In order to reach out to all our members, the RTC holds regular monthly meetings here at union headquarters and annual meetings here in the Greater New York area and all over the country where our retirees have relocated. The annual meetings are most often scheduled from January through March but there are a few as early as October.

These annual meetings focus on health, pension, social service and continuing education issues with member and local problems considered and questions answered. My role at these meetings is to offer an overall perspective on what is happening at the UFT and on national and political issues in general. This column is a précis of issues to be covered, understanding that, as with any lesson plan, timely updates will be added as events unfold.

Our in-service colleagues are benefiting from some positive attitudinal changes. After 20 years of mayors who blamed and insulted classroom educators and their union, the current mayor is supportive of their efforts. Chancellor Carmen Fariña, an educator who came up through the ranks, is setting a good tone. Some of the old guard administrators however have not yet gotten the message so recently UFT President Michael Mulgrew publicly criticized the continual mistreatment of hard-working colleagues, especially untenured teachers.

Our fight to make teacher evaluations fairer is making some progress though charter schools and attacks on traditional public schools remain ongoing battles.

On the national level, we have been fighting to oppose an increase in Medicare Part B deductions triggered by the lack of a Social Security COLA increase based on low inflation. Due in large part to our members’ willingness to join this fight through online lobbying of congressional representatives and other political action, as of this writing, a bipartisan debt ceiling/budget deal included a corrective fix preventing an enormous Medicare Part B increase. That’s a sound victory based on retiree political action.

Our union and unions across the country face losing payroll deductions of union dues if the Supreme Court rules against us in the Friedrichs case that is now before the court. We’ve seen what Gov. Scott Walker did to the teachers in Wisconsin. The fallout from that decision will have a serious impact on all unions if it goes against us, so that is one of our main concerns.

The battle strategy to elect a more labor-friendly congress and transform state legislatures and governorships in the 2016 campaign will be analyzed.

And the advantages of an early AFT endorsement of Hillary Clinton will also be weighed along with campaign issues relevant to retirees and labor such as: The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its effect on pharmaceutical prices; the so-called “Cadillac Tax” on high-end health plans and how to protect our benefits; negotiating drug prices for Medicare the way the Veterans Administration does; enhancing Social Security with such measures as a Consumer Price Index COLA criteria geared to things that matter to retirees, such as health and housing costs; the ongoing fight to preserve defined-benefit pensions and labor victories and losses.

In New York State, an automatic 20-year ballot question on whether or not to hold a Constitutional Convention in 2017 presents a possible threat to public employee pensions. A 1938 constitutional provision guarantees: No public employee pension shall be diminished or impaired. But with anti-union sentiment running strong and conservatives looking to cut the budget on the backs of working Americans, that provision could easily be repealed. We must educate ourselves and the public on this very important issue.

Presenting information on specific member benefits is also key to these discussions, including news about the Optional Rider partial reimbursement, Medicare Part B and IRMA reimbursements, and Welfare Fund and SHIP benefits and others.

Annual Meetings around the country offer an opportunity to participate in union activities for those not geographically able to come to our monthly general membership meetings. They are well-attended, lively and a joyful way to reconnect with one another. Members can attend any meeting in any area convenient to them.

I hope to see you there.