Benefits are difference between life, death

I am a UAW retiree and I need to take a moment to thank you and this great union for many things, but most of all I, want to thank you for a benefit I am now in great need of. I have cancer and the medication I need is very expensive. So far it has cost well over $300,000, and thanks to our great union, it is all covered by our insurance. I can never tell you how much this means to me and my family. But I know it means the difference between life and death. I will beat this, thanks to those great benefits that the UAW has negotiated for us.

Paul Allen
UAW Local 626 retiree
Bristol, Conn.

Way to go, Michigan state workers

I am a labor relations representative for SEIU Local 1000. We represent about 90,000 employees of the state of California. Our governor wants to demolish the state employees’ defined-benefit retirement system. California Public Employees Retirement System is the largest and strongest retirement system in the world. The Arnoldcrats now want a constitutional amendment abolishing the system and creating a 401(k) benefit plan. He plans to treat the state teachers retirement system in the same manner.

I am very proud to read your article on the state workers in Michigan. State workers in California have not seen any real pay increases in many years. Most increases are eaten up by health care costs with a net loss to the workers. Please keep informing us. We need to know about these wins in other states.

Linda Lohman
UAW Local 1250
Sacramento, Calif.

Share the misery

UAW President Gettelfinger really nailed it when he wrote of losing our gains through the ballot box. It’s a point that’s not lost on us retirees. Through our union, we are already a group of activists. We were born of activism and still have the power to make government do the right thing.

Government has not been on our side, nor on the side of the average American, in quite a while. We must bring the full weight of our union to bear at the ballot box. UAW members have always stood for social justice and common sense. We sought fairness and equality. And we have always been advocates for dignity and responsibility in our workplaces and communities.

There seems to be a sufficient amount of misery affecting us. I believe the time has come to share the misery with the people who are causing it.

Jackie Russell
UAW Local 1413 former president
Huntsville, Ala.