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201 RETIREE'S COLUMN
LOCAL 201 RETIREES COLUMN
BY KEVIN D. MAHAR
PRESIDENT LOCAL 201 RETIREES COUNCIL
COME ON DOWN TO ORLANDO FLORIDA
GE ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 22, 2009
Here is the contact information: QUILITY INN PLAZA, 9000 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE, ORLANDO FL. PHONE 1-407-996-8585, GROUP ID 9240 THE COST WILL BE $55. PER NIGHT PER ROOM PLUS TAX. MAKE YOUR OWN RESERVATIONS BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU GOING. I AM GOING DOWN EARLY AND MAY STAY LATER BUT YOU MAY CALL ME AT 781-367-7822. We are planning a meeting for all those who are attending the GE annual meeting the night before so if you are going please plan your schedule to attend this important meeting. Further information will be in published in my column as to when and what function room in the hotel
PLEASE READ ARTICLE IN THIS PAPER ENTITLED
“CLASS ACTION “ MAILING CONFUSING YOU???
Hope this article clears up most of your questions. I know that there were about 314,000 of those NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION sent out all around the country. I will write a column on this matter at a later time but if I can answer any question feel free to call me at 781-592-0884.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HELEN QUIRINI
89 YEARS YOUNG AND STILL FIGHTING FOR GE RETIREES
Have you ever been touched in your life to have met someone who inspires you because they fight not so much for themselves but for justice and for a betterment of the lives of others. I have been touched by a couple of such persons in the way of Helen Quirini and Helen introduced me to Gail George who was a remarkable woman from the Schenectady NY area. Gail unfortunately passed away about a year ago. She came to Lynn and put on the play she wrote HELEN AND JACK at St. Michaels hall to over 700 local 201 members. Gail wrote that play and did the one woman show about the plight of the GE retirees and came up with an imaginary conversation between Jack Welch and Helen Quirini when I introduced Helen to Jack at one of the GE annual meeting. NOW USING THE WEB SITE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE ENTIRE PLAY HELEN AND JACK ON LINE AT. www.pensionrights.org/action/strategies/videos.html hope you enjoy.
GE CALLS US TO MAKE A REQUEST
At this years annual meeting Helen Quirini, Bill Freeda and myself were scheduled to have proxy questions at the annual meeting. GE was fighting to exclude those questions by asking the SEC to allow GE to exclude them. Quite unexespectly corporate GE had Chuck Welch a retired GE executive who I have worked with on retiree issues, call me to propose that if we would voluntarily rescind those proxy questions for this year and we could include them in other years. In exchange GE would agree to have a major meeting to discuss retiree issues in Schenectady NY with all the unions as we have had in the past. This meeting would be with the very highest levels of GE executives in HR. This form of meeting would be on an annual basis if requested by us. Also GE would have a special spot on the agenda at the annual meeting where Helen Quirin, Bill Freeda and myself would have time to discuss retiree problems. All this and the fact we made it clear we would not limit our activities (picket line, hall of shame leaflet) at the annual meeting was reduced to writing as a memorandum of understanding. As a result of the understanding Helen, Bill and myself withdrew or proxy statements. We felt this was important to the GE retirees to have the kind of highest level dialogue face to face with GE and the retirees on an annual basis to make this a very valuable meeting . This will take place late spring early summer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
The GE Retiree Justice Fund was started to advocate for better pensions and benefits for GE retirees. Dues ar $12 per year, more if you can afford it, less if you cannot. Again this year I will send $100. And challenge my friends to match me. Send any contribution to GE Retirees Justice Fund 2917 Hamburg St. Schenectady NY 12303 www.geretirees.com
