Monday, August 11, 2008

Pennsylvania local helps surviving spouses make it in tough times

A few bucks can make the difference for many struggling surviving spouses. For some, it may mean they can treat themselves to a dinner at a restaurant. For others, it might mean they can afford to buy necessary medication.

Hank Leyland and the board of UAW Local 3303 in Butler, Pa., recognized that recent changes in health care coverage were hitting its surviving spouses especially hard. Leyland, the local's former president, along with past and current board members, continually stress the importance of active members helping retirees and surviving spouses.

Hank Leyland says it's important to remember our retirees.

With dramatically rising health insurance and prescription drug costs topped with skyrocketing food and energy prices, the local saw the quality of life for some of the local's surviving spouses slipping. The 669 surviving spouses live on fixed incomes for the most part and inflation was beginning to eat their pension and Social Security checks. Leyland said some of the older surviving spouses have as little as $100 a month to live on because their spouse retired so long ago.

"The need is obviously there," Leyland said.

In typical UAW fashion, Leyland and the board of Local 3303 put people on the problem. As profit-sharing checks went out, they asked for donations from the 1,322 active members and they soon responded. As donations came in, surviving spouses were randomly selected and a check with a letter explaining the gift was sent.

The first donation was anonymous and was for $250. A note with the check said, "Give this money to No. 250 on your list," according to a post on iamtheuaw.org, a Web site where UAW members share their stories about their locals and community involvement.

"I think we're doing the right thing," Leyland said. "It tells these surviving spouses they are not forgotten."

More donations arrived, followed by touching Thank You cards from surviving spouses:

"What a wonderful, welcome surprise to find $100 in what I thought was another advertisement or request for money," wrote one surviving spouse. "Thank you so much. My husband has been gone for 6 1/2 years and I am trying to hang on to the house, which he built. It gets harder every year."

Another surviving spouse wrote: "God bless you all. P.S.: Your most generous gift will make my trip to the dentist next month a lot less painful."

Leyland said he expects donations to increase as more active members understand what the program is about.

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