INCLUDING A RETIREE REPRESENTATIVE ON LOCAL AND STATE EXECUTIVE BOARDS, LEGISLATIVE OR COPE COMMITTEES

WHEREAS, AFT retired members are one of the union's fastest-growing constituencies, increasing from 32,000 in 1990 to more than 190,000 today; and

WHEREAS, more than 300,000 AFT members are projected to retire between 2004 and 2013, with an even larger number to retire in the decade to follow; and

WHEREAS, in 1990, AFT convention delegates recognized the contribution of the generation of members who built the modern AFT and their potential to continue contributing to union building for many more years by creating a prepaid lifelong membership in the national union for retirees; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of these contributions, convention delegates granted retired members in chartered chapters the right to elect delegates to the national convention; and

WHEREAS, retired members play a key role in supporting the union's legislative agenda and endorsed candidates, voting and contributing to COPE and labor-endorsed candidates at very high percentages; and

WHEREAS, retirees are a ready source of volunteers for local unions and state federations, with nearly 50 percent of retirees reporting that they have lobbied on union issues since retirement; and

WHEREAS, many locals and state federations rely on retirees as a key constituency in defending Social Security, Medicare, pension and health benefits for current and future retirees; and

WHEREAS, the presence of a retiree representative on a local and state executive board and/or COPE committee is critical to keeping representatives of working members in touch with the issues and concerns of retired members, while helping retired members understand more fully the concerns and issues of working members; and

WHEREAS, union members today are under the fiercest attack by forces of the radical right in the last 50 years; and

WHEREAS, retirees are often among the most loyal and supportive union members and a key constituency in preserving the union's institutional memory:

RESOLVED, that the AFT encourage local unions and state federations with chartered retiree chapters to include a retiree chapter leader officially representing the chapter on their executive board, legislative committee or COPE committee.