President's Report

Iam most grateful to the membership for having elected and supported me during this second year as president of the Retired Teachers’ Association of Manitoba (RTAM). It proved to be another experience in learning and leading a very important organization of members who contributed immensely to Manitoba and the Canadian fabric in the past, and who now, as retired members, must be afforded the respect, gratitude and dignity that is rightfully owed to them. Retired teachers should and must be entitled to relaxation, enjoyment of family and friends and the opportunity to do what they have always dreamed of doing. They must be able to attend to their wellness, pursue activities they have always enjoyed and be empowered to continue growing psychologically, spiritually and as responsible citizens, with much to offer to the development of youth today - the leaders of tomorrow. To help those who so wish to participate, RTAM, in cooperation with Johnson Inc., strives to offer insurance benefits of many kinds to provide security and financial support in times of need. To assist in accomplishing all of the above, retirees should be ensured that their pensions will be fairly indexed so as not to lose spending and purchasing power; this element being crucial to all retirees and certainly retired teachers.

This report is not intended to be a repetition of the work and highlights of our committees. All have functioned well and have put forth much effort and time to further the objectives of these committees. I encourage you to read these reports carefully, to analyze them and to seek further information, if required. Rather, this report will highlight certain innovations, current happenings of importance and the necessity to continue our involvement in the provincial election to be held on October 4, 2011.

Recruitment continues to be a high priority for RTAM. We now have approximately 8000 members and this number must continue to grow. Numbers carry much importance in political lobbying and the offering of services. To reach out to potential retirees, the Membership Committee has organized an effective Power Point presentation which has already been used twice this spring, once in Winnipeg and once in Brandon. There were approximately thirty participants in Winnipeg and twelve in Brandon. These pre-retirement seminars were very successful and will be made accessible to all in the province. Some chapters, such as the Retired Teachers of Winnipeg, have also organized successful pre-retirement seminars and RTAM commends them for this.

Furthermore, our first brochure, Join Us, which is visually appealing and of high quality, was ready for distribution at AGM. It will be circulated widely to TRAF, chapters, divisional offices and to as many other venues as possible. A second one will follow shortly on Benefits; we thank Johnson Inc. for their cooperation and contribution.

The Benefits Committee has met on numerous occasions during the year, as well as last summer, to work on the various programs RTAM offers in cooperation with Johnson Inc. Our travel health plan still is the Cadillac of the nation and many of our other plans are very competitive. No plan will change until a thorough review has been conducted and completed before March, 2012. The insurance business is a very competitive one and therefore requires much attention, effort and work.

Again this year, our COLA will not reflect what we had been led to believe by Tim Sale in his report and recommendations. COLA continues to be an issue of prime importance to all of us. It is rather sad that the treatment allotted to RTAM is inferior to similar groups such as the Civil Service Superannuation Plan (CSSP) and the Health Employees Pension Plan (HEPP). The Pensions Committee continues to conduct high quality research so as to enable RTAM to put forth the strongest arguments possible, to convince the powers that be to redress this situation. I commend this committee for its work and we all are convinced that improvements are not an option. Fairness and long term funding must be obtained.

Educational Advocacy Committee cooperated with the Manitoba School Boards Association (MSBA) to print

for the year 2010-2011

Richard Benoit

additional copies of the most popular booklet, A Child's Message to My Parents. It has also written to the Manitoba Teachers' Society to offer our support as they respond to four of the Department of Education and Training's recent proposals in the Educational Review proces.

Wellness and Travel organize very pertinent and interesting seminars in their fields of activity. You are urged to truly take advantage of these informative and recreational days. Membership and Chapter Formation is also reaching out to areas where we have no chapters so that they can also benefit from the positive contributions of chapters.

The Bylaws and Policy Committee has worked mainly in revisions to policy regarding issues referred to it by the Board. The thorough study and rationale for changes are most appreciated.

Communications constitute the backbone of every organization. This committee is really trying to reach out to you through a greatly improved website and our quarterly newsletter-magazine, KIT, which deserves to be read from cover to cover, for it outlines for all members the highlights of the previous quarter, the important issues and changes in the life of RTAM and reports from chapters or other groups focusing on their activities. The Public Relations Committee strives to improve the image of RTAM. Media Watch provides valuable reading outlining highlights in the business and financial world which often times leads to possible comparisons with retired teachers and how we fare in similar contexts.

This year, I have been most fortunate to visit many chapters, especially in the rural and northern areas. I am amazed at the camaraderie, the socialization and the work carried out with great enthusiasm and generosity by the members. You are vital to RTAM. You are the local arms, hands and faces. Upon you also rests the all important responsibility of communication and liaison. Continue to be active! Continue to stimulate interest in RTAM. Please be very involved at the provincial political level this fall; we need you! We can also be very helpful to you in this political involvement! Therefore let us ensure a high quality dialogue with politicians. Special congratulations to the Retired Women Teachers’ Association which celebrated in pomp, ceremony and conviviality its 60th anniversary.

As we all know, liaison with the government, political parties and the MTS constitutes an important RTAM obligation. Since the fall, we have twice met with Minister Allan, accompanied by some of her senior officials. The second visit with her in April was a rather cordial one. We were informed that Pensions and COLA are an “active” issue for the government and that she is aware of our concerns. Only time will reveal what concrete measure, if any, will be taken. We also discussed representation on TRAF and the Teachers’ Pension Task Force. There possibly is some light at the end of the tunnel on this issue but again . . . time will tell.

We also had fruitful meetings with Conservative Education Critic Cliff Cullen. He also spoke at one of our Board meetings. We believe he is aware of our concerns and issues as is Dr. Jon Gerrard with whom we also met.

Our Pensions Chair and I met with MTS President Pat Isaak and Henry Shyka regarding a pension matter that their 2010 AGM had asked them to consult with us regarding our opinions. The meeting was a relaxed one with some frank exchange of opinions. I have had the opportunity of dialoguing informally with Pat Isaak at a few events. We continue to benefit from the utilization of their meeting rooms and some secretarial services such as photocopying, which we sincerely appreciate. We look forward to working with their President-elect Paul Olson and his new executive. It must be said that relationships between many local chapters of RTAM and local MTS divisional associations are positive. It is hoped chapters will all continue to foster these relationships for these benefit both RTAM and the MTS.

As stated earlier, October 4, 2011, is an important day for Manitobans and for RTAM. The Political Action Committee has already organized a provincial forum to help organize meetings between MLAs and members of local chapters. These meetings focus on informing MLAs of our concerns, of the present flaws in the Pension Plan and possible ways to correct these. While RTAM is non partisan, we must make our issues known to the candidates and the public. Hopefully, many future meetings will be held with all candidates and Political Action is willing and ready to assist you in organizing and providing information for these meetings. Elections come only in four year intervals. NOW is the time to act. NOW is the appropriate time to let our views be known at town hall meetings, debates and when candidates visit at our home. PLEASE HELP US HELP OURSELVES!

In conclusion I wish to thank the contributions of all members of the Board who, each in their own fashion, are most committed to RTAM and its success. Your many hours of work and travel have led in one way or another to a better, more effective organization. To those of you