Save the Date - Changed to May 20!
On May 20, Retirees from all over Texas will convention at the Texas AFL-CIO center in Austin to form the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans. All Texas retirees and their supporters will have the power to fight together for retiree rights!
Retirees from at least a dozen different unions gathered in Austin on January 21 to plan the convention and recommend by-laws. Even though participants pointed out many obstacles to starting a new statewide organization, they were determined to overcome them all. Some Texas retirees already have organizations associated with their locals. Others are associated with AFL-CIO councils. A single list of all Texas retiree organization does not even exist! Thousands across our vast state are not working with any retiree organization at all.
At the same time, many participants pointed out, retiree rights are under attack more than at any time in our lives. Pensions and health care are being ripped away from America's seniors. Politicians are keeping their designs against Social Security quiet until they get re-elected this year, but everyone knows they will try again to undermine it in 2007.
Victor
Pauly of Victoria, who was unanimously elected to chair the meeting, summed
up his feelings, "I don't want to sit here and have it done to me forever.
I want to do something back!" Everybody felt the same!
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