faculty members interested in retirees issues - in other words to achieve with current faculty members what nobody achieved with us. Another committee, chaired by Don Briggs, looks at ways retirees can be involved in the academic functioning of the university. This is most timely considering the influx of the double cohort in 2003. When concrete proposals are formulated we will submit them to the membership for consideration before taking any further actions. (continued on page 1a)
Inside this issue
Page 1. President's Report
Page 2. Campus News
Page 3. Campus News
Page 4. Association News
Page 5. Association News
Page 6. Association News
Page 7. Editorial News