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The Texas AFL-CIO has sponsored its Committee On Political Education (COPE)
conference for January 19-20 in Austin. It will be the most important single
statewide meeting for Texas labor during the critical 2008 election year. Those
candidates seeking labor's help, including those who will run for the U.S. Senate,
make it a point to ask for time at every COPE conference. Senatorial candidate
Rick Noriega is expected, according to
Texas AFL-CIO President, Becky Moeller.
One of the main strengths of the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans is its connections to existing unions and union retiree clubs all over the state. The task for Texas retirees is to pull all of our organizations together into a mighty force that can defend retiree rights and push for a better life. The more active retirees there are at the COPE conference, the more work that can be done toward our goals.
Most retirees realize the tremendous importance of electing pro-worker candidates in 2008, because they are the ones who will stand up for Social Security, Medicare, pensions, and health care reform. The more input that retirees have in the process, and the more responsibilities we shoulder, the better we will be.
In North Texas, retirees are joining the union efforts to get out a big vote in the December 18 special election for State Representative in District 97 in Southwest Tarrant County..The Tarrant County AFL-CIO is organizing block walking from the Machinist's (IAM) hall, 555 N. Grants Lane, Fort Worth, TX 76108. Other retirees are working on phone banking. The growing senior vote may well be decisive in this and all the upcoming political races! Contact me to volunteer to help.
The retirees' national leadership, Alliance for Retired Americans, has set up a series of regional meetings to help retirees meet the challenges of 2008. Here are four scheduled conferences and the web pages for more information:
2008 Western Regional Conference March 24-26, 2008 o Las Vegas, NV http://www.unionvoice.org/retirees/events/rw08/details.tcl
2008 Northeastern Regional Conference April 17-18, 2008 o Philadelphia, PA http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/id/4878
2008 Midwestern Regional Conference April 28-29, 2008 o St. Louis, MO http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/id/4880
2008 Southern Regional Conference June 4-5, 2008 o Orlando, FL http://www.retiredamericans.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/id/4882
--Gene Lantz, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans Secretary