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Don’t forget to vote! by Local 18 President Frank Miramontes We have worked hard to expose the inadequacy of the last Retirement Board election and now the new election for which we fought is being held. I want to urge all members to vote for Lilly Calvache, Dan Mirisola and Javier Romero, your Local 18 slate. This is more important than most members realize. In the private sector (Taft-Hartley Plan), it is mandated by law that rank and file representatives serve on the retirement board. This is for a very good reason. The board is not intended to be made up of financial experts. The board hires financial experts. What we need on the board are intelligent, competent people who understand our needs and concerns and will work to protect them in this most important area. The Retirement Board is the deciding board in many matters that can directly affect you. One day you might find yourself making a disputed retirement or disability claim. The board will be the final authority. Not long ago the Board bent the rules so that a top manager could double-dip for a year. But when a rotating shift worker sought a leave of absence so that he could get a day job for a short time and mend his troubled family life, no latitude was given and he was forced out of his job. The situations were similar and nothing could better demonstrate the impact of an unbalanced board. Local 18 made it a top priority to secure a fair election for the retirement board. Now it is up to you to take advantage of what we have won. Don’t forget to vote for the Local 18 Retirement Board slate. |